The Fine Print

What’s a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a concept by which a local community can support their local farmers by investing on a per season basis in that coming season’s production. In a typical farm, investment (capital, labor, etc.) typically occurs in the off season, before and during when crops are planted. The investments aren’t typically recouped until later on in the season after harvest and sale. The CSA model allows for a more stable and resilient financial position for the farmer, and the customer directly reaps those benefits with a more reliable and stable local food environment, increased value (through less waste), and peak food freshness and nutrition. The nutritional value of many produce decreases over time, along with its freshness. In this CSA, your vegetables are delivered to you within 24 hours of being in the ground. In a supermarket much of your produce has traveled thousands of miles, sometimes across continents and oceans. While this feat is amazing, how long ago was the produce harvested? We all know about the bag of spinach bought with good intentions that has turned to slime by the end of the weekend. You may be surprised to find a bag of Mockingbird Farmstead Salad Greens commonly lasting 2 weeks sealed in the refrigerator. Additionally, this freshness provides less waste as the freshest produce lasts the longest. The typical CSA model can also be thought of as a risk-sharing model. If the farm does well and finds great abundance, that immediately translates through to the customer with profusions of extra produce. When drought or disease strikes and the crops are lost, because that risk was shared with early investment from customers, the farm survives to grow another day as a local food fixture. In the past it was not always this way, and CSAs therefore are absolutely fundamental in growing and maintaining a flourishing local food culture.

What’s a Farmshare? How is it different from a CSA? I hear them used interchangeably, is there a difference?

I hear them used interchangeably too. And depending where you look you may find different definitions. In my specific context, a CSA is the name of the business model by which you purchase from my farm up front, before the growing seasons begin. You don’t buy a specific piece of produce or discrete items. You purchase a group of deliveries from my farm, and the goods the farm produces - a service. The produce you end up receiving in the end is your share of the farm’s production, your “Farmshare.” That’s how I mean it when I say it, and how I use it. But if you use them interchangeably I’m sure we’ll all understand each other.  

Do I have to be there to receive your delivery? Can you leave it at my doorstep, porch, garage, etc.?

I very much prefer to put your order directly into your hands. I believe that point of contact between us is an important facet and benefit of this business model. But as a husband and father of two small boys, I understand that life happens. I will leave your produce for you where you ask, within reason, agreed upon by both of us. I guarantee the condition and freshness of my produce when I deliver it. From my perspective, if I place it on your porch (or wherever), how long will it sit there before you can properly store it? And if it gets rained on? Or racoons, or deer? As of right now I’m happy to work with you on a case-by-case basis with the understanding that I will document where and when the produce is left for the delivery, and that my guarantee can only reasonably extend that far. I have placed produce in coolers for customers in the past. In those instances I do my best to work with that I am given, but again, my produce condition and freshness guarantee can only reasonably be expected to extend up to the time of delivery. Customers have informed me that their produce has remained fresh after sitting on their porch for more than 4 hours during summer months. Despite this, I still recommend proper storage and refrigeration of your produce immediately upon receipt for maximum freshness, longevity, and value. Reach out to me so we can try to work it out.

I received some lettuce and there’s worms on it! I’m not satisfied with this quality, what should I do?

First let me say, worms live in the ground. You’re talking about a caterpillar. But seriously I understand. Contact me immediately if you are dissatisfied with the quality of anything you’ve received. I will make it right - drop off a replacement, include additional produce in the next delivery - I will make it right. Second, I handle each and every piece of produce personally. I grow them from seed, harvest, wash, package, and deliver them to you. I don’t use conventional pesticides. I do use some organic pesticides and deterrents, but only when absolutely necessary and as a last resort. This means as part of a flourishing ecosystem, insects and bugs do cross paths with your produce. If they pose no immediate or long-term threat (perhaps for example, because the produce will be harvested before they can do any real damage), then my philosophy is to take no action - use no pesticide if it’s not warranted, even an organic one. The vast majority of pests are shaken off in harvesting, during transport to processing, or during processing and washing.The presence of living things on your food is a sign the produce is genuine, natural, and chemical free. Lastly, always wash your produce before you eat it. I go to great lengths to ensure you receive produce that is clean and ready to eat. Customers routinely comment at the level of freshness and cleanliness of the produce, and as such they feel no need for additional washing. While I am grateful that my hard work translates through to the finished product, I will say again - always wash all produce before you eat it.

What happens if something goes wrong on the farm and there’s no produce for delivery?

Week to week, some deliveries will be larger than others. I strive to provide consistency, but consistency and predictability are not always the nature of growing things. With a typical CSA, this is part of the shared risk aspect. We share in the abundance and in the struggle. For a typical CSA, the promise from the farm is to make a good faith effort to fulfill the terms of their agreement barring anything beyond the farm’s control. In a worst case scenario where production goes down for some unforeseen reason, money is not refunded by the terms of the agreement. Mockingbird Farmstead does not operate in this way at this time. I will make an effort to replace the value of the lost produce in one of the following three ways (and in the following order) before the end of the current growing season:

1. Additional produce over subsequent deliveries,

2. Adding an additional delivery and extending the length of the current season

3. A partial refund of a lost week’s delivery ($300/10 weeks = $30/lost week)

Because I have my finger on the growing pulse of the farm, the decision will necessarily be at my discretion. For your peace of mind, let me say now that I am absolutely committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure your satisfaction. My number one complaint has always been “what am I going to do with all this food?”.

I’m heading out of town or cannot receive my order for some other reason. Can you refund me the value of those missed deliveries?

In short, I can’t. Think of the farmshare you’re purchasing as season tickets to your favorite sports team. You pay up front and they promise to have seats for you at the stadium. Those seats are reserved there for you. If you have to head out of town (or simply cannot attend for some reason) the sports team will not refund your tickets for that missed game. The farmshare is a similar situation. I am offering you 10 weeks of produce. Many of the plants need to be sown 70-90 days before they are harvested, and I am growing according to my customer’s need. There is no extra produce in a walk-in cooler somewhere waiting for a sale. The food I grow and harvest for you is grown and harvested specifically for you, and for each of the customers in the program.

What happens if something truly critical happens and I have to drop out of the farmshare completely?

Well first let me say I hope it’s for some wonderful reason that’s nothing but good news. But in any case if something were to happen where you’d have to miss say, the remaining ⅔ of the farmshare season and need to drop out, please contact me immediately so I can work with you to come to a reasonable solution. I cannot offer a prorated refund at this time. The money from your Farmshare purchase is invested in the farm and its production when it is received. This production process involves planning months in advance - seedlings grown for weeks or months cannot be turned back into seed, ground cannot be un-worked, and produce cannot be un-harvested. It therefore cannot be simply divested. I will absolutely work with you, however. I understand things can happen, and one of the benefits of this specific farmshare and CSA is your direct access to me. So let’s talk about it and see if we can work it out.