In some cases, farms offer reduced membership fees to members who agree to work on the farm for a designated amount of time or to organize distribution sites. Other farms require members to help on harvest days. CSA farmers need to make sure their volunteers are well-trained. The research team heard a story about members armed with hoes who inadvertently removed a planted crop, believing it to be a weed. However, there were far more examples of members providing much-needed help.
Many farms hire workers.
The farms in the study relied on one farmer or seasonal worker for every 20 to 40 shares. Farms with 100 or more shares had crews of three or more workers or interns. Some larger farms using paid labor also ask members to help with deliveries. Finding, training, and managing interns and apprentices requires its own set of skills and responsibilities. CSA interns and farmers stressed the importance of communication, especially at the beginning of a working relationship, to match the goals and needs of each party.