Comments on: The failure of MyFarm: good intentions, poor execution http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/ musings and other goodies Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:33:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lurking_in_SF http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2525 Lurking_in_SF Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2525 @Nicholas Roberts: I have a pamphlet. I never saw a "price list" as such. @Nicholas Roberts: I have a pamphlet. I never saw a “price list” as such.

]]> By: Nicholas Roberts http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2509 Nicholas Roberts Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:11:35 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2509 hi all I'd be really interested in doing a thorough business case study of MyFarmSF. Its business model was fascinating, the numbers especially so. Sadly the Waybackwhen archive isnt that great. http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://myfarmsf.com I had contact with the founder and a film maker for MyFarmSF when I started www.Permaculture.TV was always worried it was going to be too successful, and be the Starbucks of urban food. We have been researching permaculture cooperatives and would be interested in dissecting this project and publishing the case study. Does anyone have price lists? newsletters etc ? pamphlet material etc http://permaculture.tv/myfarmsfcom-myfram-san-francisco/ hi all

I’d be really interested in doing a thorough business case study of MyFarmSF. Its business model was fascinating, the numbers especially so. Sadly the Waybackwhen archive isnt that great.

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://myfarmsf.com

I had contact with the founder and a film maker for MyFarmSF when I started http://www.Permaculture.TV

was always worried it was going to be too successful, and be the Starbucks of urban food.

We have been researching permaculture cooperatives and would be interested in dissecting this project and publishing the case study.

Does anyone have price lists? newsletters etc ? pamphlet material etc
http://permaculture.tv/myfarmsfcom-myfram-san-francisco/

]]> By: KS http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2470 KS Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:22:06 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2470 That's such disappointing news. This is the first I've heard about MyFarm going under since visiting their start-up garden last fall. I loved the idea, too bad it didn't hold up. That’s such disappointing news. This is the first I’ve heard about MyFarm going under since visiting their start-up garden last fall. I loved the idea, too bad it didn’t hold up.

]]> By: hilary http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2268 hilary Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:31:44 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2268 Hi I was also a my farm user and it was a DISASTER!!! Hi
I was also a my farm user and it was a DISASTER!!!

]]> By: Trent McNair http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2260 Trent McNair Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:25:15 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2260 Sad story folks - I was watching My Farm closely from here in Santa Cruz to see if they could make it work. It's a shame. Sad story folks – I was watching My Farm closely from here in Santa Cruz to see if they could make it work. It’s a shame.

]]> By: Ari Tenenbaum http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2227 Ari Tenenbaum Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:55:22 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2227 I live in San Diego but have been following the progress of my farm closely over the past year or two. About one year ago I started a landscaping business with some similar characteristics. We install vegetable gardens, provide a weekly harvest, but we also specialize in low water California native gardens too. Additionally, i am a licensed landscape contractor. Having been watching my farm from a distance I am disappointed by their demise but it seems likely that the demise was largely due to their rapid growth during their start-up phase. After nearly one year, I am working with just three employees, laying the framework for what we hope will be a more sustainable business model. This spring and summer we are planning our first real marketing campaign. I hope we can take some lessons from my farm and expand our business in a methodical and sustainable fashion. I live in San Diego but have been following the progress of my farm closely over the past year or two. About one year ago I started a landscaping business with some similar characteristics. We install vegetable gardens, provide a weekly harvest, but we also specialize in low water California native gardens too. Additionally, i am a licensed landscape contractor. Having been watching my farm from a distance I am disappointed by their demise but it seems likely that the demise was largely due to their rapid growth during their start-up phase. After nearly one year, I am working with just three employees, laying the framework for what we hope will be a more sustainable business model. This spring and summer we are planning our first real marketing campaign. I hope we can take some lessons from my farm and expand our business in a methodical and sustainable fashion.

]]> By: Lurking_in_SF http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2095 Lurking_in_SF Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:14:22 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2095 Thanks for posting about MyFarm. I found similar comments at Yelp also: www.yelp.com/biz/myfarm-san-francisco I considered getting MyFarm to install a "farm" in my back yard, but in my initial contacts with them, they seemed disorganized and unprofessional. I just didn't feel comfortable forking over the upfront fee, and now I'm glad I didn't do it. I wonder if the owner has ever run a business before. Youthful enthusiasm and creative ideas are great, but perhaps a solid grounding in business, and adequate capital to sustain the business during a lengthy startup phase, were lacking. Who knows? I'd like to see the MyFarm idea put into practice here in San Francisco, but SUCCESSFULLY! What a shame that MyFarm failed. Thanks for posting about MyFarm. I found similar comments at Yelp also:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/myfarm-san-francisco

I considered getting MyFarm to install a “farm” in my back yard, but in my initial contacts with them, they seemed disorganized and unprofessional. I just didn’t feel comfortable forking over the upfront fee, and now I’m glad I didn’t do it.

I wonder if the owner has ever run a business before. Youthful enthusiasm and creative ideas are great, but perhaps a solid grounding in business, and adequate capital to sustain the business during a lengthy startup phase, were lacking. Who knows?

I’d like to see the MyFarm idea put into practice here in San Francisco, but SUCCESSFULLY! What a shame that MyFarm failed.

]]> By: brynn http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2081 brynn Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:01:35 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2081 Spike! Hi! (You saw that I mentioned you in my post, right?) Yes, I was part of that CC'd email with everyone's names and I followed your initiative to have a meetup of the remaining members. I'm so glad to hear that you have your winter crop planted now! That's great news! Thank you for sharing your story publicly here, as well. People need to know about MyFarm's failures as a thing to learn from. It looks like they finally took their website down, but their sudden exit leaves much to be desired. Best of luck to you, and enjoy the farming experience! Spike! Hi! (You saw that I mentioned you in my post, right?)

Yes, I was part of that CC’d email with everyone’s names and I followed your initiative to have a meetup of the remaining members. I’m so glad to hear that you have your winter crop planted now! That’s great news!

Thank you for sharing your story publicly here, as well. People need to know about MyFarm’s failures as a thing to learn from. It looks like they finally took their website down, but their sudden exit leaves much to be desired.

Best of luck to you, and enjoy the farming experience!

]]> By: spike kahn http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2080 spike kahn Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:55:46 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2080 I, too, am a former member of MyFarmSF.com This summer, their sales rep came by and promised me that they would install a vegetable farm in my backyard, tended and maintained by MyFarm farmers. Although the initial installation was a bit steep (maybe twice the price of what it would have cost had I done it myself) I felt it was a good organization, and since I have no skills in farming, a good way to grow food for me and my neighbors, support a local business, and eat well... I left town for a month (informing them that I was leaving, and my return date) knowing that my backyard would be cared for while I was gone. However, a few days later, I received an email stating that the farmer would not be coming once a week as promised, but rather once a month. And, to top it off, they were increasing my weekly cost to twice the amount we agreed upon when first sold the idea (yes, a reduction of 75% of support and service, and an increase of 200% of cost.) Then, a week after I left, I received an email from the owner stating that he was bankrupt and no farmer would ever be coming to my backyard, which was planted and being watered daily automatically. When I returned at the end of the month, since nothing had been thinned or pruned, very little produce was edible. An entire waste of time, money, materials, and food! But, since the owner was such an idiot, his kiss-off letter was copied to everyone, not with blind cc (bcc) so I was able to see the email addresses of all the former MyFarmSF farm customers and backyard farm owners. We were able to meet and discuss strategies and resources, and someone mentioned Tree and his Free Farm Stand. I contacted Tree, who connected me with neighbors who were interested in gardening, and we are now gardening together in my backyard. We just planted for the Winter crops. Hopefully, sharing our excess produce with our neighbors, sharing labor in the backyard, will continue and grow. I feel very thankful to the Free Farm Stand and Tree. Spike I, too, am a former member of MyFarmSF.com This summer, their sales rep came by and promised me that they would install a vegetable farm in my backyard, tended and maintained by MyFarm farmers. Although the initial installation was a bit steep (maybe twice the price of what it would have cost had I done it myself) I felt it was a good organization, and since I have no skills in farming, a good way to grow food for me and my neighbors, support a local business, and eat well…
I left town for a month (informing them that I was leaving, and my return date) knowing that my backyard would be cared for while I was gone. However, a few days later, I received an email stating that the farmer would not be coming once a week as promised, but rather once a month. And, to top it off, they were increasing my weekly cost to twice the amount we agreed upon when first sold the idea (yes, a reduction of 75% of support and service, and an increase of 200% of cost.) Then, a week after I left, I received an email from the owner stating that he was bankrupt and no farmer would ever be coming to my backyard, which was planted and being watered daily automatically. When I returned at the end of the month, since nothing had been thinned or pruned, very little produce was edible. An entire waste of time, money, materials, and food!
But, since the owner was such an idiot, his kiss-off letter was copied to everyone, not with blind cc (bcc) so I was able to see the email addresses of all the former MyFarmSF farm customers and backyard farm owners. We were able to meet and discuss strategies and resources, and someone mentioned Tree and his Free Farm Stand. I contacted Tree, who connected me with neighbors who were interested in gardening, and we are now gardening together in my backyard. We just planted for the Winter crops.
Hopefully, sharing our excess produce with our neighbors, sharing labor in the backyard, will continue and grow. I feel very thankful to the Free Farm Stand and Tree.

Spike

]]> By: Diana@SF http://brynnevans.com/blog/2009/10/28/the-failure-of-myfarm-good-intentions-poor-execution/comment-page-1/#comment-2061 Diana@SF Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:41:02 +0000 http://brynnevans.com/blog/?p=1403#comment-2061 Thanks for your post! FYI Eatwell Farms (our CSA btw--and we're very happy with it) and Farm Fresh to You (pricier, a little more "corporate" but still very good at what they do) are both long-time or second-generation organic farms, located in fertile farmland outside the Bay Area. There's really no comparison to the tricky urban model My Farm tried and failed to mount, but the main thing is that experience matters, and both these farms have had a long to time to prove they know what they're doing. It sounds like Paque should have spent more time studying other urban farm models like the one in Portland, and thought the whole thing through a lot more before launching his SF effort. Unfortunately it will make a lot of people uneasy about doing this again if someone else now tries to provide the same service. He's done a lot of damage, not all of it financial, and should make amends somehow. Thanks for your post!

FYI Eatwell Farms (our CSA btw–and we’re very happy with it) and Farm Fresh to You (pricier, a little more “corporate” but still very good at what they do) are both long-time or second-generation organic farms, located in fertile farmland outside the Bay Area. There’s really no comparison to the tricky urban model My Farm tried and failed to mount, but the main thing is that experience matters, and both these farms have had a long to time to prove they know what they’re doing.

It sounds like Paque should have spent more time studying other urban farm models like the one in Portland, and thought the whole thing through a lot more before launching his SF effort. Unfortunately it will make a lot of people uneasy about doing this again if someone else now tries to provide the same service. He’s done a lot of damage, not all of it financial, and should make amends somehow.

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