Farmer Profiles

"Beckie and Jack Gurley"
Calvert's Gift Farm, Sparks, Maryland

"CSA farmers need to provide a full box of quality vegetables. Farmers should also place a value on the produce in the box-farmers should see that they get paid fairly, and selling produce cheaply will not provide a living to the farmer..."

Farming Operation: Beckie and Jack Gurley started Calvert's Gift Farm in 1995 and it has been organic since. They farm 5 acres on a 17-acre farm approximately 20 miles from Baltimore City, in an area that is quickly suburbanizing. The CSA was started in 1997. Currently, their farm operation is divided into three markets equally: CSA, farmers' market sales, and restaurant sales. The farm supports Beckie and Jack full-time year round, and three part-time seasonal employees.

CSA Marketing: Calvert's Gift Farm sold approximately 30 CSA shares in 2001. Beckie would like, ideally, to increase the number to 40 shares. Fifty percent of their shareholders come from a 3-mile radius of the farm, ranging out to 20 miles at a maximum. Shares are priced at $400, with on-farm pick up only, and are provided for 25 weeks from mid-May until the end of October. Although a majority of their share box is vegetables, the Gurleys also provide chickens and eggs at an additional cost through a neighboring farm. The Gurleys write a weekly newsletter, hold an annual festival day, and provide some you-pick opportunities (especially fruits).

Views on CSA: Beckie notes that CSA is part of the overall balance on their farm in which they grow diverse crops and have diverse markets. CSA fits well into their marketing mix because there are a number of specialty crops that they cannot always sell at the farmers' market and restaurants, yet are enjoyed by their CSA members. Although they do not rely solely on CSA, they see it as a benefit because it provides money up front in the spring when they most need it. They believe that CSA should be a part of what they view as sustainable farming and living. As such, they think the CSA should pay a sustainable wage to the farmers and workers, and that the share box price should reflect this. The Gurleys do this by costing each crop and analyzing the profit for each one. They then try to focus some of their efforts on those crops that are most profitable.

Key Challenges: Beckie notes that it is difficult providing a lot of diversity in the produce offered, and attempts to deal with this by including various kinds of greens. Customer retention has also been a challenge, as well as marketing toward potential customers.

Words of Advice for New CSA Farmers: "CSA farmers need to provide a full box of quality vegetables. Farmers should also place a value on the produce in the box-farmers should see that they get paid fairly, and selling produce cheaply will not provide a living to the farmer. We place a value-$16.00-on each box every week to ensure that we are compensated for our work"

Contact: Beckie and Jack Gurley, Calvert's Gift Farm, 16813 Yeoho Road, Sparks, MD 21152; phone 410-472-6764; e-mail giftcal@aol.com.

Profiles of Community Supported Agriculture