Oasis Springs Runs A CSA in Every Season
7 Questions With Sarah Ward of Oasis Springs Farms
Sarah and Chris Ward got their start in urban farming in 2016 when they purchased a Leafy Green Machine (the predecessor of the Greenery). Although neither Sarah nor her husband Chris had experience in commercial farming, Sarah had over 17 years experience in marketing, public relations and project management, and Chris had a background in information technology and engineering, so they decided to leverage their professional abilities and mutual love for local food by launching Oasis Springs Farm. Their mission? To provide fresh, healthy, local produce year round to their community in southern New Hampshire through environmentally friendly practices and high tech resources. We recently spoke with Sarah about operating her container farm and her tricks for maintaining a loyal customer base.
Freight Farms (FF): What, if any, was your experience with farming before becoming a Freight Farmer?
Sarah Ward (SW): We did a little hydroponic growing in our home the winter before to have fresh herbs and lettuce throughout the winter months. It was during all the research we did for our home operation that we came across the opportunity to scale up large enough to not only feed ourselves, but our community as well.
FF: How did you find customers to buy your produce?
SW: This was one of the scariest parts of the business, trying to find interested people to buy it. We connected with local groups and businesses that have like-minded missions to bring good food to people. And we are always rewarding people with free lettuce and greens when they connect us with new businesses or CSA members. Over time we grew our membership to 50-60 shares a week, and usually have a waitlist too!
FF: Who do you sell to and how do you do it?
Most of our greens go towards the CSA, although we do still have a few chef customers as well. Our customer base is varied: families, senior citizens, health-conscious shoppers, and locavores. We found this customer base by partnering with local businesses as pick-up points and using them as opportunities for co-marketing.
FF: What kinds of crops do you grow?
SW: At first we did a lot of experimentation, but ultimately found that we gave customers the best value when we provided them with everyday staples. Today we grow about five lettuce varieties, kale, some herbs, and microgreens.
FF: What’s the best piece of advice you can give to people interested in becoming Freight Farmers?
SW: Be flexible and patient! When we first started we wanted everything handed to us with the perfect formula for success, but we quickly learned that things change and you can’t always count on what you planned for. Be adaptable and open to new ideas.
FF: What was the most challenging part of becoming a Freight Farmer and how were you able to overcome it?
SW: Even with a Freight Farms unit, farming in general requires a lot of time. There have been many exhausting early mornings and late nights. Managing a full-time business and raising a family certainly has its challenges. We have worked hard over the last year to find the right work-life balance by trying to create a schedule that works for our family.
FF: What are your plans for the future?
SW: We plan to grow and continue to find new ways that this resource can benefit both us and the community that we live in. Most people are amazed that we do this from our backyard. The support has been amazing. I get called Lettuce Lady a lot.
Want to learn more about how Oasis Springs is operating a successful CSA? Check out our webinar with Sarah Ward!