Farmer to Farmer Podcast
  • Episodes
  • Sponsors
  • FAQs
  • Donate
    • Patreon
    • Amazon
  • Contact

088: Lily Schneider and Matt Mccue of Shooting Star CSA on Unusual Choices and Unusual Histories

10/13/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
Lily Schneider and Matt Mccue raise fifteen acres of vegetables at Shooting Star CSA in Fairfield, California, just 35 miles from Berkeley on the edge of the Central Valley. Along with four employees, they provide vegetables for a 250-member CSA plus three farmers markets.

Matt and Lily have a couple of unique twists on their CSA operation, making the unusual choice in their area to not operate year-round, as well as to focus on guiding members towards purchasing a full-season, rather than monthly, CSA share.

We dig into these choices, as well as their  histories before starting their own farm, how they found land and why they’ve chosen to stick with leasing, how they’ve worked to distinguish their CSA program from box-schemes, and how they use field preparation, bed layout, and a couple of cool tools to stay on top of the weeds.
​

The Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously supported by Vermont Compost Company.

Sponsors

Vermont Compost: Founded by organic crop growing professionals committed to meeting the need for high-quality composts and compost-based, living soil mixes for certified organic plant production.

BCS America: BCS two-wheel tractors are versatile, maneuverable in tight spaces, light-weight for less compaction, and easy to maintain and repair on farm. Gear-driven and built to last for decades of dependable service on your farm or market garden.

Quotes from the Show

(Matt) Starting the farm in 2009 I felt like a post-apocalyptic scavenger… we were sifting the ruins of the great recession.

(Lily) Being able to be a farm manager on a farm that we didn’t own [meant that] all the mistakes we made were on somebody else’s dime.

(Matt) You can be a bad farmer, but you can’t be a bad marketer.

(Matt) If you’re going to cruise the internet, cruise the web soil survey, find the good soil that in good enough proximity to your market, and boot scoot around and knock on doors.

(Matt) You have to create serendipity for yourself.

(Matt) [Selling a subscription on a] month-to-month basis… creates a casual relationship between the customer and the farm.

(Lily) Getting beyond the size that we’re at [250 shares] it gets harder and harder to be able to differentiate yourself because you have less and less of a personal connection with each CSA member.

(Matt) There’s a lot of good reasons to go year-round, but there’s a lot of reasons to stay seasonal, as well.

(Matt) [The CSA survey] directly affects the crop plan, which gives our crop plan a direct link to the needs and desires of the CSA member.

(Matt) I’d rather lease a farm on flat land than buy marginal land and try to farm that.

Show Links

Matt and Lily met in the apprentice program at the University of California – Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.

Matt and Lisa use Survey Monkey to manage their CSA member feedback survey.

Shooting Star uses fertilizer from California Organic Fertilizers.

Matt and Lily love their finger weeder, a tool which was introduced to them by Nigel Walker of nearby Eatwell Farm. Finger weeders are available from K.U.L.T. and Sutton Ag Enterprises.

Shoot Star CSA uses CSA Ware to manage their membership.
DOWNLOAD

2 Comments
Jimena Barranco
4/15/2017 02:48:18 pm

Hi, I'm Jimena Barranco from Chile. And I need to contact Lily Schneider, you have a phone number or something else? Thank you!

Reply
Shooting Star
4/18/2017 12:32:00 pm

Hi, here is the contact info for the farm and Lily: http://shootingstarorganicfarm.com/Shooting_Star_Organic_Farm/Contact_Us.html

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    LISTEN

    img_logo_itunes
    img_logo_stitcher
    Picture

    Sponsors

    img_farmer to farmer podcast_sponsor_vermont compost
    Picture

    Archives

    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015


    Picture
Copyright © 2018, Purple Pitchfork. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy