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Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Frequently Asked Questions:

 

WHAT IS A CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a model of food production, sales, and distribution aimed at connecting local farmers with local consumers.

Members of a CSA pledge their support towards a portion of the farm’s seasonal operating budget by purchasing a share of the season’s yield in the beginning of the season. In return members receive a weekly portion of the farm’s harvest. Members share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests.

Becoming a member of a CSA creates a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat, the land on which it is grown and those who grow it.

HOW DO I GET MY PRODUCE?
Every week, our produce is picked and immediately delivered to local drop off sites, where members pick up their shares. This arrangement is ecologically sound because it reduces the long-distance trucking involved in much of today's produce delivery. In addition, all the produce is organically grown; this method of growing food is healthier and more environmentally sustainable for the consumer, agricultural worker, and the land itself. There is also an option of delivery service to your home for an additional fee.

WHY DO WE PAY IN ADVANCE?
Paying in advance helps us purchase seed, maintain equipment, and pay for other expenses before the growing season gets underway. Your season-long commitment supports our farm and ensure that all of our produce is specially grown with our members in mind.

WHAT WILL WE GET IN OUR BOXES?
Boxes will contain a mixed balance of what our farm has available in the field. We try to keep the boxes filled with the most popular items, and keep a balance when selecting what to grow and put into the shares each week.

A share is designed for a family of four eating a mixed diet, or two adults with a vegetarian diet. Of course, family needs vary. CSA members have been pleasantly surprised at how many vegetables they eat when they have access to an abundance of fresh, delicious produce. Families with small children especially have found that the children get excited about the weekly box, and respond to the difference that truly fresh vegetables make.

If you decide that one share is too much for your family, consider sharing with a neighbor, friend, or coworker. Many people have found that sharing good food strengthens any relationship*.

We will include a weekly newsletter in each box. Information in the newsletter will include recipes and preparation tips for, as well as articles about our farm. .

*If you are thinking about splitting a share...please keep in mind that not all contents of the box can be split equally, or easily - for example 1 watermelon, 5 tomatoes, or 1 head of cabbage. We do try to put equal amounts of produce in the box, but it doesn’t always work out. Please also discuss how and where your box will be divided. We find that the best way to split a box is for it is for 1 person to pick up the box, and split it at home. While dividing and sharing boxes each week works well for some people, others find that the best way to split a full CSA share is for each family to alternate the weeks in which they keep the whole box to themselves - ex. one family gets the box on even weeks, and the other family gets the box on odd weeks.

WHAT IF WE DON’T LIKE SOMETHING WE GET?
CSAs are not designed as a delivery service, but instead, are a share holding in a working farm. We grow everything in its season and pick it at its best. The share is a balanced mix of what our farm has available in the field. Many people love CSAs because they love getting surprised each week, and they enjoy trying things they wouldn't otherwise have tried. Our boxes will also contain weekly recipes to give you tips on how to prepare items that you may not be familiar with.

WHAT IF WE WILL BE ON VACATION AND CAN’T PICK UP OUR BOX?
Please arrange for someone to pick up your box for you. With advance notice we will be able to prepare your box and have it ready for you on our other drop-off day. For example if you normally pick up on Thursdays, but will be out of town that day, you could pick your box up on Tuesday at the farm, or vice versa.

WHAT IF WE FORGET TO PICK UP OUR BOX?
It is your responsibility to remember to pick up your box. Any boxes that are not picked up will be taken back to our farm and stored in our cooler for 24 hours. If you have forgotten your box, you can call and arrange to pick it up. Any boxes not claimed within 24 hours will be put to good use.