Below is our latest approach to recruiting new members. It works for dating. Will it work for CSA farms?
But first, if you want to participate in the winter FruitShare please let me know asap! It starts this week. Delicious, organic fruit during the darkest winter days; what could be better?
We still have onions, shallots, garlic, potatoes, sweet potatoes, a few winter squash and an assortment of other leftovers from the farm. Prices are in last week’s newsletter (some are FREE). Let me know if you are interested in picking up a few items for the holiday season.
We sent out a survey this past weekend to the members on our customer list. Please take the time to respond (it is online and should only take a few minutes unless you are a really deep thinker). If you did not receive the email, first check your spam folder and if it isn’t there please let me know and I will resend it.
We are still taking orders for next season. For existing members all you need to do is send in a $100 deposit and we will take care of the rest. New members need to fill out an order form and send it in with a deposit. I suggest you hurry since with our new approach below the shares may be selling quickly!
New Recruiting Approach
With the member recruiting season getting underway I felt it was time to try a few new methods. Seems like “online” is the way to go these days. So I’ve taken some online dating profiles held out as good examples and modified them for farm membership recruiting use. If it works for online dating it has to work for member recruiting, no? Please forward to anyone interested in joining the farm. Feel free to select the profile you feel will most likely work for the intended recipient or just send the whole thing.
Example 1: Light-Hearted and Silly
I may not be a supermodel, but at least I smell nice… well, that’s what my grandma tells me.
When I’m not busy ‘saving the world’ or ‘being awesome’, I spend my time growing and nurturing vegetables. Pest management is one of my greatest passions in life and I dream of one day starting my own squash bug motel. Ultimately, I’d like to be known for serving the most delicious kohlrabi and tomatillo sandwiches on this side of the Mississippi… my mom’s secret recipe is off the hook!
On my days off, it is cold and snowy.
I’m looking for a member-in-crime who enjoys heirloom tomatoes and isn’t afraid to dig potatoes from time-to-time. Don’t worry if you have ‘two left feet’ – I spent six years training at the Gangnam-Style School of Harvesting, and can teach you how to do the potato shuffle for a nominal fee.
Anyway, if you’re easy-going and at least 87% awesome, feel free to drop me a line sometime!
Example 2: Genuine and Modest
Hey there, my name’s Fresh Earth Farms. According to my sister, the members I’ve met in the “real world” have been less-than-stellar (even though I thought my farming life was perfectly fine!). So at her request, I’ve decided to try something completely new and jump into the world of online member recruiting. Here goes…
I’m 12 years old and work as an organic produce farm in Washington County. I can honestly say that I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to connect with people on a seasonal basis. I work the day shift and the night shift, which sometimes gets a bad rap, but it also comes with many lifestyle perks. Imagine the luxury of working constantly … it’s a beautiful thing! 🙂
I am very close to my members and I make sure to spend at least four days a week giving out fresh veggies. Whether we’re handing out snap peas, beets or daikon radishes, we always have an amazing time together.
I like to focus my energy on growing vegetables as opposed to growing weeds and would much rather spend my money on a new farm equipment than on a fancy new car. I’m the type of farm that likes to seize opportunities and make the most of every day. Above all else, I value honesty and hungriness in a member, so if you’re a genuine person with a lust for veggies, send me a message!
Example 3: Simple, Funny and To-The-Point.
Me:
1. Dirty, pest-ridden, weed infested, free-spirited. Also a fan of adjectives.
2. A wizard in the greenhouse. Wendell Berry once told me that I was his idol… Ok, maybe not, but I’m sure he’d love the flavor of my home-grown Brussels sprouts.
3. Non-Nomadic Adventurer. I’ve never set foot outside of Washington County. I hope to one day go vacationing on Mars as I’ve heard the soils are glorious.
4. Full of random (and oftentimes useless) insects. I will kick your butt at entomology.
You:
1. Intelligent, sweet, down-to-earth (literally) and adventurous. Bonus points if you’re a little bit vegan.
2. An ambitious go-getter. I’m attracted to people who eat their veggies and put all their effort into pursuing them. Even if you can only volunteer once per season, I totally dig it.
3. A non-smoker… or at least trying to quit. As open-minded as I am, I have to draw the line at cigarettes. I don’t want to catch tobacco mosaic virus.
4. Fresh-Food-friendly. My produce loves to meet new people, but if you’re allergic to fresh veggies, the two of you probably won’t get along. 🙁
Me + You:
An undeniably awesome couple with amazing (organic!) chemistry. Let’s make the world jealous!
Example 4: Goofy and Sarcastic
I grow my own veggies, manage my own pests, and cultivate my own crops… (well, only if my mom isn’t at home.)
During the day, I can be found hanging outside photosynthesizing with hopes of getting a new high score on tomato productivity. I like to spend my evenings feeding the deer while waiting for the sun to come up. I play a mean game of rock-boulder-dirtclod (was the national champion for 2 years straight), and love the smell of compost in the morning (part of a complete breakfast!)
On our first date, I’ll give you snap peas and lettuce in my private pick-up tent, where we’ll watch our step so we don’t trip on the dirt floor. After the tent, you’ll go home and prepare your dinner, just in time to watch the sun set over the neighbor’s garage. Or if that doesn’t excite you, we could just grab a hoe and weed the broccoli in the northwest field.
You should message me if you are Smart, Sexy, Sophisticated, Sassy and Spontaneous. (Bonus points if you have over eight years of experience as a foodie.)
Example 5: Straightforward and Down-to-Earth
I’m a graduate of the school of hard rocks, where I majored in dirt. Yup, that’s right, farming is my biggest hobby… 80% of the time you’ll find me with my nose deep in compost (except on Sunday nights from 9 – 10 PM when Breaking Bad is on – GO HEISENBERG!).
Washing veggies is also a major passion of mine, and I spend a lot of my free-time planning out the harvest. I would love to get better automation sometime, especially a barrel washer. Something about the efficiency just speaks to me… not to mention, they wash fantastic carrots.
I have a 40 year old tractor named F_rd – he unfortunately lost one of his letters in a farm accident, but he’s still the cutest thing on the planet! I love tractors and hope to meet someone who shares this passion.
As for the kind of member I’m looking for… she knows what she wants out of produce and has her finances in check. She enjoys the outdoors, tries to eat healthy food and likes to take a day off of work to volunteer at the farm from time-to-time.
Please Note: If you can’t go 5 minutes without eating fast food, we’re probably not a good match. However, if you enjoy eating thought-provoking vegetables and aren’t afraid of the occasional spirited kohlrabi, give me a shout!
Example 6: Funny Introduction
A friend told me that online member sites are frequented by some very strange people, so I figured I should filter out a few folks by asking some serious questions. Please answer carefully:
1) Are you a fan of GMO foods?
2) Have you eaten more than 2 fast food meals today?
If your answers to both questions was ‘no’, then congratulations, you’ve passed the first test! If you answered ‘yes’ to either question’, then I’m afraid there’s no way we’ll get along, sorry!
Now that we’ve gotten the formalities out of the way, let me introduce myself… I am a twelfth-year CSA farm, hoping to major in agriculture. Renaissance-era vegetables make my heart glow and I would love to one day share my passion with others by becoming a pest-free farm.
On a typical Friday night I am probably no longer photosynthesizing, nor biking down one of the many gorgeous trails in our city. I’m the type of farm that will do things on a whim, and I’m looking for a member with the same mentality.
I make an effort to grow raw veggies as much as possible, but I’ve been known to indulge in fruit on occasion. (I must admit, there’s no better cure for a hangover than two daikon radishes, tomatillos, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun!)
Anyway, if you’re a laid-back vegetarian who can appreciate a freshly made heirloom tomato salad and the occasional braised Swiss chard, send me a message.
Example 7: Sincere and Sweet
Howdy, ma’am! My name’s Fresh Earth Farms, and I’m here to steal your appetite (with your permission, of course). Cheesy lines aside, I thought it would be fun to try out this online dating thing, as many of my friends have recommended it. Apparently, you can meet some pretty hungry vegetarians online (who would’ve thunk?!). So without further ado, here are a few tidbits about myself…
I spend my days growing vegetable in the outskirts of the Twin Cities. In a nutshell, this means I get to deal with pests, manage weeds, irrigate plants, and make posts about myself on my blog, Twitter, and Facebook. The farming is exciting, however the nature of my job has sorta, kinda turned me into an sun-soaked, rain-drenched piece of land. 9 times out of 10, when I grow an unfamiliar vegetable, the first thought that comes to my mind is: “Does this even grow in Minnesota?” Fortunately, I find time to do absolutely nothing but farm, which keeps me from turning into a couch potato.
My biggest passion in life is vegetables. I LOVE lettuce, snap peas and winter squash (and pretty much every other vegetable from the 80’s!). There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as digging potatoes with my members as we sing classic rock songs at the top of our lungs.
Members are very important to me, and I make it a point to provide produce to our members at least four times a week. It has always been a dream of mine to have a large membership of my own one day – the more kids the merrier.
Five things I couldn’t do without:
– The Internet
– My Tractor
– My Greenhouse
– The Pick-up Tent
– Kohlrabi
3 random facts about me:
1) I learned how to plant successions from trial and error. This is a particularly useful skill, and I’m confident it will continue to come in handy in the future.
2) I once grew 1000 tomato plant in one season after being dared by a member. Needless to say, I wasn’t able to harvest all the fruit.
3) My mom is a massive Barry Manilow fan. This resulted in me subconsciously learning the lyrics to every song on his “Tryin’ to Get the Feeling” album by age 8.
Anyway, if you’re not allergic to vegetables or a clever sense of humor, feel free to send me a message!
Example 8: “Bullet Point” Approach
Hey folks, my name’s Fresh Earth Farms. I assume you probably want to know a few things about me other than the fact that I like “growing vegetables for members” and “killing squash bugs”, so here are a few random tidbits:
– I have a rewarding career that centers around one of my greatest passions (Hint: it may involve a small, Italian tomato named Mario 🙂
– I LOVE green peppers! Not sure why, but they just make me feel so good inside. Especially on a thin crust pizza – yum!
– Halloween is my favorite holiday. Each year I grow pumpkins from scratch, and I usually do really well in costume competitions.
– I have a 40 year old tractor named F_RD (yes, missing an “O”!)
– I may have a minor kale addiction.
– I don’t know what I would do without my Allis Chalmers Model G tractor – she’s my best friend and keeps me sane when life gets crazy.
– It has always been a dream of mine to be pest free.
– I taught myself how to grow tomatoes in cages. It’s a completely useful skill, and occasionally wins me free drinks at the pub!
– I’ve been collecting seed potatoes since I was 7 years old (kinda geeky, I know!). It was something I used to do with my grandmother, and now serves as a way to honor her memory.
– You get 10 bonus points if you think Smashing Pumpkins and Black-eyed Peas are the best bands of all time!
Now we wait to see how well this works out. If it fails I can always try Tinder.
To join Fresh Earth Farms fill out the order form and send it in with a deposit! Thank you!