Rettland Farm Share 2014

 

So we covered the WHY of the new Rettland Farm Farm Share program here.

Now let's talk about the HOW.


1. The Buy In Phase:

Like any CSA, we have to start with the buy in, the price you pay for membership in the farm share.

Unlike most CSAs, however, you decide the price you pay for this one.

That's right, no set CSA fee. You pay what you can based on your budget and food needs.

What we offer you in return for your committment to the farm for the year is a little "thank you" in the form of a bonus on top of your investment.

The Bonuses

 

• For amounts up to $499, we will add 5% to the amount of your investment. 

• For amounts of $500 and up we will add 10% to the amount of your investment.

• For amounts over $1000, we'll simultaneously be impressed and humbled by your dedication to Rettland Farm, we'll give you the 10% bonus, and we'll throw in your choice of a Rettland Farm ballcap or T-Shirt.

• For amounts over $2000, after we get over being gobsmacked by your awesomeness, we'll give you all of the other bonuses, plus a loaf of sourdough bread, made from our own organic wheat flour, baked by yours truly, and delivered, still warm, to your door. (Heck, we'll even make you some butter to go along with it!)

The Timeline

 

You can make your investment anytime between now and April 1, 2014. You can pay it all at once, or make installments as often as you like. The schedule is entirely up to you, but the Buy-In phase closes April 1, 2014 and no funds will be accepted after that date.

Once you have paid your fees, we will issue you a Share Card, which will be modeled after a savings account passbook. The amount on the Share Card will be equal to your dollar investment plus your bonus, whatever that may be. At that point all you need to do is to wait for April 2.

Because beginning April 2, we begin the Share phase.


2. The Share Phase:

After April 2, and until your Share Card balance reaches $0, you are entitled to begin collecting your Farm Share, in the form of ANY of the products that we produce and have available for sale at that time.

You probably know we produce pastured broiler chickens while the grass is green. You can take some of them as your share.

 

And we also raise pigs that ultimately make some pretty tasty pork, from chops to bacon to hams to all manner of sausages. You can claim some of that for your share too.

Aaaaand we are starting to produce some organic grains, and we grind them into flour. Flour can be part of your share too, if you're so inclined.

How 'bout the new goodies we're working on behind the scenes? You know, the stuff that we're 99% sure we're going to have, but are too superstitious to mention?  Yep, that stuff too if we can get them to work out.

In short, you can take ANY Rettland Farm product that we have available throughout the season, in ANY quantity that you'd like to have it in. (*Please read "The Fine Print..."*)

No more set quantities. No more fixed items. And no more mandatory pick up schedule

The idea here is to make your Farm Share more customized to your needs and tastes, and not try to cram everyone into the same mold. To quote one of my wife's and my favorite movie lines:  "I am a peacock, you gotta let me fly!!" 

So fly, my little Peacocks.  Fly!

3. The Point of Sale:

As of now, the main point of sale, where you will be able to collect your Farm Share will be the New Larder at Rettland Farm, set to open soon on Baltimore Pike, south of Gettysburg, PA. The Larder will be open Saturdays, and by appointment if needed.

(For our Members in Baltimore, I am working on putting together a Buyer's Club program for you, with periodic deliveries to Charm City throughout the year. See special instructions for you at the end of this post)

In either location, you will simply select the products that you'd like to buy just like you would do at any farmers' market, and then present them to our Team member at the point of sale along with your Share Card. The retail price of your purchases will be added up, and the total will be deducted from your remaining balance on the Share Card.

You'll repeat this process until your balance reaches $0, at which point you are still welcome to shop with us. You'll just use other forms of payment besides your Share Card.


4. Additional Perks:

In addition to the cash bonus on the Share Card, you'll also receive a few extra perks for being part of the Farm Share.

• To give you the best selection of our available products each week, Share members will be allowed early access to the Larder each day it is open. So if the Larder's posted hours have it opening at 12 noon for the general public, it will be open at 10 am for Share members.

• Share members will also receive early bird tips about special products that we have available in limited quantities, such as holiday hams or Thanksgiving turkeys, before we announce their availability to the general public.

• Finally, we'll give each member one insulated reuseable tote bage that you can use to safely carry your goodies home from your visits to the Larder.

5. The Fine Print:

Please understand that while we're trying maximize your freedom of choice, we're still a small farm, and sometimes our inventories of certain products are low. It's important to know that this is still a CSA of sorts, and by no means a mega supermarket with seemingly endless supplies of everything.

Be aware that we as producers are flying blind here a little bit, the necessary trade off for this new flexible CSA. So gauging demand for each product is going to take a little practice and finesse on our part.

Please know this up front: There will be days that we don't have what you want. But we will always have something awesome for you to eat. CSAs are meant to challenge your thinking when it comes to food, and make you step outside your comfort zone when it comes to cooking it.

So if we don't have bacon on the shelf when you visit, rest assured that we'll have it next week or the week after, and these pork minute steaks will be amazing on your plate until then.

Plan to take 6-8 months to exhaust your share. That's certainly the intention, to allow you to experience as much of the farm's seasonality as possible. If you try to collect your full share in the blink of an eye early in the season, you're going to miss out on some great stuff later in the season. And also make things really stressful for us.


6. How to Join:

Simply send me an email. farmer@rettlandfarm.com. Let me know that you're interested, the approximate dollar amount you'd like to invest, and what payment schedule you're thinking about, if any. I'll take it from there.

(And if you're from the Baltimore area, please let me know that too. We'll give you more info about how we're going to work the Buyer's Club there)

Hopefully you'll consider being a part of our new Farm Share program! 

We are really looking forward to hearing from you!

The 2014 Farm Share: Prologue

So we're gonna try something a little different this year.

You know we've done the CSA thing in the past, right?

For two consecutive years, we've had a Chicken CSA. We've also kicked the tires on a pork CSA that we called Share-A-Swine on two occasions, once here at home and once for the good folks of the greater Baltimore area.

Both CSAs seem to be enjoyed by the members who participate, and we always had some repeat members, and lots of questions about when the next one would start from others.

But I feel like we can improve on the whole concept, from nose to tail.

For starters, we shouldn't be limiting the CSA shares to one specific product. I mean, we're a diversified farm that produces a variety of products already, have a couple in the R&D phase, and still more in the "thinkin" stage. So why are we only offering CSAs with one product in them?

It is also really tricky to put together a CSA that appeals to the greatest number of people. Some people would really enjoy chicken breasts one week, and skip the whole bird, you know? And, "hey Beau, we really could have used 3 lbs of the OCC sausage this week for our July 4th party with the in-laws, but there was only one in our share..."

Or picking up the shares.  Or missing shares because of vacation.  Or not being able to participate at all because of the up front costs.

These are legitimate problems, and I worry about the people who have them. They are not getting the experience from our food that I want them to have, and I want to do better for them.

So, we're going to do just that. Offer more products. Offer more variety. Offer greater flexibility for pickups. And offer more value.

It's the NEW and IMPROVED Rettland Farm CSA, designed to run faster, jump higher, and fly further than all previous Rettland Farm CSAs!

Most importantly, I think you're gonna love it.

Stay tuned for the full details. Very soon.

In Your Kitchen: Amy's CSA Chicken



So we'll use this as a first post in a new feature here on the Blog, called In Your Kitchen. I'd love to share your pics and/or recipes of the cool creative ways you use Rettland Farm products in your kitchens. Send em my way, and I'll put em up.

Our first entry comes from Amy.  Amy is one of our Chicken CSA members, and she sends me pictures occasionally of the dishes she's prepared with our products. 

Amy sent me this picture of last week's CSA share, which was pastured chicken halves.  Amy's preparation:  "Rosemary and garlic roasted on the chicken and when it cools slightly we will pour on some balsamic vinegar. Soooo delicious!! "

No doubt.

Thanks for sharing, Amy!

Chicken CSA, Charm City Edition

Heads up, Bawlmer.  We're bringing our Chicken CSA to your town, Hon.

Thanks the generosity of Spike and Amy Gjerde, the owners of Woodberry Kitchen and Artifact Coffee, we are going to have a drop off point for a weekly Chicken CSA, right there in Hampden. 

This means that you can get your hands on a fresh, pastured, sustainably raised broiler chicken, from the same small farm that provides chickens to Woodberry Kitchen, and then take that sweet luscious bird home for your family dinner table. 

And you can do this EVERY WEEK for 30 weeks this summer and fall.

The drop location and day/time is TBD, but will most likely be at the Union Mill where Artifact calls home, probably on a Friday afternoon/evening.

So, if you are a member of the staff or a loyal customer of either Woodberry or Artifact,

OR if you live close by,

OR if you drive by on the JFX on your way home in the afternoon...

then, you should probably check out our CSA, and then sign yourself up today!

You can jump over here to get the basics on the CSA in general, contact info, etc.

And then CONTACT ME right away, to get your name on the list.  We have a limited number of spots available, and you need to be sure to get yours.

Your whole summers worth of personal chicken satisfaction may depend on it!

Chicken CSA, 2013

It's hard to believe, but we are exactly one week away from the first day-old chicks arriving on the farm, which signals the official kick off for the 2013 Chicken crop here at Rettland Farm.

One of many jobs that has to be done to prepare for the season is to roll out and fill up our CSA 2013. You might remember that CSA means "Chicken Subscription Arrangement" here at Rettland Farm. (For the full story of our CSA, check here.) We put the CSA idea together for the 2012 season, and had a nice number of brave souls who gave it a shot. I think I can say that it was an overwhelming success, and that it was a really great experience for both the members and for me.

After getting some feedback from last year's members, I've made a few minor changes for this year. Most notable will be that we will provide the chickens in different forms this year, instead of just a whole bird every week. This should provide a nice little element of suspense, as you pull open the CSA fridge door and see just what form your bird is in this week! 

One thing that DID NOT change is the price per share. We are offering the CSA shares for the same weekly cost as last year, and guaranteeing the same minimum weight. Thought you might like to know that...

So, without further delay, here's the nitty gritty for CSA 2013:

1. Why are we offering our chickens this way? I want to operate a CSA that provides fresh chickens for my members on a weekly basis. It ensures my members a supply of fresh food, and provides me with a stable, known quantity of products that I have to grow every week. I also think that this arrangement will strenghten relationships between farmer and eater, which is something that is important to me.

2. How does it work? Each "share" in the CSA will entitle the member to 1 pastured broiler chicken each week, usually unfrozen, and packaged in plastic bags. The bird may be whole, in parts, halved, or otherwise cut to provide variety in the share. The form every week will be at my discretion, and all shares will be the same.

3. What are the specifics on the chickens? This CSA will produce pastured broiler chickens, weighing approximately 4.0 lbs or more, but not less than 3.5 lbs. These chickens will typically be commercial white broiler chickens. The diet for the chickens, besides pasture, will contain whole grains (excluding corn), oilseeds, and vitamins and minerals. All processing of the chickens will occur on the farm, and be done by the farmer and/or farm employees.

4. When will the CSA begin? End? The CSA will provide fresh food to the members every week from early to mid-May, run for 30 weeks through the summer and end sometime in November.

5. Where is the pick up location? The member will pick up their share at the farm, located outside of Gettysburg, PA once per week, every Saturday from 12pm until 7pm. We are also in discussions to have a drop location in the Baltimore metro area, specifically in or near Hampden. If you are from the Baltimore area and are interested in this location, PLEASE let me know. We will need a minimum number of members to make this location work, so let me know EARLY if you are interested!

6. What is the cost? The cost for 1 share in the CSA for 2013, with the share being picked up at the farm will be $14 per week for a period of 30 weeks, for a total cost of $420. For the Baltimore location, the cost for one share in 2013 will be $16 per week, for 30 weeks, for a grand total of $480. (The extra cost is needed to cover the cost of refrigerated transportation). The total cost of the share will be paid by April 1, 2013, with a minimum 50% deposit due by March 1, 2013. If you are interested in the CSA, but will have trouble complying with this schedule, please contact me. We will consider all offers for alternative payments and payment schedules.

7. One share not enough? So your family eats more than one chicken a week, eh? OR, you are a planner and want to stock up on chickens for the winter while we are actively growing them in the summer? Good for you. Simply order as many shares as fits your needs. If that is TOO many chickens, there will be additional chickens available for purchase at retail prices when available.

8. Other benefits? Some CSAs do cool things like share recipes for harder to cook items. I'd like to teach people how to break down chickens into pieces, as some families prefer. Share tips for making stock (a must when you have access to fresh, flavorful whole chickens). Spend an hour with us on a harvesting day. Get a personalized tour of the chicken pastures. I'd be willing to do any or all of these things, if the interest was there. Anything to build a food community around our humble little chicken enterprise, and a sense of ownership for the members. What ideas do you have??

So what do you think?

Can you dig a fresh, premium, pastured chicken in your oven every week this summer?

Yeah, thought so.

So send me an email and get yourself on the list!

CSA 2012, Part 2: The Long Distance Option

So we've had a good response for the Rettland Farm Chicken Subscription Arrangement since word of it hit the streets last week. 

But a few of our followers from outside the immediate area have contacted with their regrets at not being able to participate because of the distance from their homes to the farm here in Gettysburg.  So, that got the wheels turning again here at Idea Central.

And this is what I've come up with:

To make the trip more efficient for the long haulers, I will offer a Monthly CSA Share option.  This option will be for people who can only pick up their shares once per month because of distance.  The quantity of chickens will still be the same, one per week.  The chickens will still be the same type, size, and form (whole, halves, etc) as the weekly share.  The shares will still be picked up at the farm in Gettysburg, also on Saturday.

The difference however, is that these chickens will be cryovac packaged in plastic and frozen.  And, as a result of this packaging cost and the freezing, the Monthly share will cost $15 per week.  This brings the total cost of the share for the season to $450. 

For obvious reasons, the egg share isn't available for Monthly subscriber.

This option is really intended for folks in York and Harrisburg, PA or Baltimore, Frederick, or DC.  For those of you in the Hanover area, Rettland Farm chickens will still be available for retail sale at The Carriage House Market.  As an added bonus, if you buy our chickens there, you have access to Rettland Farm pork products, beef from Sheppard Mansion Farms, and lots of other products from local growers.

Hope this helps some of you decide to join us in the inaugural Rettland Farm CSA.  If so, drop me an email at farmer@rettlandfarm.com , and be sure to mention the Monthly option.