Our CSA Program

What is a CSA

Community Supported Agriculture is a method of direct food distribution from the farmer to the consumer that benefits both parties. The farmer knows exactly where his market is for the season or year and the consumer gets very high quality, fresh and nutrient-dense produce delivered to their door or a pickup point at a fair price. This relationship helps recreate the urban to rural connection that has been lost with the industrialization of our food supply. Additionally, you will know exactly where your produce comes from and how it was grown, alleviating the concern that you may have about the quality and safety of your vegetables. Perhaps equally important; your truly farm-fresh produce will taste like vegetables should, not like the tasteless fair you get at the local grocery store. So how does a CSA work?

How Our Program Works

Step 1

The first deliveries for our CSA will begin in the first week or two of April. We will limit the first round of shares to 100 members. As we increase the production on the farm we'll gradually phase in additional shares. Shares will be available on a first come, first served basis. If we are at our limit on the number of shares we are offering we can put you on a waiting list.

Step 2     CHOOSE A TYPE OF FARM SHARE

For our 2008 season you purchase shares in 10 week increments at a cost of $300 per 10 weeks and that guarantees you a weekly box fresh, just-picked, IN-SEASON produce. We have begun a new way for our customers that allow you to purchase your shares in season cycles. Your produce can be picked at several convenient pick-up sites in Austin and Bastrop. We will be growing vegetables all year long but our delivery season will run from between forty and fifty weeks of the year with a break in deliveries during the hot months of August and September.

Step 3     SIGN UP!

Fill out the following Membership Application. We’ll put you on our list and let you know as soon as possible if we have openings in our CSA program.

Thank you for your interest in Walnut Creek Organic Farm and for joining the Good Food Movement. Over the course of spring we’ll be having some farm field days so you can visit YOUR FARM, the one that will growing the fresh, nutritious food for YOUR TABLE !!!

   
   

Membership

You can also think of a CSA as subscription farming. By subscribing to become a member of our CSA you will receive a share, or box of produce once a week during the growing season in exchange for a predetermined amount of money. We will be growing vegetables all year long but our delivery season will run from between forty and fifty weeks of the year with a break in deliveries during the hot months of August and September. On a certain day of each week we will deliver your box of vegetables to a predetermined drop site for you to stop by and pick up. In the future we'll be offering direct home delivery.

By becoming a member in our farm, you will share in the risk of farming. If we cannot provide food for our Member Share Boxes due to things beyond our control such as weather related events like hail storms or floods then you will still pay for that week and not receive your share. If, however, you do not receive your share due to negligence on our part then we would credit your account to receive a box during a future week. This is where the word "community' comes into play in Community Supported Agriculture. You can trust that at all times we will do everything in our power to make sure you receive your Member Share Box. For more on this, please see the CSA Welcome Letter, linked below.

Each weekly share will contain from six to ten different vegetables and will supply a family of four with their supply of produce for a week. We will also offer half-shares for single people or those that don’t consume much produce. The average cost of our organic produce will be comparable to what you would pay for conventional produce purchased at the grocery store. But our produce will be fresh, nutritious and taste like veggies should! There will be, as farming goes, times of greater varietal choice in what you will be receiving than at other times. The choice in what goes in the box is determined by what’s in-season and available for harvest on the farm. There is no choice, by the consumer, of what goes in the box. This is called ‘eating in season’. It would simply be over time-consuming to customize each box for each member. But I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised each week when you open your ‘present’ of good tasting, healthy and nutritious foods grown just for you. We will also include recipes to give you new ideas on how to prepare vegetables you know and those you’ve never tried! Ready to get started? Here’s how…