Keelboat Farms
CSA Member Agreement for 2016
Section 1. Our CSA Farm
A. The CSA Model
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct relationship between our farm and you. Rather than simply purchasing food, our CSA members become “shareholders” who receive a portion of our farm’s harvest in exchange for their financial support.
By selling memberships in advance of the growing season, the CSA model reduces the burden of up-front costs for the farmer. A portion of your membership fees provides us with money to purchase seed and equipment before the season starts. Your up-front commitment makes it easier for us to plan as well. Our planting schedule, seed starting plan, purchase orders, budget, etc., are all driven by the number of CSA members we have. By pre-selling our crops at the start of the season, we are able to spend more of our time growing great produce.
This partnership aspect of the CSA model sustains our farm, our educational programs, and our community initiatives. We appreciate your commitment to our farm.
B. Season Length and Share Options
Our CSA season runs for approximately 24 weeks, from roughly June to October. A standard size share will contain enough vegetables for an average family of four. Half shares are the same size as the standard share, but are only distributed every other week (12 times). A plus share is also available for larger families or those who might like to preserve some of their harvest.
C. How We Grow Our Crops
We are in the process of getting our farm certified under the Certified Naturally Grown program. This is a grass-roots, peer-reviewed certification that is designed as an alternative to USDA Organic certification. It follows many of the same guidelines as Organic production (like no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, no GMO seeds, etc.), but it is geared towards small-scale operations like ours. The end goal of certification is to help give farm customers a clear idea of what is (and isn’t) going into their food. We expect to complete the certification process before the CSA season begins.
For more information on the Certified Naturally Grown program, visit their website www.cngfarming.org.
More details about our approach to farming can be found on the “Practices” page of our website. Our CSA members are always welcome to stop by the farm to see first-hand how their food is being grown.
Even though we do not use conventional chemicals on our produce, it is always a good idea to wash all produce before eating.
D. What We Grow
Our CSA is based on fresh, seasonal eating. Early season shares will contain less variety and will not be as substantial as when the main season crops become available. The following chart shows some of the main vegetables we plan to grow and when you might expect to see them in your CSA share. This chart is based on our best estimate and is not all-inclusive. The quantity and selection of produce will vary from week-to-week depending on what is ready to harvest. Weather, pests, changes in our planting schedule, and other events may affect actual production.
CSA Member Agreement for 2016
Section 1. Our CSA Farm
A. The CSA Model
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct relationship between our farm and you. Rather than simply purchasing food, our CSA members become “shareholders” who receive a portion of our farm’s harvest in exchange for their financial support.
By selling memberships in advance of the growing season, the CSA model reduces the burden of up-front costs for the farmer. A portion of your membership fees provides us with money to purchase seed and equipment before the season starts. Your up-front commitment makes it easier for us to plan as well. Our planting schedule, seed starting plan, purchase orders, budget, etc., are all driven by the number of CSA members we have. By pre-selling our crops at the start of the season, we are able to spend more of our time growing great produce.
This partnership aspect of the CSA model sustains our farm, our educational programs, and our community initiatives. We appreciate your commitment to our farm.
B. Season Length and Share Options
Our CSA season runs for approximately 24 weeks, from roughly June to October. A standard size share will contain enough vegetables for an average family of four. Half shares are the same size as the standard share, but are only distributed every other week (12 times). A plus share is also available for larger families or those who might like to preserve some of their harvest.
C. How We Grow Our Crops
We are in the process of getting our farm certified under the Certified Naturally Grown program. This is a grass-roots, peer-reviewed certification that is designed as an alternative to USDA Organic certification. It follows many of the same guidelines as Organic production (like no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, no GMO seeds, etc.), but it is geared towards small-scale operations like ours. The end goal of certification is to help give farm customers a clear idea of what is (and isn’t) going into their food. We expect to complete the certification process before the CSA season begins.
For more information on the Certified Naturally Grown program, visit their website www.cngfarming.org.
More details about our approach to farming can be found on the “Practices” page of our website. Our CSA members are always welcome to stop by the farm to see first-hand how their food is being grown.
Even though we do not use conventional chemicals on our produce, it is always a good idea to wash all produce before eating.
D. What We Grow
Our CSA is based on fresh, seasonal eating. Early season shares will contain less variety and will not be as substantial as when the main season crops become available. The following chart shows some of the main vegetables we plan to grow and when you might expect to see them in your CSA share. This chart is based on our best estimate and is not all-inclusive. The quantity and selection of produce will vary from week-to-week depending on what is ready to harvest. Weather, pests, changes in our planting schedule, and other events may affect actual production.
Section 2. Our Shared Commitments
A. Sharing in the Risk
We promise to do our best to provide you with a bountiful share each week. However, inclement weather, pests, or other unforeseen factors may impact crop availability. By joining our CSA, you are agreeing to share the risk of crop failure with us and other members. In the unlikely event of a crop failure, our procedure is as follows:
- If only a small portion of a crop fails, we compensate for the failed crops by filling your share with other crops that are ready for harvest at that time. If a large portion of a crop fails, we may not be able to deliver that product as planned.
B. Sharing in the Harvest
Each week, we will divide our harvest equally among our members. All members will receive roughly the same amount and selection of produce. Throughout the season, we may trial new crops on a small scale. These trial crops will be limited in quantity and there may not be enough to give all members a portion. We will rotate these portions so that all members get to sample some of the trial crops we plant.
In addition to operating a CSA, our farm also plants extra crops to donate to families in our community. Our production plan is designed to meet both of these needs. Some crops/varieties are grown exclusively for our CSA members, while others are grown for both purposes. When crops are ready for harvest, our CSA members receive top priority. We will pack as much as possible into your weekly share. However, we don’t want to overwhelm our members or deliver so much produce that it goes to waste. When we feel that members have received a sufficient amount of a particular crop, we will donate the surplus to families or organizations in our community.
Section 3. Distribution of Weekly Shares
Shares will be delivered to various drop-points in the communities surrounding our farm. Members will choose a drop-point and delivery day prior to the start of the CSA season. Members will be responsible for picking up their share in a timely manner. Shares that are not picked up on time will be donated.
If you know you will be unable to pick up your share on your assigned day, please contact us in advance. We may be able to make alternative arrangements. If you are going out of town on vacation, you may choose to have someone pick up your share on your behalf. You may also choose to donate that week’s share to a local family in need. Please let us know in advance, so that we can plan accordingly.
On occasion, we may need to adjust the distribution schedule due to events beyond our control. For example, several days of heavy rain may prevent us from getting into the fields to harvest. We will do our best to notify you in advance if the schedule has to be modified in any way.
Section 4. Member Fees
Member fees for the 2016 growing season are as follows:
Standard share - $595
Half share - $300
Plus share - $795
The cost of CSA membership may be split into 2 payments. The first payment (roughly 50% of the total) holds your place in our CSA. The remaining balance is due by May 15. Shares will not be distributed to members who have not paid their balance in full.
Section 5. Refund Policy
Member fees will be refunded completely if the refund request is made prior to the end of our CSA sign-up period (through April 15, 2016).
Once sign-ups end, refunds will only be granted if we have another CSA member to take your place.
Our entire farm plan is based on the number of CSA members we have. Once we get beyond the sign-up period, money has already been spent on supplies, seedlings have already been started, ground has already been cleared, etc. In effect, we have already started growing your family’s share because you had committed to being a part of our CSA.
Section 6. Communicating with Us
The best way to communicate with us is via text or email. We will do our best to respond as soon as possible, but please understand that we spend most of our time in the field growing your food. Please contact us immediately with any problems or dissatisfaction with your share.
We will communicate with you by email. When you sign up, you will be added to our distribution list. Please read your email from us. We depend on being able to communicate important information such as changes to the distribution schedule or details about our farm events. Each week during the season, we will provide an update giving you information about the crops available that week, recipe ideas, and other farm related news.
Thank you for partnering with us for the 2016 CSA season. We are looking forward to a great year!
Farm Contact Information:
Keelboat Farms LLC
257 Finks Run Road
McDonald, PA 15057
724-513-6279
[email protected]