I’d like to start a CSA. How do I know how much land I need and how much to plant for the number of shares I want to offer?

Rachel Schneider at Hawthorne Valley Farm provides the following estimate of land needed for new CSA farmers. This is intended only as a starting point. You may find these to be too high or low for your farm, but your experience and advice from nearby farmers will help you get more refined over time:

  • 0.5 acre – 10-15 shares
  • 1 ac – 20-30 shares
  • 2 ac – 50-75 shares
  • 4 ac – 100-130 shares
  • 8 ac – 200-240 shares

Roxbury Farm in NY offers a seeding and planting schedule for a 100-share CSA.
Brookfield Farm in MA has created a set of spreadsheets for CSA crop planning that they sell for $25.
AgSquared is a free online software planning tool that helps you plan and manage the complexities of crop rotations, fertility management, and harvest schedules for many different crops.


 category: Choosing Enterprises, FAQs, Land Access Guidance, Planning a Farm Business
posted: 04/16/12 12:03 PM by
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