FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Which membership option is right for me?

The farm offers two membership options. The first is for a full season—27 weeks of vegetables for $500. This share is designed for two vegetarian adults or a family of four non-vegetarians. This share is available for on-farm pick up or St. Louis delivery. It is ideal for those who want farm-fresh produce every week possible and want to experience what a full season of eating locally is like. 

The second option is the 13 week membership fro $250.00. This membership is designed for single individuals, small families who do not eat as many vegetables, or for those who only want produce certain times of the growing season. Perhaps, you are gone on vacation during the summer months. This option will allow you to join the farm for the spring and fall weeks. Or, maybe you have young kids, and school time is too hectic for cooking. Then just join the farm for the summer months. With this membership, you choose the weeks you want veggies! Just fill out the calendar included in the sign-up form and mail it in with your payment. If you don’t know the weeks you want produce this far in advance, put down your best guess; then you can change your weeks during the season by calling the farm at least one week in advance to schedule for a different pick-up.

Is there a deadline for signing up?

There is no deadline for signing up for a given season. Shares are sold on a first come, first serve basis and are available until we sell out. 

When do I pick up my share?

For our on-farm members, distribution times are:
—Tuesday: 2-7 PM
—Friday: 2-7 PM
The week “starts” on Tuesday, and you can come on either day. No need to choose a day! The farm is open from dawn to dusk seven days a week to do Pick-Your-Own, and there is an open invitation to come walk the fields, take a nap, have a picnic anytime. You do not have to call ahead, just stop on by!

For St. Louis members, distribution times are:
—Thursday: 2-7 PM at your designated drop-off site. If you need to come late to pick up your box, please call your site’s coordinator. You are also encouraged to make the drive out to the farm anytime for Pick-Your-Own, to attend seasonal festivals, or just to visit!

When is the first pick-up?

The first pick-up will be on Tuesday, May 13 and Friday, May 16. For our St. Louis members, the first drop-off will be Thursday, May 15^th. The season will run through the week of November 11^th. 

How does pick up work? What should I bring?

For St. Louis members, on Thursday anytime between 2-7 PM, come to your drop-off site location. Pre-packed boxes will be waiting for you on the porch, garage, or in a shaded, protected area. There will be a check-off list and a newsletter to take with you. Just pick up your box and that’s it. The next week, please return your flattened box, and pick up your new one. You can also bring bags, baskets, or coolers with you to transport your produce home and just leave the box at the site. 

For on-farm members, come to the distribution barn on the farm either Tuesday or Friday between 2-7 PM. Please check off your name on the sign-up list and take a newsletter. Bags will be provided to pick-up the produce in (but you are welcome to bring your own baskets, canvas bags, coolers to bring the produce home in). A chalkboard will list the different vegetables available that week (as well as the P-Y-O items) and the washed and cooled produce will be laid out on a few different tables. Your share of the vegetables that week will be determined through a mix-and-match system as opposed to menu-style. Meaning, depending on the week, members will get one-to-two farm-provided bags to fill; but what you put in those bags is entirely up to you!!! If you don’t like eggplant, take more carrots instead. Most members will take a little of everything, tempted by the amazing variety offered every week. Typically, members will get one bag of greens (a mix of lettuce, salad greens, spinach, kale, chard, etc., that you decide) and one bag of hard veggies (a mix of all the other vegetables, that, of course, you decide). This way, you take the vegetables that you and your family eat the most. If anything is in short supply, then a limit will be posted on the chalkboard. If items are in abundance, then the extra will be available to take beyond the bag limits.

For P-Y-O items, pint and quart containers will be provided to pick into. For flowers and herbs, please bring scissors and take-home containers with you.

How is the produce handled? Is there much cleaning or washing on my part?

Most vegetables are harvested the morning of pick-up to maximize their freshness and nutritional quality. We pre-rinse all of the vegetables (not only to clean them, but also to cool them down after they have been harvested from the fields) and then store most of them in a cooler until you pick them up. However, we firmly recommend that you always wash the vegetables again at home, before eating them!

What happens when I go on vacation?

Vacations are a wonderful time to share your CSA farm experience with family and friends. Unlike watering house plants or walking dogs, family and friends actually like to pick up your vegetables! Just share with them the details of pick-up, including where, when and how. Many go on to become members the next year because they enjoyed the experience so much! 

Can I volunteer on the farm?

Absolutely! We love volunteers. They bring fresh, creative, inspiring energy to a couple of tired farmers who are mired in the daily tasks of making the farm work. We love to have new people join us in our work for the conversation, for the experience, for the help. To that end, volunteers are welcome anytime on the farm. Designated volunteer times will be Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8-Noon. However, call ahead if you would like to come a different time. In addition, we will post on our website and through email, different volunteer opportunities as they develop. Future opportunities include a Saturday morning brush clearing in the early spring, potato planting in mid-March, an old-fashioned barn-raising in April and many more. We will keep you posted! We are firm believers in “many hands make light work!” 

Is the farm dangerous? Is it a safe place for children?

The farm is a wonderful, beautiful place that we have created and nurtured for your enjoyment and education. At the same time, there are always dangers around a farm. 

• First, children should never be left unattended at the farm. We love kids, and want them to get involved, but they must be present with an adult care-taker. Kids are welcome to explore the farm, whether it is sitting on a tractor seat, visiting the pigs, playing in the sandbox, or sampling the snap peas in the P-Y-O patch; however, a guardian must be with them at all times.
• The farm, unfortunately, is a haven for poison ivy. Please provide your own protection against this noxious weed. Signs will be posted around the farm to help mark its whereabouts. Also, be prepared for mosquitoes, especially in the late spring and early summer.
• The farm owns several first aid kits and they will be prominently displayed in the distribution room for easy and quick access. The farm will also have a cell phone available in case of emergency.