15 years later….our price hasn’t budged!
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The Snead’s Farm CSA enters its 15th season in 2023, and it gives me great pleasure to announce that it will carry the same price tag it did when it launched in 2008.
The CSA, or community-supported agriculture program, has been the most fun I have ever had as a farmer. Seeing so many families and children come out to the farm on CSA Wednesdays to play, pick produce and be exposed to where food comes from has been a true joy.
There is no question that food inflation has been a stressor for many family budgets over the past year. Over my six decades of farming, I’ve learned a lot about economic cycles and how they impact the food and farming industry. But I’ve never seen economic conditions quite like those we face today.
My belief is that the current inflation is supply-driven, due to the supply of food and other commodities being suppressed due to wars, weather, politics and, in some cases, basic human greed (i.e., price gouging and hoarding).
Conditions like these highlight just how important it is for communities to have a locally grown food supply, and how important local, family-owned produce farms are. I can tell you that there is no supply shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables at Snead’s Farm.
That doesn’t mean that myself and other family farmers are not impacted by inflation. Farm input costs rose exponentially this year. And while I believe they will be cheaper by the spring of 2023, they still won’t be down to their 2021 levels. You can read here about how I managed those cost increases in order to avoid raising produce prices this year. Labor costs are my biggest expense, and they have risen significantly. I am managing to keep these costs down by limiting the number of days the farm has been open for visitors to those most in-demand. But don’t worry—Snead’s Farm will hold its full Fall Festival just like always in 2022, and we’ll be sharing information on that soon.
My goal with the CSA is to give families a fun, rewarding and delicious way to make local produce a regular part of their lives, while supporting not only my farm, but the handful of other local family farms who provide fruits and vegetables to our members. Over the years we have introduced various options to help the CSA fit into families’ busy lifestyles—such as a Fredericksburg pickup option at Braehead Farm, and the introduction of small shares for households that can’t use an entire full share.
We look forward to serving you in our 15th CSA season. Thank you for being a Snead’s Farm customer.
Emmett C. Snead III
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