The Challenge: Burnout from Manual Management

Shakefork Community Farm is a regenerative, oxen-powered farm in Humboldt County, CA, run by Melanie and her husband Kevin. Their CSA grew from 15 members to over 130, thanks to their quality produce and strong local ties. But behind the scenes, Melanie was overwhelmed.

“I was aligning my work to my spreadsheet, limiting the number of memberships and pickup locations based on what my spreadsheet could handle,” she explained. “Once you add in special orders and individual requests, it becomes very error-prone. I was starting to make a lot of mistakes.”

Melanie knew it was time to scale—but without the tools to do it well, she felt stuck.

The Switch: Replacing Spreadsheets with Smart Tools

After a demo with Farmhand’s founder Ari, Melanie made the leap—and saw results almost immediately.

• New Website: Delivered in two weeks, replacing a 2-year Squarespace struggle.
• Automated CSA Signups: Members enrolled earlier than ever.
• Custom Member Handbook + Email Templates: Created instantly.
• eCommerce Store: Enabled flash sales and add-ons with ease.
• Streamlined Fulfillment: Automated labels, packing reports, and pickup reminders.
• Centralized Support: No more juggling DMs, texts, and emails—Farmhand handled it all.

“This is the first year I wasn’t answering all those little questions. It’s a huge mental timesaver.”

The Transformation: From Admin to Connection-Builder

With Farmhand handling the admin chaos, Melanie finally had time to focus on what mattered most: her community.

“I know how much personal attention matters in a CSA. We average a 90% retention rate, but it’s closer to 100% where Kevin and I are present at pickup sites. Now I have time to write custom notes, check in with members, and build relationships.”

The Growth: A $40K Renewal Campaign in Just 2 Weeks

When winter approached, Melanie turned to Farmhand again—this time to reimagine her CSA renewals.

Her five-part strategy:

1. Delegate Customer Support
   Farmhand freed up over 7 hours/week, giving her space to focus on members.
2. Offer Flexibility
   Skip weeks, account holds, and payment plans made renewal easier for members.
3. Show Up Personally
   Handwritten notes and face-to-face connections deepened trust.
4. Focus on Quality & Variety
   Consistent, top-notch produce kept excitement and loyalty high.
5. Make Renewing Easy & Fun
   A multi-step campaign with emails, QR code flyers, and an early-bird raffle created buzz and boosted signups.

“The communication and engagement with us members has really improved. That’s the best part.”
— Kya & Jill, CSA Members since 2011

‍

Melanie’s Takeaway

“I love being accountable to my members. They make me want to be a better farmer—and I am, because I know the faces and families I’m growing for. That gives meaning back to what we do each and every day.”

‍

‍

In the past, renewals meant cobbled-together Google Forms and weeks of follow-up. With Farmhand, she launched a streamlined campaign that brought in $40,000+ in renewal sales and a +90% renewal rate—in just two weeks.