Clagett Farm Notes

Summary of 2004 Survey Results

Remember those surveys? Here is our summary of the results. You know your particular likes and dislikes, but by reading this summary you will have a fairly good idea of the preferences of your "average" fellow shareholder.

Let’s start by combining the results of the first two questions: Of those who completed the survey, 68 percent were shareholders that picked up their shares at the farm. Among them, Saturday and Tuesday members were equally represented at 34 percent each. 27 percent of responders were Dupont Circle shareholders and 5 percent picked up at Anacostia. Responders ran the gamut from seasoned ten year veterans to first-time members.

Which three vegetables would you like us to grow more of next year?

If we are talking of favorite veggies, there is little doubt that tomatoes would top the list (or certainly be among the top two), but that is not what we asked. In any event, judging from your answers, we can state with confidence that you love variety. Forty-three different crops made the list! Here we will only list the eight most frequently mentioned. Broccoli was first--31 percent of responders wanted more of it. Second place goes to green/purple beans, requested by 21 percent of responding members. Corn took third place (18 percent). Beets and spinach were next (17 percent each), and after that carrots, lettuce and peas were tied, each getting 16 percent.

Considering our space limitations, if you were the sole decision maker which three vegetables you would not grow in our farm in order to have more space for your favorite ones?

This year, poor turnips won the dubious honor of being the least popular veggie, 29 percent of shareholders expressed willingness to give turnips the ax. Okra, which usually wins this competition, was selected by 24 percent of the responders. Kohlrabi came in a distant third with 14 percent. In addition to these three, twenty-eight other crops were mentioned, but all of them lagged behind considerably. Nevertheless, even the unpopular veggies had fans that wanted more of them. If 29 percent of shareholders dislike turnips, this means that 71 percent like them or at least do not mind having them.

Of the vegetables and herbs we didn’t provide, which ones you would want us to grow?

Asparagus and rosemary were the most frequently requested (at 15 percent each), followed by onions (12 percent). Thirty-two other crops were mentioned, but those three were clearly ahead of the pack. As some of you know, asparagus is a perennial crop that takes a few years to establish. Once established, though, the same bed should produce for fifteen years or longer. We planted asparagus last spring and in the spring of 2005 we expect to harvest only a small amount. In 2006 we expect to harvest it fully. We will plant rosemary and hope to have onions in our shares next year.

Is there anything you would change about your pick-up site, or how the vegetables were displayed and distributed?

Over two thirds (68 percent) of members expressed satisfaction and did not suggest any changes. Although we are happy with that, we appreciate the feedback of those who thought that we should improve. The most common pet peeve (10 percent of responders had the same complaint) was that the farm pick up area has become too crowded. This is interesting because this was the first year we had this complaint. It means that we reached a critical mass and that in order to serve the same number of shareholders we should rearrange our set up at the wash station. We will. 8 percent of members wrote that they wanted us to add more scales. This, of course, is related to the perceived overcrowding--an additional scale or two would ease any bottlenecks. The next most common suggestion was to move the Saturday pick up from the afternoon to the morning. At this point we are not inclined to this because of two reasons. First, only a very small percentage of shareholders had this suggestion. Second, most of the produce is harvested in the morning and distributed in the afternoon (or evening) of the same day. If we switch to Saturday morning distributions, besides additional work for us (storing the produce for the next day), the veggies will not be as fresh.

Did you have adequate assistance from the farm staff?

We are grateful that most of you thought that we provided you with good assistance. 96 percent of the responses were unambiguously positive. There were no outright negative comments, but 4 percent of the replies were somewhat mixed.

Did you ever "you-pick" extra vegetables for your share? Is there anything you would change?

Plenty of "You Pickers"! 65 percent of members you-picked at the farm. And this also included several Dupont and Anacostia shareholders. Among your suggestions, the most common was to improve the signs and have more of them. It addition, it was suggested to have a have a large laminated map of the farm in the wash station, as well as smaller maps for shareholders to take during walks around the farm. We will work on all those suggestions.

Was your share worth the price this year?

Well, the vast majority (85 percent) thought that the share was worth the price. 11 percent was not quite sure, and 4 percent felt that it was not worth it.

If this is not your first year as member, is it worth the price most years?

78 percent of old-timers think that our share prices are worth it most years. 22 percent replied with some ambiguity, but no old timer stated that the price is not worth it most years.

Have you checked the weblog? Do you find it useful?

Although most of you (63 percent) had checked the weblog, it was surprising that a full 37 percent of shareholders had not. Of those who had read the weblog, 87 percent found it useful or very useful, 11 percent had a mixed opinion and 2 percent did not find it useful at all.

Is there anything you would change or add to the weblog?

There were several suggestions. By far the most common was to have more posts and to update the weblog more frequently. We heard you! Our weblog will be more active during the growing season. Other common suggestions: preview the veggies coming up in the next share, notify weblog updates by email, have more input from shareholders and worksharers, and add more recipes. All these are excellent suggestions. Let us just add, though, that members can increase the interactivity of this weblog by sending comments to it. Just click on the comment link at the bottom of the post you want to comment on, write, and send.

Did you have enough access to information about the farm?

Although the vast majority (78 percent) thought that you had enough access to farm information, we will try to improve on this and make it easier for everyone, including those who think we are not quite up to par on this score (18 percent gave us mixed reviews on this and 4 percent thought we did not provide enough access.)

What was the thing you liked the most about your CSA this year?

It’s always fun to read what people liked about their year as CSA members. Fresh, quality produce was the number one response. The wide variety of veggies was the second most popular response. Coming to the farm itself was also one of the things you liked the most about being CSA members. Other common replies were U-Picking vegetables and strawberries, trying new veggies, our commitment to low income people, and the fact that the farm follows sustainable practices.

What was the thing you liked the least about your CSA this year?

Even though so many of you loved to visit the farm, somewhat paradoxically the most common "least liked" aspect about the CSA was the commute to the farm (this was mentioned by 17 percent of those who completed the survey.) There were other items in the "things you liked the least" list, but those dislikes were not nearly as common as the commute issue.

Do you plan to continue membership next year?

We are happy that 71 percent of shareholders wrote that they will continue membership next year. 16 percent were unsure and 13 percent stated that they will not be renewing.

If not, what are the two main reasons for not continuing?

The primary two reasons for not renewing were (1) the long commute to the pick up site, and (2) member either moving to another place or changing jobs making the pick up impossible or much more difficult.

Anything else you would like us to know?

The most common response here was "Thanks!" And we thank you back for your feedback and support. If you are curious you may want to peruse the summary of the 2003 survey. Click here to do that. 

It's survey time again

Yesterday we emailed a copy of our survey to everyone on our email list. During the next pick ups there will be paper copies of the survey as well. They're quick and easy, so please fill one out and send it back either by email, snail mail or hand delivery--your pick. Please be candid and specific. Your feedback will help us.

If you did not receive our email, let us know and send us your correct email address. Here is another way you can complete the survey: click below and download the survey in plain text format. You can copy it and paste it to the body of your email message. Then complete the survey and send it to clagettfarm@cbf.org.

Download 2004_fgu_csa_survey.txt

And thank you to all those who already sent back completed surveys. We already received several of them.

Summary of 2003 Survey Results

Happy holidays to all!

I suspect this does not qualify as holiday reading, but here is a summary of the results of our 2003 CSA Members Survey. First, thanks to all shareholders and worksharers who went through the trouble of completing the survey. The response rate was good, and this, of course, helps us to do a better job in the future.

Where did you pick up? 32 percent of responding shareholders picked up their shares at Dupont, 8 percent at Anacostia, and 60 percent at the farm (45 percent on Tuesdays, and 15 percent on Saturdays.) Responding shareholders ran the gamut from first year newbies to ten-year veterans (CSA members who were with us right from the beginning.)

What do you want us to grow more of? Your selections were very wide: 29 different vegetables were listed! Here I’m mentioning only the ones that got that most votes. Winter squash was the winner, closely followed by eggplant, peas, and sweet potatoes. A little bit behind, but also part of the leading pack were broccoli and corn.

These results reflect the peculiarities of the 2003 growing season. Last year shareholders got plenty of eggplant. Alas, not so this year. While in 2002 shareholders only half-jokingly said that they were being overwhelmed by the amount of sweet potatoes in their shares, 2003 was the exact opposite. While in 2002 we harvested a significant amount of winter squash, in 2003 stem rot destroyed all of our winter squash crop. Ironically, this year we actually spent more time working in the winter squash field. Oh, well.

What would you rather not see? Once again, okra was the most polarizing vegetable. By far it was the veggie that got the most negative votes, but then it also had a significant share of enthusiastic backers. Somewhat surprising for me, kohlrabi followed okra among the least popular crops (even though there was so little of it this year). Those two had the highest negatives. Although behind them, cauliflower and collards also got a significant number of negative votes. All of these veggies, however, also had loyal backers.

Of what we didn’t provide, what would you want us to add to your share? The clear winner here was strawberries. This is good news, because next season will be our first strawberry season. Last spring we planted two strawberry varieties and they should be ready for harvest this coming year. If they do well, we will probably plant more. Other crops that several of you want us to grow include asparagus, fennel and parsnips. We are thinking about planting them. Keep in mind, though, that asparagus is a perennial that needs at least a couple of years to be ready for harvest.

Pick-Up. Most of you were happy with your pick-up sites. 21 percent did suggest some changes: a second scale at the Dupont site, the expansion of drop-off hours, and the addition of another site (in Takoma Park, Silver Spring or College Park) were the most common suggestions. Taking the latter into consideration, early next year (wait for our announcement) we are willing to coordinate a shareholder-driven effort to find an additional site. A critical mass of interested shareholders is needed, however. Also, Clagett Farm would not be able to provide transportation for it. This is something that interested members would have to organize among themselves.

U-Pick. According to the survey, 54 percent of shareholders “you-picked” extra vegetables while visiting the farm. The most common suggestion among U-Pickers was for us to provide better signs. We will.

Staff. You were generous with us, the farm staff. 95 percent stated that we provided adequate assistance. Thanks!

Was the share price worth it? 64 percent replied that it was indeed worth it. 24 percent thought that usually it is, but not in 2003. 12 percent stated that it was not.

Weblog. The majority of shareholders found the weblog useful, but a significant number have never checked it. Many of you would like to be notified by email when there any changes in the weblog. We will do that. We will implement a system in which shareholders will be notified (once a week) if there are additions to the weblog. Shareholders will also be notified by email of any time-sensitive information posted on the weblog. These email notices will include the relevant link.

Some of your suggestions for the weblog: inform members about what to expect in the coming share, include recipes for the veggies provided in any given share, write more about the season and life at the farm, keep on with the pictures.

A quick reminder. This weblog supports comments. If you want to comment on anything posted on it, just click on comment at the bottom of the post and write. If you want a more interactive weblog, do not hesitate to comment.

5K. According to the survey, 42 percent of shareholders are interested in participating in a 5K run/walk at the farm, 21 percent wrote that maybe they will participate, and 37 percent are not interested.

Dinner and Dance. Similar numbers. 38 percent are interested, 31 percent are maybes, and 31 percent are not interested.

Nothing has been decided, but these numbers are very encouraging.

What you liked the most? Common responses: variety and freshness of the vegetables, exposure to previously unknown veggies, going to the farm, the CSA concept itself, and being informed about the progress of the growing season. Honorable mention: Cassie, the one and only, was also cited (for those who don’t know her, Cassie is the resident farm dog.)

What you liked the least? Common responses: rush hour commute to pick up the share, lack of sweet potatoes, smaller shares than on the previous year.

Do you plan to continue membership next year? Despite the fact that 2003 was not a good harvest year, we are encouraged that 71 percent of you stated that you will indeed renew your membership. 16 percent wrote that maybe you will renew, while 13 percent said that you will not.

This wraps up the survey summary. Thank you very much and enjoy the holidays!

Survey time

We've emailed a copy of our survey to everyone on our email list, and we'll be bringing paper copies to all our drop-off sites. They're quick and easy, so please fill one out and send it back. It's not every day you get to tell people exactly what you think and give them lots of good advice AND they want to hear what you have to say. These are the weeks when we plan what to plant where, which seeds to buy, and how many shares to sell at each drop-off on which days. And frankly, we make lousy decisions without your input.

Also, if you did not receive our e-mail, let us know. That means we cannot contact you in the spring when we ask people to sign up for shares. Yikes!