IMPACTS OF RELATIONSHIPBASED ONLINE MARKETING AND 

SOCIAL MEDIA USE ON 

COMMUNITY SUPPORTED 

AGRICULTURE (CSA) PROGRAMS

BRIAN BUTLER

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

CATHY RIDINGS

ZACH ZACHARIAH

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

Supported by Cooperative Agreement 12-25-A-5662 with the USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service.
CSA ARE ....

• A philosophy/mindset for working 

with customers

• A set of relationship building 

practices

• A model for organizing last-mile 

supply chain
SOCIAL MEDIA IS...

• The next stage of the evolving 

internet infrastructure

• A model for engaging with 

customers

• A specific set of technologies for 

communicating and coordinating
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• How do the aspects of CSA models relate to CSA 

outcomes?

• Approach

• Relational practices

• Logistical arrangements

• How do the aspects of social media relate to CSA 

outcomes?

• Technology 

• Relational capabilities

• Transactional capabilities

• How do the aspects of CSAs and social media interact?
METHODS, SAMPLE, AND DATA

• Survey of CSA operators

• Survey and measure development

• Draw from prior literature

• Interviews and pretests

• Pilot test (Sample: 100, Responses: 21)

• CSA operators with an active listing in the LocalHarvest

database (N = 4384)

• 874 Responses (20%)

• After data cleaning, N=812
CSA RELATIONAL APPROACH

• Multi-item measure, 7 item Likert scale, Chronbach alpha = 0.864 

• Items

• In our CSA, the focus is on building long-term relationships with specific 

customers

• Our CSA marketing communications involve personally interacting with 

individual customers 

• Our contact with our CSA customers is personal 

• When a customer signs up for our CSA, we believe they expect one-on- one personal contact with us. 

• When we meet our CSA customers, our interaction is informal and social. 

• Our CSA activities are intended to develop cooperative relationships with 

our customers. 

• Our CSA planning focuses on issues related to specific customers we 

deal with. 

• Our CSA resources (e.g. people, time, money) are invested in 

establishing and building personal relationships with individual customers.

(Adapted Modified from: Homburg, Mèuller, & Klarmann, 2011)
CSA RELATIONAL APPROACH
CSA RELATIONAL PRACTICES

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Require CSA members to help on the farm?

Have a dedicated CSA coordinator?

Encourage CSA members to meet each other?

Have special events?

Allow CSA members to help on the farm?

Send news about the farm employees or farm...

Have a person at the pickup locations to talk to...

Actively solicit suggestions, information and...

Have a pickup location on your farm?

Provide information about the products you sell,...

Allow CSA members to visit the farm?

Allow CSA members to provide...

% of respondents
SOCIAL MEDIA 

INFRASTRUCTURE

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Has website?

Has third party webpage?

Has Facebook page?

Has Twitter account?
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY

• How often is your website updated?

• Mean Response: Between a few times a year and monthly

• How often is your third party webpage updated?

• Mean Response: Less than a few times a year

• How often is your Facebook page updated? 

• Mean Response: Monthly – weekly

• How often is your Twitter account updated?

• Mean Response: A few times - weekly
ONLINE PRESENCE – HOW LONG
TRANSACTIONAL 

CAPABILITIES ONLINE

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Select from available items for their next basket

Pay for the CSA

Change pickup location/time

Find out what will be in their basket for the next

pickup

Find out pickup locations/times

Change their contact information

Receive a notification about a pickup (e.g., email,

text)

Sign up for the CSA

% Respondents
RELATIONAL CAPABILITIES 

ONLINE

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Create a public profile of themselves

Participate in online events (For example: Webinars or discussion sessions)

Exchange messages with other CSA participants

Read reviews from other CSA participants

Provide reviews of the farm, CSA, and products

Find out how they can help on the farm

Find out about local food related social events and actitivies

Exchange messages with particular members of our farm and/or family

Arrange visits to the farm

Find out how to use food provided in the CSA basket

Make suggestions regarding the CSA

Find out news about the farm and farm employees

Contact our CSA coordinator

% of Repondents
CSA OUTCOMES

• Financial outcomes

• Participant growth/acquisition [single item]

• Participant retention (i.e. turnover) [single item]

• Participant Satisfaction

• Product and Process efficiency

• Revenue, demand, and price uncertainty

• Farmer satisfaction with the CSA

(Multi-item measure, 7 item Likert scale, unless otherwise noted)
PARTICIPANT RETENTION
PARTICIPANT 

GROWTH/DECLINE
FINANCIAL 

OUTCOMES

My CSA is profitable.

My CSA contributes to the overall viability of my farm.

My CSA allows me to sell products I would otherwise throw 

away.

In general, I receive a higher selling price for products 

distributed through my CSA

(First 2: Chronbach alpha: .71)
PRODUCT OUTCOMES

Because I have a CSA:-I am able to provide fresher products 

to my customers.

Because I have a CSA:-I can offer higher quality products.

Because I have a CSA:-I am able to provide a larger variety of 

products to my customers.

Because I have a CSA:-I am able to offer more specialized 

products to my customers.

Chronbach Alpha: 0.866 
PROCESS OUTCOMES

Because I have a CSA:-The efficiency of my farm has 

improved.

Because I have a CSA:-My planning has become more 

efficient.

Because I have a CSA:-I am more efficient at product 

distribution.

Chronbach Alpha: 0.863
PARTICIPANT: 

AFFECTIVE 

COMMITMENT

Based on your experiences with your customers, indicate your 

agreement with the following:-The CSA at your farm has a great deal of 

personal meaning for your customers.

Based on your experiences with your customers, indicate your 

agreement with the following:-Most CSA customers feel a strong 

connection to your CSA.

Based on your experiences with your customers, indicate your 

agreement with the following:-Most CSA customers feel like they are a 

part of the CSA at your farm.

Based on your experiences with your customers, indicate your 

agreement with the following:-Most of your CSA customers have a real 

emotional attachment to the CSA at your farm.

Based on your experiences with your customers, indicate your 

agreement with the following:-There is a strong sense of belonging to 

your CSA for most of your customers.

Chronbach Alpha: 0.935
PARTICIPANT 

SATISFACTION

Our customers are very satisfied with:-the CSA in general.

Our customers are very satisfied with:-the information we 

provide about the CSA.

Our customers are very satisfied with:-the delivery and 

pickup of their CSA order.

Our customers are very satisfied with:-the quality of the 

items in the CSA order.

Our customers are very satisfied with:-the number of 

different items they get in their CSA baskets.

Chronbach Alpha: 0.847
REVENUE STABILITY

Because I have a CSA:-I am certain of my revenue stream.

Because I have a CSA:-The revenue of my farm is reliable.

Because I have a CSA:-There is an increase in the stability of 

my revenue.

Because I have a CSA:-The farm's revenue is more 

predictable.

Because I have a CSA:-Unexpected events are not a threat to 

my farm's profitability.

Chronback Alpha: 0.847
DEMAND/PRICE 

STABILITY

Because I have a CSA:-I am certain of the demand for my 

products

Because I have a CSA:-Demand for my products is more 

stable.

Because I have a CSA:-I am more certain about the prices I 

will receive for my products.

Because I have a CSA:-The prices I charge are more stable.

Because I have a CSA:-Unexpected price changes from 

competitors will not affect my prices.

Chronbach Alpha: 0.89 
FARMER 

SATISFACTION

Your Evaluation of your CSA:-I am satisfied with my CSA.

Your Evaluation of your CSA:-My expectations regarding the 

CSA overall have been fulfilled.

Your Evaluation of your CSA:-Having a CSA is a useful part 

of my business.

Your Evaluation of your CSA:-I'm glad I have a CSA.

Chronbach alpha: 0.848
OUTCOMES AND CSA 

RELATIONAL APPROACH

CSA Relational Approach

Participant Retention 0.138**

Participant Growth 0.141**

Profitability of the CSA 0.142**

Product Quality Impacts 0.192**

Process Efficiency Impacts 0.185**

Participant Commitment (Affective) 0.542**

Revenue Stability 0.407**

Farmer Satisfaction with the CSA 0.201**

Partial correlation controlling for number of CSA participants.

**: p<=0.001
ONLINE PRESENCE 

AND CSA OUTCOMES

Has a website?

• Profitability (Higher) & Retention (Lower)

Has a facebook page?

• None significant

Has a twitter account?

• None significant

----

How often ___ is updated

• Website & Participation Satisfaction (positively associated)

• Twitter & Participant Satisfaction (negatively associated)

Results based on MANOVA analysis, N = 812 
TRANSACTIONAL CAPABILITIES 

AND CSA OUTCOMES

Sign up on line 

• Lower retention

Pay online 

• Lower retention, higher growth

Change Contact info

• None significant 

Notification of a pickup

• Higher product quality, Higher farmer satisfaction, Higher retention

Find out what’s in the upcoming box

• Higher process efficiency, Lower retention

Select what is the upcoming box

• Higher affective commitment, Higher retention

Finding out pickup and location times

• Lower retention, higher growth

Results based on MANOVA analysis, N = 812 
TRANSACTIONAL CAPABILITIES 

AND CSA OUTCOMES

• Providing “set-up” activities online is 

associated with higher participant 

growth...and lower participant retention

• Providing information and options for 

individuals boxes is associated with 

higher participant retention 
RELATIONAL CAPABILITIES 

ONLINE AND CSA OUTCOMES

• Contact the CSA coordinator

• Lower retention

• Exchange messages with particular members of the farm/CSA 

• Higher participant satisfaction and affective commitment

• Find out about local food events, make suggestions about the CSA, 

arrange visits to the farm 

• Not significant

• Participant in online events

• Lower product, process outcomes

• Lower revenue and demand stability

• Higher affective commitment

• Find out how they can help on the farm 

• Higher product, process outcomes

• Higher revenue and demand

• Lower retention
CONCLUSIONS

• Its not just a matter of having social media infrastructure –

it’s a matter of how you use it.

• Transactional capabilities

• Providing “set-up” activities online is associated with higher 

participant growth...and lower participant retention

• Providing information and options for individuals boxes is 

associated with higher participant retention

• Relational capabilities 

• Non-trivial interactions with the logistical structures, 

relational practices, and CSA overall approach