You've heard that running a CSA is complicated with a lot of moving parts. What exactly is involved before you make this step? Are you ready to make this leap?
What do you even grow? And how do you make sure you always have something for the box?
Is the CSA model profitable? How long does it take to get there? And is it true that it can become a foundational revenue stream you can count on?
Are you spending precious time Googling "how to start a CSA," and wading through YouTube and farmer Facebook groups, trying to piece together a roadmap? What if you're missing something important?
You wish someone would show you the ropes and break it all down piece by piece with everything you need in ONE place -- so you can feel confident that you're on the right track.

Hi, my name is Corinna Bench.

In 2020, during the early onset of the COVID pandemic, while other farm businesses were trying to keep it together, our farm was able to easily navigate the volatile market without a lot of financial stress — thanks to the CSA customers who stood firmly beside us. Not one of our 400 members broke rank, and the next year 95% of them renewed for 2022.

That's when I realized I had created something special and lasting with my CSA. I was uniquely positioned to help other farmers learn this powerful framework.

I also noticed that many farmers were jumping into CSA too fast, without knowing what it takes to sustain one into the future.

Here' the thing: great CSA's don't "just happen."

They are forged on a strong, reliable foundation that includes multiple, scaleable CSA systems -- as well as a fool-proof production plan.

There are so many pitfalls that can hit you mid-season if you don’t know what you’re doing. I know, because I fell into almost all of them.

That’s why I've partnered with Lauren Rudersdorf to create this course. We will guide you through your CSA startup process, steer you away from common rookie mistakes, and set your CSA up for success the right way ~ so it can be your financial anchor for years to come.

Resilience is possible. Join us.

-Corinna

Five essential video training modules that teach you all the systems needed to set up a long-term, thriving CSA enterprise that can scale over time! We worked hard to keep these short and succint! Pick and choose from the comprehensive menu of topics to meet your needs. They are ready to binge-watch right away!
+Done-for-You Spreadsheets, Templates, Swipe Files, Exercises, and Examples for each section of your training to shortcut your creation process. Use them as a starting point to customize for your farm.
+Printable CSA Quickstart Workbook to help you work through exercises after each lesson and customize the content for YOUR style CSA.
Lauren's CSA Box Planning Spreadsheet to help you map out your weekly boxes before you start seeding, to make sure they are well-rounded and full of customer value.
+Access to private Facebook Group of current Quickstart students and program alumni for additional support so you can ask other farmers your questions and see what they have done.
+Lifetime access to all course updates, additions, and future course launches.
Email support from your instructors. We know questions come up. For quick answers, we offer this option to clarify and coach you through your obstacles.
Access to one-on-one Coaching Calls with Lauren and Corinna to troubleshoot your specific CSA questions and help you get results faster (for an additional fee).
Confidence that you're on the right track, you've covered all your bases, and you're setting up the processes so they can perform consistently.

MODULE #1

CSA PRE-PLANNING & LOGISTICS

MAKE YOUR KEY DECISIONS FIRST.

We start by setting the foundation and helping you think through the most important decisions that will shape your production plan and CSA execution. In this module, we cover:

How to choose the best CSA style to align with your farm's workflow & unique customer base.
Your box size, season length, as well as your harvest timing, delivery dates and pick-up location (so it fits into your workflow).
Whether to offer home delivery.
How to build a compelling (and clear) CSA offer that makes your clients say YES. (Plus how to price it).
Policies you should put in place so you clarify your expectations for customers up front and avoid awkward encounters later.
How to choose your CSA sign-up platform & payment process.
What information to include in your simple onboarding process to welcome your new clients into the CSA family.

MODULE #2

CSA PRODUCTION & CROP-PLANNING

MAP OUT YOUR CSA GROWING PLAN.

Now that you know what style of CSA you want to run and how many weeks you'll be delivering, it's time to plan for production. This is the area so many rookie farmers mess up. You'll learn WHAT to plant, how MUCH to plant, and WHEN to plant so you never have to stress out about filling the box. In this module, we cover:

How to decide what and how much to grow for your CSA box plan so your customers stay happy.
How to set up your spreadsheets for succession plantings to make sure you always have enough product.
Lauren's Box Planning Spreadsheet Template to give you a starting point for mapping out your boxes to deliver incredible value to your clients.
How to develop a field planning spreadsheet to keep your crops organized and on schedule.
How to know how much seed to buy
How to structure your planting schedule
How to forecast accurate yields and account for crop failures so you always have options.

MODULE #3

CSA HARVEST & PACKING

DESIGN YOUR HARVEST & PACK SYSTEMS.

With your production plan in motion, we turn our eyes to organizing your harvest day and pack day flows. A CSA is nothing without high quality produce, and getting such a diverse number of products from field to CSA box in a way that maintains superior quality can be tricky. In this module, we'll share our processes that create a "wow" box every week, including:

How to organize your harvest plan and goals so you make the most of your team on harvest day.
The harvest tools every CSA farmer should start out with, and what tools to invest in as you scale.
Our recommended resource and tools list, including links to our favorite CSA guide-books, CSA box containers, washing tools, and harvest bins.
Everything you need to know about CSA pack day, including how to set up your pack line so your product looks fresh and beautiful when your customer opens the box.
How to design your wash and pack area for optimal workflow -- even if you don't have a deluxe packing shed.

MODULE #4

HOW TO ACE CSA PICKUP DAY

ENGINEER YOUR PICKUP PROCESSES.

Now that you've got a beautifully packed box, how do we get the box to the customer? Don't overlook this! The moment when we pass the product to the client is full of potential. How can you make the most of this opportunity to impress? In this module, we cover:

The difference between staffed versus unstaffed pickup sites and how to set them up.
How to design your pickup site layout for optimal flow, no matter what style CSA you choose.
What to look for in a great CSA site-host, and how to train them so they provide A+ customer service.
Our valuable checklist of "what to bring to the CSA pickup site" so you don't leave anything behind.
How to design your customer site checklist with the right information so your site host knows exactly what everyone gets at pickup. (We even include Corinna's template).
Everything you need to know about delivery, including picking the right delivery vehicles, what to pack, handling delivery delays, home delivery, and options for handling unclaimed boxes.

MODULE #5

CSA COMMUNICATION & CUSTOMER SUPPORT SYSTEMS

BUILD THE COMMUNICATION ROADMAP FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.

CSA has a learning curve, not only for you, but also for your customers. Providing your customers with a clear communication and onboarding process is critical for long-term CSA retention. The systems you put in place manage customer expectations and help them overcome common roadblocks. In this module, we cover:

The information you should share with your CSA members in the weeks BEFORE your CSA begins so they feel ready and excited for the first week's box.
What to include in your CSA Handbook and weekly newsletters.
The essential skills to teach your first-year CSA members in the early weeks so they experience success faster.
Everything you need to know about designing and executing an engaging CSA member event to build a deeper connection to your customers.
Common CSA customer service issues you may encounter and how to handle them.

PLUS... DONE FOR YOU TEMPLATES, CHEATSHEETS, AND SWIPE FILES

We know that TIME is your most precious asset. So instead of asking you to spend hours trying to build spreadsheets, templates, emails and handbooks from scratch (that may end up being full of mistakes and omissions ), we're sharing our own CSA files, documents, and templates to give you a starting point and strong foundation. Feel free to customize these to your operation.

Lauren's Field Planning, Seed Order, and Seeding Chart spreadsheet templates
A finished CSA Handbook to use as an example.
Weekly newsletter templates and content ideas
Pre-season customer onboarding emails.
Site host job descriptions and training agendas.
Packing shed and pick-up site layouts
Customer pick-up checklist
Recommended Resource List of our favorite CSA tools
CSA site pack checklist
AND, our printable Quickstart Workbook to help you work through exercises after each lesson and customize the content for YOUR style CSA.

ALSO INCLUDED!

Lauren's CSA Box Planning Spreadsheet Template

$100 Value!

This is gold. Make sure you're planting enough of the right stuff! When you join Quickstart, you'll get Lauren's box planning spreadsheet template, so you can plan out what goes in the box each week AND quickly evaluate its estimated worth.

This tool will help you know where each crop goes in the field, when to plant in the greenhouse, and how to time everything so you never run out of product for the CSA box. This template was created from YEARS of experience, and serves as a great baseline for a new CSA farmer. It will help you avoid many seasons of planting mistakes! So incredibly valuable.

AEROS USED QUICKSTART TO HELP HER SCALE HER EXISTING CSA.

"A checklist of all the necessary things to get a CSA online! This course has great details, descriptions, options and scenarios as well as templates to help guide you along the way of setting up your CSA program. I'm a seasoned farmer that has run a CSA in the past, and I found this course to be a great guide so nothing important was forgotten and it gave confidence that our members were getting the very best I could organize for them. If you are starting from scratch this course is amazing; it's also a great resource if you want to up your game and refresh your standing CSA program. "

-Aeros Lillstrom, Who Cooks for You Farm

Five essential training modules that teach you all the systems needed to set up a long-term, thriving CSA enterprise that can scale over time!
Spreadsheets, Templates, Exercises, and Worksheets for each section of the training to help you internalize the material and build the systems you need to succeed.
Access to private Facebook group of current Quickstart students and program alumni for additional support so you can ask other farmers your questions and see what they have done.
Printable CSA Quickstart Workbook to help you work through exercises after each lesson and customize the content for YOUR style CSA.
Lauren's CSA Box Planning Spreadsheet to help you map out your weekly boxes before you start seeding, to make sure they are well-rounded and full of customer value.
Lifetime access to all course updates. You can go through the class again and again, and take advantage of any future updates!
Email support from your course instructors, as well as an opportunity to receive private coaching (for an additional fee)
A 30 day Money Back Guarantee, so you can get inside and see if it's got what you're looking for.

When does the course start and finish?

The course is ready for you now! As soon as you enroll, you can binge-watch the entire thing. We recommend you work through one module every two weeks. ALSO, don't forget you have access to the course indefinitely, so if you can't get to the sessions right away, they'll be waiting for you whenever you have time.

I'm a brand new farmer. Should I take this course?

We don't typically recommend that first-time farmers start with a CSA. It's best to get some experience growing for other markets before you make the commitment to growing the diverse array of vegetables required for a CSA.

I have no experience with CSA. I'm a total rookie in this area. Is this course still right for me?

If you already decided you want to start a CSA this year, then this course is exactly what you need. In fact, we designed this course FOR YOU. You’ll get the overall framework for logistics, how to plant, harvest, pack, dispense/deliver, and care for your customers so they turn into raving fans of CSA. If you were going to do it anyway, then let us be your guide so you do it the right way. Because we know starting a CSA can feel overwhelming, we’re going to give you as many done-for-you services as we can -- like our newsletter template, the box planner, customer onboarding emails, what to teach your customers, and more.

I already have a CSA and it didn't do too well last year. Is this course for me?

Possibly. Although some of the material will likely be information you already know, you can always gain new insights on how to build your CSA systems to work more efficiently and consistently. By learning the CSA framework from the beginning, you will likely identify the gaps that are tripping you up and uncover ideas for how to fix them.

What if I'm a meat or flower CSA farm. Is this course for me?

Honestly, probably not. Some of the principles overlap for sure! But most of the content is designed to help a vegetable farmer start a vegetable CSA. This may be something we add in the future though!

I can’t afford it. Is the course really worth it?

Well, you could probably find a lot of this stuff we teach for free if you want to take the time to hunt around for it on Google, blogs, FB groups, podcasts, and YouTube. Ask yourself how valuable your time is. I know it's not cheap, but it's far cheaper than the alternative. Just consider how much time and money you will save by avoiding the big mistakes that come from inexperience and not knowing what can happen. We also believe that when you invest in something, you’re more likely to bring your best energy to the project to get it done - and make sure that you find your ROI from it.

What if I decide it’s too much work after all, and that I’m not a good fit?

Try it out risk-free with our 30 day money back guarantee. You have 30 days after the time you enroll to ask for a refund. If you ask us within that 30 day window, we’ll give it all back. That's ZERO risk for you.

How much time will this take? I'm not sure I have the time right now.

We estimate 5-10 hours a week for 60 days. We created this program to help you save time trying to piece-meal the solution together from all over the internet. There's a lot of content in the course! Some students only work through a few of the modules where they need extra support their first year, and then go back the next year to add on another layer. Remember, you get lifetime access to the course and all future updates, so you can keep tweaking and optimizing your CSA for years to come.

Are you covering how to specifically grow every vegetable?

No. This is not a course where we teach you production techniques. (JM Fortier's course is great for that!) The CSA Quickstart program is designed to give you the planning framework, overarching systems and strategies that you can then execute as the season unfolds. We don't typically recommend that first-time farmers start with a CSA. It's best to get some experience growing for markets before you make the commitment to grow all kinds of veggie mixes for a CSA. The farmers who find the most success taking this course and starting their CSA are experienced growers.

When will I get access to the course?

As soon as you sign up, you’ll receive access to the entire course content.

What if you don’t cover a question in the course?

Ask it in the course's private Facebook group! Lauren and Corinna are available via email to answer your questions. For deeper support, you can also schedule a 30 minute private coaching session with either Lauren or Corinna for a separate fee.

Can you remind me of everything I’m getting when I sign up today?

The CSA Quickstart Course includes 5 Video Training Modules, Lauren's Field Planning, Seed Order, and Seeding Chart spreadsheet templates, the printable Course Workbook, Lauren's time-saving CSA Box Planning Spreadsheet, additional worksheets and resources for each module, lifetime access (including future updates and additions), email support from course instructors, a Private FB community group for current students, and private coaching calls with Corinna and Lauren (for an additional fee).

Corinna Bench is an entrepreneur, CSA farmer, speaker, podcaster, consultant, and educator who is committed to helping CSA farmers build CSAs that are profitable and viable for the long-term. Since 2008, she and her husband have been full-time farmers at Shared Legacy Farms in Elmore, OH, and have relied almost exclusively on their 400-member CSA to generate profits and build a life they love.

Corinna is the founder of MyDigitalFarmer.com which is dedicated to helping farmers master the art of messaging and sales for their CSA. She is a promoter of the national CSA movement and serves as a collaborator with the the CSA Innovation Network. She also hosts the My Digital Farmer podcast and the CSA Marketing Discussion Facebook group. Corinna brings her expertise of customer service, logistics, customer onboarding, education, marketing, and sales to the table in CSA Quickstart.

CSA QUICKSTART

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Getting a CSA Up and Running in 60 Days... the RIGHT way!

Walk away knowing EXACTLY how to build and optimize ALL the systems you need to start and scale a CSA into a profitable enterprise that serves as your farm’s financial anchor for years to come.

Do you have a TON of questions about starting a CSA farm?

We've all been here. You're not alone....

What if I told you I created a

60-DAY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN...

Introducing:

The CSA Quickstart Course

The only vegetable CSA program of its kind.

This course will change you from a confused, uncertain rookie CSA farmer to the confident, "ready-for-anything" farmer who knows exactly how to make CSA profitable for the long haul.

Here's what you get when you enroll:

Imagine these results for your CSA...

STACEY MADE CSA THE HEART OF HER FARM.

ISAAC BUILT STEADY WEEKLY CASH FLOW.

LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT'S WAITING FOR YOU INSIDE CSA QUICKSTART WHEN YOU ENROLL...

MODULE #1

CSA PRE-PLANNING & LOGISTICS

MAKE YOUR KEY DECISIONS FIRST.

MODULE #2

CSA PRODUCTION & CROP-PLANNING

MAP OUT YOUR CSA GROWING PLAN.

MODULE #3

CSA HARVEST & PACKING

DESIGN YOUR HARVEST & PACK SYSTEMS.

MODULE #4

HOW TO ACE CSA PICKUP DAY

ENGINEER YOUR PICKUP PROCESSES.

MODULE #5

CSA COMMUNICATION & CUSTOMER SUPPORT SYSTEMS

BUILD THE COMMUNICATION ROADMAP FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.

PLUS... DONE FOR YOU TEMPLATES, CHEATSHEETS, AND SWIPE FILES

PS: I HAVE SOME EXTRA

"GOODIES" FOR YOU

ALSO INCLUDED!

Lauren's CSA Box Planning Spreadsheet Template

$100 Value!

CSA Quickstart comes with a Money Back Guarantee.

See what Quickstart students appreciate most about the program...

AEROS USED QUICKSTART TO HELP HER SCALE HER EXISTING CSA.

FOR ANDREW, QUICKSTART REMOVED THE CONFUSION OF STARTING A NEW CSA FROM SCRATCH.

FOR COLBY, QUICKSTART GAVE HER A WAY TO LEARN FROM OTHER FARMERS.

OK, Let's RECAP!

Payment Option #1

FULL PAY

$499

Payment Option #2

THREE MONTHLY PAYMENTS

$175

Questions You May Be Asking Yourself About CSA Quickstart: