All of your Farmstead Veggie Bucket CSA questions answered.
Why is it called a CSA and how does it work?
The acronym “CSA” stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Community Supported agriculture is a food production and distribution system that directly connects farmers and consumers. Farmers sell a set number of “shares” of the produce that will be available during the upcoming season. Consumers buy into these shares in advance with the promise of receiving a portion of the crops directly from the farm on a regular basis as they're freshly harvested.
This arrangement is mutually beneficial to the farmer as well as the now “shareholder” (or more commonly termed “CSA member”). The farmer earns important early-season income to purchase the seeds and supplies necessary to start off the season. The CSA member enjoys overall lower food costs usually at a value exceeding the initial purchase price of the share, receives field-fresh produce picked at the height of ripeness, and gains important knowledge about where and how their food is being grown. They can see their food being grown right before their eyes. A vital community of supporters is created and nurtured around their local farm.
Another aspect of the CSA, beyond enjoying the benefits, is assuming the shared risk of farming. If the crops are abundant during the season, the members enjoy the bounty. However, if the growing season is such that the broccoli is eaten by moths or the zucchini just won’t grow, the shareholder will see a smaller amount of produce in their share. Most CSA farms grow a wide variety of produce so even if some crops don’t grow as well during a given season, some of their other vegetables will thrive instead. Working with a CSA farmer not only gives their members the chance to eat seasonally but also a chance to understand how their small farm works. Together farmer and consumer are putting the local back into local food.
Check out this graphic here to see a CSA in action.
What comes in a CSA share?
CSA shares are filled with a variety of vegetables that vary in type depending on the time and conditions of the growing season. For example, at the start of the season on our farm, your bucket will contain a head of lettuce along with other types of greens (ex. mesclun mix, spinach, or kale) and maybe a kohlrabi or box of snap peas. August will bring with it tomatoes, green beans, sweet corn, bell peppers, eggplant, onions, and potatoes in abundance. The season will end in October with vegetables such as winter squash, beets, brussels sprouts, and pie pumpkins.
We grow over 60 varieties of vegetables as well as watermelon, pumpkins, ornamental corn, gourds, and popcorn kernels. We also start our season out by growing and selling beautiful hanging baskets, potted plants, and bedding flowers. There is definitely something for everyone here at the Farmstead! To see a full list of the vegetables we are growing this season, check out our Farm FAQs here.
Most of the time, you will recognize the produce items in your share. However, don’t be surprised if there is a time or two when a “new to you” vegetable finds its way in (like that kohlrabi I mentioned earlier) that forces you to stretch and try a new recipe in order to eat it, but that is part of the fun! Joining a CSA is a culinary adventure; one best started with the expectation that you and your family will be offered the chance to try new foods.
How often do I get a share? When do the veggies begin?
All full season shares are distributed from the farm (or one of our pick-up locations) on a weekly basis for an 18-week season starting in mid-June and continuing into October. Summer shares start at the end of July and continue for the 6 weeks ending with Labor Day.
How many shares do you offer?
We have 150 shares available for the 2022 growing season. They are divided among the Farmstead Share, the Harvest Share, and the Basics Share and filled on a first come, first served basis. We are also offering 25 Summer Shares to our seasonal area residents.
Do you grow everything that comes in my bucket?
We grow all of the delicious, farm-fresh vegetables in your bucket with the exception of the sweet corn. The Walworth County area produces some of the best sweet corn around and we want to take advantage of that fact. It is our goal for every vegetable in your share to be at the peak of ripeness and absolutely delicious!
How will I know what is in my bucket each week? How will I know what to do with the veggies you give me?
Each Monday morning, we will email you the contents of your bucket for that week along with your newsletter. We will also include information about how to use and store the vegetables that you might be unfamiliar with. We will also post a short video each Tuesday afternoon in our CSA Member facebook group showing you the produce that will be in the buckets, identifying each vegetable, and give additional use and storage tips.
I’ve never joined a CSA before, which share should I pick?
This is a decision only you can make! If you have a larger family and absolutely love vegetables, the Farmstead Share is sized for you. If you are a smaller family or not sure how many vegetables you can actually consume in a week, give the Harvest Share a try this season. If you know you like vegetables but only want to have the staples, the Basics Bucket Share is a great choice. To compare our share sizes side by side, you can use this handy graphic: (click to view) Which Bucket Size Should I Choose?
Can I split my share with someone else?
This can be a great option to explore if you are concerned about being able to consume all of your vegetables each week. You can either split the produce with each other weekly or alternate weeks of farm pick-up between the two of you. We ask that the payment is made in full by a single person (for the ease of our bookkeeping). We will only be able to provide your share in a single bucket (we cannot pre-split it for you) but would be happy to put more than one name on the pick-up calendar.
Can I cancel my share if I need to?
We appreciate your willingness to give our Farmstead Veggie Bucket CSA shares a chance! We certainly hope that your produce experience here is beyond your expectations. But if you feel things are off to a rocky start, please let us know. If there is any way we can help, we will. Just give yourself a chance to find your routine during the first 6 weeks. We bet you will find your way to better eating with seasonal produce and that you are glad you gave our CSA a try.
However, we understand that sometimes these things don’t work out. If you need to cancel your share after the first 6 weeks of the season for any reason, we will refund the balance of your share on a pro-rated basis minus a cancellation fee of $50. When you sign up for a share, we invest the income into the seeds, labor, and equipment necessary to grow your veggies for you. This is why we have a cancellation fee. To avoid this fee, we recommend trying to find someone to take over your share. We are happy to transfer your share over to a new person and allow them to pick up right where you left off.
What if I go on vacation and have to miss my bucket pick-up? Can I pick it up another time?
Yes. If you are going to be on vacation, you can switch your pick up site. You must give us 5 days notice so we can make the necessary changes to our packing system. Another popular solution many of our members use is to have a friend pick up the bucket for the week.
What happens if I forget or miss my bucket pick-up? Can I get it later?
As for what happens if you “miss” your bucket?… It depends. If you are able to reach us via text prior to the site closing, we can hold your products and take them back to our farm, where we will hold them for 24 hours. (You will have to pick them up on the farm the next day.) If you fail to contact us before we close the site, your bucket will be donated to a food pantry or family in need. So give us a call if you missed the window. You might be lucky! We do not credit your account if you miss a pick-up.
Can I send someone else to pick up my bucket if I cannot be there?
Yes! If you cannot pick up your share yourself, simply send a substitute! All they have to do is give us your name. However, your substitute will not be allowed to take home your red bucket – just the produce inside. So tell them to bring some bags to transfer the produce into.
How do I pay for my share?
We can accept credit card payments as well as cash and local checks for the purchase of your CSA share. Credit card sales will be processed through our online store at the time of ordering. Cash and check payments can be mailed directly to us and will be cashed upon receipt. Please fill out the paper form (found here) and send it along with your payment to our mailing address.
All share purchases need to be paid in full up front on a first come, first served basis. If you need to make alternate payment arrangements, please contact us directly.
Can I pay with my WIC or EBT funds?
The WIC program is for use at farm markets such as ours but not for CSA share purposes. The EBT (Food Stamp) system does allow for the purchase of CSA shares. However, the EBT regulations dictate an alternate payment schedule be followed for the purchase of your share. Please contact us directly if you are interested in paying for your share with your EBT food benefits. We will gladly work with you to facilitate this process.
Can I visit the farm?
The farm is open to the public during posted seasonal hours several days a week and you are more than welcome to stop by at any point during that time. You will be able to shop in our farm store for produce and other locally produced items as well as have a look out into the field to see all the happenings.
CSA members will have exclusive access to special farm tours and behind-the-scenes events throughout the season that are not open to the general public.
We will also be scheduling farm tours that will be open to the public as the season progresses so you can bring your friends and family out to see what our farm is all about.
Do you offer farm events?
Yes, we do offer on-farm events many of which are only available to CSA members as an added free benefit to your commitment to the success of our farm through the purchase of your share. It’s our way of saying thanks!
CSA members will be provided with a schedule of the season’s events at the start of share pick-up. These events may include: pesto or salsa night, summer scavenger hunt, pumpkin painting, as well as potato and popcorn harvest nights.
We have plans to host at least one Farm-to-Table dinner later in the season. Tickets for this event will be available for purchase to CSA members and their families before they are offered to the public.
We also will schedule a few events that are open to the public. We would love to have everyone out to the farm!
What makes your CSA different from other farms?
We have sized our CSA shares with your family's eating habits in mind. One of the most common concerns of CSA customers across the country is that they are provided too much food in their share and it ends up in the compost pile. We do not want that to happen! We want you to eat all of your fresh veggies and not have any leftovers.
It is important to us that you are able to use or store all of the food you receive and that none goes to waste. Therefore, we have made a very conscious effort to address this issue. We have designed our shares to provide you with the amount of produce you can actually consume on a weekly basis without too much effort. We also offer a variety of different types of share choices allowing you to choose the one that best suits the size of your family as well as your eating habits. We will always provide you with recipe suggestions as well as storing/freezing/canning tips in order to preserve any produce you need to as the season progresses and the harvest becomes more plentiful. As an added benefit to this purposeful sizing of our portions, the produce shares we sell are available at a more affordable price than a lot of our competitors.
We want to make a difference in our community.
Another, and perhaps more important, difference about our farm is our mission to feed those in our community that are in need of food. The hunger statistics are higher than you might think. Did you know that almost 50% of the school children in Walworth County come from families struggling to have enough to eat on a daily basis? That is just too many!
We are passionate about doing something about it. And since here on the Farmstead we grow food for a living, it is important for us to share what we have with others; not only to donate the extra but rather to intentionally grow our produce for this purpose.
How are you keeping me safe during COVID-19?
Your safety and the safety of our crew is of paramount importance. We are committed to exercising the utmost in food handling safety. The red buckets are washed and sanitized every week prior to repacking with fresh veggies. We are fully vaccinated and will wear masks as it is necessary.
The acronym “CSA” stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Community Supported agriculture is a food production and distribution system that directly connects farmers and consumers. Farmers sell a set number of “shares” of the produce that will be available during the upcoming season. Consumers buy into these shares in advance with the promise of receiving a portion of the crops directly from the farm on a regular basis as they're freshly harvested.
This arrangement is mutually beneficial to the farmer as well as the now “shareholder” (or more commonly termed “CSA member”). The farmer earns important early-season income to purchase the seeds and supplies necessary to start off the season. The CSA member enjoys overall lower food costs usually at a value exceeding the initial purchase price of the share, receives field-fresh produce picked at the height of ripeness, and gains important knowledge about where and how their food is being grown. They can see their food being grown right before their eyes. A vital community of supporters is created and nurtured around their local farm.
Another aspect of the CSA, beyond enjoying the benefits, is assuming the shared risk of farming. If the crops are abundant during the season, the members enjoy the bounty. However, if the growing season is such that the broccoli is eaten by moths or the zucchini just won’t grow, the shareholder will see a smaller amount of produce in their share. Most CSA farms grow a wide variety of produce so even if some crops don’t grow as well during a given season, some of their other vegetables will thrive instead. Working with a CSA farmer not only gives their members the chance to eat seasonally but also a chance to understand how their small farm works. Together farmer and consumer are putting the local back into local food.
Check out this graphic here to see a CSA in action.
What comes in a CSA share?
CSA shares are filled with a variety of vegetables that vary in type depending on the time and conditions of the growing season. For example, at the start of the season on our farm, your bucket will contain a head of lettuce along with other types of greens (ex. mesclun mix, spinach, or kale) and maybe a kohlrabi or box of snap peas. August will bring with it tomatoes, green beans, sweet corn, bell peppers, eggplant, onions, and potatoes in abundance. The season will end in October with vegetables such as winter squash, beets, brussels sprouts, and pie pumpkins.
We grow over 60 varieties of vegetables as well as watermelon, pumpkins, ornamental corn, gourds, and popcorn kernels. We also start our season out by growing and selling beautiful hanging baskets, potted plants, and bedding flowers. There is definitely something for everyone here at the Farmstead! To see a full list of the vegetables we are growing this season, check out our Farm FAQs here.
Most of the time, you will recognize the produce items in your share. However, don’t be surprised if there is a time or two when a “new to you” vegetable finds its way in (like that kohlrabi I mentioned earlier) that forces you to stretch and try a new recipe in order to eat it, but that is part of the fun! Joining a CSA is a culinary adventure; one best started with the expectation that you and your family will be offered the chance to try new foods.
How often do I get a share? When do the veggies begin?
All full season shares are distributed from the farm (or one of our pick-up locations) on a weekly basis for an 18-week season starting in mid-June and continuing into October. Summer shares start at the end of July and continue for the 6 weeks ending with Labor Day.
How many shares do you offer?
We have 150 shares available for the 2022 growing season. They are divided among the Farmstead Share, the Harvest Share, and the Basics Share and filled on a first come, first served basis. We are also offering 25 Summer Shares to our seasonal area residents.
Do you grow everything that comes in my bucket?
We grow all of the delicious, farm-fresh vegetables in your bucket with the exception of the sweet corn. The Walworth County area produces some of the best sweet corn around and we want to take advantage of that fact. It is our goal for every vegetable in your share to be at the peak of ripeness and absolutely delicious!
How will I know what is in my bucket each week? How will I know what to do with the veggies you give me?
Each Monday morning, we will email you the contents of your bucket for that week along with your newsletter. We will also include information about how to use and store the vegetables that you might be unfamiliar with. We will also post a short video each Tuesday afternoon in our CSA Member facebook group showing you the produce that will be in the buckets, identifying each vegetable, and give additional use and storage tips.
I’ve never joined a CSA before, which share should I pick?
This is a decision only you can make! If you have a larger family and absolutely love vegetables, the Farmstead Share is sized for you. If you are a smaller family or not sure how many vegetables you can actually consume in a week, give the Harvest Share a try this season. If you know you like vegetables but only want to have the staples, the Basics Bucket Share is a great choice. To compare our share sizes side by side, you can use this handy graphic: (click to view) Which Bucket Size Should I Choose?
Can I split my share with someone else?
This can be a great option to explore if you are concerned about being able to consume all of your vegetables each week. You can either split the produce with each other weekly or alternate weeks of farm pick-up between the two of you. We ask that the payment is made in full by a single person (for the ease of our bookkeeping). We will only be able to provide your share in a single bucket (we cannot pre-split it for you) but would be happy to put more than one name on the pick-up calendar.
Can I cancel my share if I need to?
We appreciate your willingness to give our Farmstead Veggie Bucket CSA shares a chance! We certainly hope that your produce experience here is beyond your expectations. But if you feel things are off to a rocky start, please let us know. If there is any way we can help, we will. Just give yourself a chance to find your routine during the first 6 weeks. We bet you will find your way to better eating with seasonal produce and that you are glad you gave our CSA a try.
However, we understand that sometimes these things don’t work out. If you need to cancel your share after the first 6 weeks of the season for any reason, we will refund the balance of your share on a pro-rated basis minus a cancellation fee of $50. When you sign up for a share, we invest the income into the seeds, labor, and equipment necessary to grow your veggies for you. This is why we have a cancellation fee. To avoid this fee, we recommend trying to find someone to take over your share. We are happy to transfer your share over to a new person and allow them to pick up right where you left off.
What if I go on vacation and have to miss my bucket pick-up? Can I pick it up another time?
Yes. If you are going to be on vacation, you can switch your pick up site. You must give us 5 days notice so we can make the necessary changes to our packing system. Another popular solution many of our members use is to have a friend pick up the bucket for the week.
What happens if I forget or miss my bucket pick-up? Can I get it later?
As for what happens if you “miss” your bucket?… It depends. If you are able to reach us via text prior to the site closing, we can hold your products and take them back to our farm, where we will hold them for 24 hours. (You will have to pick them up on the farm the next day.) If you fail to contact us before we close the site, your bucket will be donated to a food pantry or family in need. So give us a call if you missed the window. You might be lucky! We do not credit your account if you miss a pick-up.
Can I send someone else to pick up my bucket if I cannot be there?
Yes! If you cannot pick up your share yourself, simply send a substitute! All they have to do is give us your name. However, your substitute will not be allowed to take home your red bucket – just the produce inside. So tell them to bring some bags to transfer the produce into.
How do I pay for my share?
We can accept credit card payments as well as cash and local checks for the purchase of your CSA share. Credit card sales will be processed through our online store at the time of ordering. Cash and check payments can be mailed directly to us and will be cashed upon receipt. Please fill out the paper form (found here) and send it along with your payment to our mailing address.
All share purchases need to be paid in full up front on a first come, first served basis. If you need to make alternate payment arrangements, please contact us directly.
Can I pay with my WIC or EBT funds?
The WIC program is for use at farm markets such as ours but not for CSA share purposes. The EBT (Food Stamp) system does allow for the purchase of CSA shares. However, the EBT regulations dictate an alternate payment schedule be followed for the purchase of your share. Please contact us directly if you are interested in paying for your share with your EBT food benefits. We will gladly work with you to facilitate this process.
Can I visit the farm?
The farm is open to the public during posted seasonal hours several days a week and you are more than welcome to stop by at any point during that time. You will be able to shop in our farm store for produce and other locally produced items as well as have a look out into the field to see all the happenings.
CSA members will have exclusive access to special farm tours and behind-the-scenes events throughout the season that are not open to the general public.
We will also be scheduling farm tours that will be open to the public as the season progresses so you can bring your friends and family out to see what our farm is all about.
Do you offer farm events?
Yes, we do offer on-farm events many of which are only available to CSA members as an added free benefit to your commitment to the success of our farm through the purchase of your share. It’s our way of saying thanks!
CSA members will be provided with a schedule of the season’s events at the start of share pick-up. These events may include: pesto or salsa night, summer scavenger hunt, pumpkin painting, as well as potato and popcorn harvest nights.
We have plans to host at least one Farm-to-Table dinner later in the season. Tickets for this event will be available for purchase to CSA members and their families before they are offered to the public.
We also will schedule a few events that are open to the public. We would love to have everyone out to the farm!
What makes your CSA different from other farms?
We have sized our CSA shares with your family's eating habits in mind. One of the most common concerns of CSA customers across the country is that they are provided too much food in their share and it ends up in the compost pile. We do not want that to happen! We want you to eat all of your fresh veggies and not have any leftovers.
It is important to us that you are able to use or store all of the food you receive and that none goes to waste. Therefore, we have made a very conscious effort to address this issue. We have designed our shares to provide you with the amount of produce you can actually consume on a weekly basis without too much effort. We also offer a variety of different types of share choices allowing you to choose the one that best suits the size of your family as well as your eating habits. We will always provide you with recipe suggestions as well as storing/freezing/canning tips in order to preserve any produce you need to as the season progresses and the harvest becomes more plentiful. As an added benefit to this purposeful sizing of our portions, the produce shares we sell are available at a more affordable price than a lot of our competitors.
We want to make a difference in our community.
Another, and perhaps more important, difference about our farm is our mission to feed those in our community that are in need of food. The hunger statistics are higher than you might think. Did you know that almost 50% of the school children in Walworth County come from families struggling to have enough to eat on a daily basis? That is just too many!
We are passionate about doing something about it. And since here on the Farmstead we grow food for a living, it is important for us to share what we have with others; not only to donate the extra but rather to intentionally grow our produce for this purpose.
How are you keeping me safe during COVID-19?
Your safety and the safety of our crew is of paramount importance. We are committed to exercising the utmost in food handling safety. The red buckets are washed and sanitized every week prior to repacking with fresh veggies. We are fully vaccinated and will wear masks as it is necessary.
We think that just about covers it. And then some...
each week of your Veggie Bucket CSA, you will get: The freshest produce.
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