Starting an Egg Only CSA? Management? Anyone know of an existing model?

[mjolly]

Hello, I have been a chicken owner at my own residence for many years. I recently was introduced to someone in my community who is a part owner of a 13 acre farm in the city. She is wanting to start developing the property and include community members in those efforts. There are currently a small herd of goats on the land and not much else. She has asked me to help her develop a model for an Egg only CSA. She has had a lot of interest from several families near her farm to be part of helping to build shelter ,feed and care for the chickens and in turn receive eggs. We are hoping to find an existing model to base the group off of. In most established CSA's, the farmer has done all the work to decide what chickens to raise, the feed source and schedule, as well as all general care and maintenance of the chickens.....thus providing the eggs as one portion of a farm share csa (veggies, fruits, eggs, etc).

We are trying to develop an idea of just how much work each member will do in turn for an equivalent number of eggs. Realizing that the initial building of the coop and run will be the largest expense and work effort. The day to day cleaning, feeding and care of the hens will be on a different scale.

Right now we are in the planning stages and could use some input. If anyone knows of an existing model of a community based approach, that would be of great help to us in our planning.

Thank you!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Generally in CSA, the members do no work at all. The farmer does the work, delivers the produce, and the members pay cash.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Generally in CSA, the members do no work at all.  The farmer does the work, delivers the produce, and the members pay cash.

Yep, that's how ours is.