How do I hand over my CSA farm’s weekly pickup and packing routine?

A CSA runs on a rhythm that members feel but never see. Start by listing each task from harvest to pickup, with the day, the crew member, the tools and the cut-off time. Include the odd things that live only in your head: which member gets a substitute, which site has a fussy host, and what you do when a crop fails.

Next, put the member side on paper. Share how members sign up, how skips and holds are handled, how pickup sites are arranged and what you tell people when a box is light. A buyer who inherits the list but not the habits will lose members fast.

Then plan the handover as practice, not paperwork. Let the buyer pack a full week while you watch, then run one while they lead and you stay out of the way. Note every question they ask. Those questions are the gaps in your written routine, and they are worth fixing before a deal closes. Ask the buyer to name which step feels least certain. Whatever they name first is the part to rehearse again before you leave the farm for good.

Key takeaways

• Write every step from harvest to pickup, including who does it and when.
• Document member rules: skips, holds, substitutions and pickup site arrangements.
• Let the buyer lead a full packing week while you watch.
• Rehearse the step the buyer feels least sure about before you step back.