Grow Your Own CSA Training

CSA is a profitable, sociable and sustainable way to link land and community. We would like to see CSA projects thrive across the UK.We run both on site residential training & online training.

Online training

This online course is aimed at groups or individuals who already have or are in the process of attaining the growing skills needed to run a CSA.

The course runs from October to March, so that growers have finished the main season & can run through this training in time to set up a CSA the following season! You may also want to do the course to help you decide if CSA is for you.

Each online session topic will last 2 hours & we will host these sessions approximately 3 times per month with a total of 15 sessions.

The sessions are an opportunity for us to go into more depth on a subject or invite in guest speakers with particular expertise. They are also an opportunity for students to share ideas & raise questions.

Prior to each session we will send you a list of study resources. These will be a mixture of web pages, short films & documents. For each session we will also give you an assignment to complete. These assignments will form the basis of discussion when we meet.

Whilst the online session will be 2 hrs, we suggest that you will need to give anywhere between 2 to 4 hours & upwards per week to work on your CSA plans as we guide you through the session topics. The more time you put in the more you will get out!

This course will ideally be supplemented by you receiving mentoring from a range of organisations. We will try to help you find this extra support.

The course tutor (Tom) will also be available half a day every week to answer emails & chat on the phone.

Course Co-ordinator – Tom O’Kane

7 years setting up & running Cae Tan CSA

30 years experience in sustainable farming

BSc Organic Farming – Aberystwyth

International Certificate in Biodynamic Farming – Lynette West, NSW, Australia

Certificate in ‘The Human Context of Organic farming’ – KVL Copenhagen

10 years experience of mentoring community growers

Experience of setting up & running community garden training programmes

Course Fees £400

(We don’t want the cost to be a barrier to learning, so please let us know if this is an issue. At the same time we need to make the course pay for itself!)

To book a place or find out more, please contact tom@caetancsa.org

Abbi

“Training at Cae Tan gave me a solid foundation in running a CSA. The help and support from Cae Tan in setting up Big Meadow was invaluable and made the process of setting up clear and accessible and gave me the confidence to get started.” Abbi Mason

Working from our own experiences, we will give you an overview of the main issues you will need to consider in order to successfully set up & run your CSA.

Session Topics

What is CSA
Have you got the skills base?
Finding & assessing land quality
CSA company structures
Business planning
Tools & equipment for varying scales
Financing the set up
Planning issues for barns, polytunnels, parking & toilets!
Crop planning & site planning
Growing for 4 seasons & Crop storage – beating the hungry gap!
Engaging volunteers
Engaging & retaining members / membership management
Managing your finances through the season
Hosting trainees & supporting them to move on – passing on your knowledge
Good working relationships

Summer residential training

Our residential training runs over a weekend in the summer. Refer to our blog for this year’s dates & costs. The training includes free camping, we will provide lovely food from midday Saturday til midday Sunday. Please contact us to book or for more info.

Over the two days we aim to give you a well-rounded introduction to the key elements of growing your own CSA. Your trainers will be experienced growers, educators & financial managers from Cae Tan CSA.

Friday eve

(Optional) Arrive & pitch your tent or ask us if you want to rent local accommodation.