I’m very interested in the “Community Supported” model, as in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Community Supported Restaurant (CSR) or Community Supported Enterprise (CSE). So I was delighted to hear of another shop going CSE in Vermont.
The Shelburne News reported that New Leaf Deli and Market, formerly Natalia’s Market, has new owners, a new look, and a new business model.
With a “Community Supported” model, investors (who are usually local) make an up-front investment in the business and receive a regular return, almost like a reimbursement with interest, over time.
With a CSA, you purchase a “share” and receive produce, meat, dairy or other foods every week. The upfront investment helps the farmer purchase seeds, equipment, materials and pay for staff.
At New Leaf, it looks like “supporters provide an investment of $500 to $1,000 called memberships. Memberships are converted to debit cards (store credit) with an additional 10 percent added to the investment each month. Cards do not expire and members never lose any of their balance.”
Read more about New Leaf Deli and Market here.
Do you know of another Community Supported Enterprise in Vermont? Leave a comment – I’d love to learn about them!
