Thursday, March 2, 2023

2024 CSA PLAN


  We're taking sign-ups for the 2024 Vegetable CSA now.  
  If you were a CSA member last year, please let us know if you will be participating again this year so we can hold your spot or offer it to someone else.
  If you'd like to join the CSA for the first time, please make plans to come to the farm.  We require new members to visit the farm so we can talk more about the CSA, so we can show you how we're farming, and so you can try out the drive.
  If you're in Statesville, here is the information for our Statesville CSA.

THE CSA PLAN
   2024 will be our 20th year offering CSA shares.  A CSA is a partnership with a local farm that provides you a weekly share of produce items and helps make it possible for us to grow a radically homegrown alternative to supermarket-style food/agriculture defined by big corporations, chemicals, genetically modified crops... (For more information about how we farm see what we wrote here and other things on our blog.) 
  The CSA plan consists of 23 weekly shares each with a value of $22 spread out over an approximately 6 month season (from, depending on the weather, roughly early or mid- May and continuing through approximately early November, minus possibly a week sometime during the year that we'll need to take a bye week on our end, leaving 3 bye weeks for you.) 
  The cost of the CSA for returning CSA members is $506 (23 weeks times $22.00/week), but for first-time members our beginning offer is a half season share for $242 for 11 weekly shares (covering the first 12 weeks of the season with one bye week and renewable for the second half) so that new members can try out the CSA without needing to commit to the full season.

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN CSA SHARES
  A standard share contains a full assortment of several dozen different seasonal fresh vegetables (tomatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans, lettuce, okra...), shitake mushrooms, all from open-pollinated seed and grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers.  Here is a link to photos of sample CSA shares.  
  Normally we pack CSA shares with an assortment of whatever we think is at its best each week with maximum variety from week to week.  But we also offer the option to marginally customize your share, depending on what we have available.
  Every Saturday, we'll send out an e-mail with a list of most of the items we expect to harvest for the coming pick-up day.  If you see anything on the e-mail list that you'd especially like included in your share, just e-mail us what you would like by our Monday deadline.
   If we're not able to meet requests we'll substitute other items so that in any case you should receive a full $22 share.
  If we expect to have more demand for an item than we'll be able to accommodate, we'll typically not list that item and instead include such limited items in the shares of members whose requests were minimal enough to leave us room to include those things, so not everything that goes into CSA shares will be on the e-mail list and available for requests.
  
LOGISTICS
  Shares are picked up on Tuesdays (anytime that afternoon or evening but not before 2:00.)  In response to the Saturday e-mail, you'll need to let us know by noon on Monday if you would like a share that week or if you are taking a bye week.  You'll also let us know what time to set your share out for you.  A little before the time you tell us, we'll set a paper bag with your name on it out on the pick-up table.  If you don't see us outside and would like to talk to us about anything, just honk your horn.
  
WHAT IF YOU'RE OUT OF TOWN OR CAN'T COME TO THE PICK-UP ONE WEEK? WHAT ABOUT EXTRA WEEKS?
  Our CSA season should run 26 weeks, so full season members should have 3 bye weeks. If you're out of town or want to skip getting a share one week for any other reason, just let us know that you're taking a bye week by the order deadline, 12pm Monday.  If you use up your 23 pre-paid shares before the end of the CSA season (by not using all your bye weeks over the course of the season), you can pay $22/week for the remaining weeks.  If you take more than 3 bye weeks (or more than 1 bye week if you bought a half season membership), you will forfeit the extra pre-paid shares, but you can always give your share away to a friend.  Just let us know to whom you're giving your share that week and have that person e-mail us before the order deadline just like a regular CSA member would.

HOW TO PROCEED IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE CSA
  If you have more questions about our CSA, please send us an e-mail or call us (704-546-5074) or make plans to visit the farm.
  Any of our customers is welcome to come for a farm visit/tour, but we require a farm visit of new CSA members.  This gives you a chance to better understand what our farm is all about, what your partnership with us is about, and what it means for what you'll be receiving in your CSA shares. It also helps us better explain the logistics of our system to first time CSA members and to answer any questions you have.

PAYMENT
  For new members purchasing half season shares we ask for a $100 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot (or you can pay the $242 in full).  The remainder of the $242 is due when you pick up your first share.  
  For returning members purchasing full season shares we normally ask for a $100 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot (or you can pay the $506 in full).  The remainder of the $506 is due when you pick up your first share.  

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Is there some way or time that is mutually comfortable to talk about: 1., a visit, 2., the availability of honey now for gift baskets, and 3., joining the CSA & you for 2011?

Eric & Melissa Brown said...

We welcome and encourage anyone interested in buying from us to visit. We're actually planning a farm tour for anyone that wants to come for tomorrow, Saturday, at 2pm, along with a sweet potato variety tasting to follow, but give us a call and make plans to visit another time if tomorrow doesn't work for you. We essentially sold out of honey two or three months ago, so we don't have honey to sell at this time. We'll be glad to talk about our CSA and try to help you figure out if you want to join. Thanks!

Anna Posey said...

Thanks for your delicious and conscientious farming. I thought you might like to know I mentioned your incredible cornmeal on my blog yesterday. Keep up the good work, and congratulations on your new farmhand. http://honeybeagotheart.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/cornbread-or-keep-your-skillet-good-and-greasy/