Payment

 

Why do we have to pay the full season so early?

By becoming a CSA member, you are essentially investing in a farm’s planting season and harvest. Most of CSA membership fees are used by the farm before the harvest season even begins. Money is used for buying seed, compost, potting supplies, equipment and paying employee wages. Having this investment early helps a farm grow and plan for a successful year.

 

What if I can’t afford to pay the season in full all at once?

We definitely want to provide vegetables to anyone who wants to become a CSA member. If you cannot afford to pay for whole season at once, we do offer a monthly payment plan.

 

Shares and vegetables

 

What if I feel that my share is too big?

Some individuals who find that a share may be too many vegetables for them opt to split a share with another person, sharing the vegetables and the cost. We also offer the bi-weekly share, where you get the same $37 box of vegetables every other week.

 

What can I do with the vegetables I don’t like in my box?

If you encounter vegetables you’ve never used before (the joys of CSA boxes!), you can try out new recipes and broaden your palates. Each week, you will get a newsletter with information about your vegetables and recipes and tips. You may also give away vegetables to friends, relatives and neighbors.

 

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What kind of preparation do I have to do before eating my vegetables?

During the harvest process, we sort through our vegetables and make sure to include only the best ones for our customers. Some vegetables may get rinsed before being put in your box. However, we do not sell our vegetables as “washed and ready to eat.” Some vegetables have a better shelf life if we don’t wash them at all. Please be prepared to wash your vegetables before using them.

 

What happens if a crop fails?

Sometimes we lose crops because of weather or pests. Things can be very uncertain for farmers because we are at the whim of Mother Nature. Because of this we cannot guarantee that all of the crops we intend to grow will end up in your boxes at some point. We will always replace a crop failure with a different crop in your boxes.

 

Pick-up

 

Do I have to live in Sandy or Gresham to be a CSA member?

You do not have to live in Sandy or Gresham to participate in our CSA. However, our pick-up spots will only be located in Sandy or Gresham. If you can commit to weekly pick-ups in Sandy or Gresham then you are welcome to join our CSA program.

 

What if there is a week that I can’t pick up my box?

You are always welcome to send someone to pick up your box for you if you are unable to make your pick up time.

You can also change your pickup location for the week, if you change it at least 5 days before your next pickup. Example: you normally pickup at Gresham but that Saturday you are busy and would like to change your pickup to the farm on Wednesday. 

 

Other

 

Can I stop my membership or get a refund mid-season?

We cannot cancel memberships or give refunds mid-season. The reason for that is that your membership supports our growing season. Most or all of the money you invest in our CSA is spent by the beginning of the season. By buying your vegetables through a CSA instead of through a grocery store, you establish a relationship with your farmer and where your vegetables come from. The investment is for the entire season. If something comes up where you cannot finish the season with us, you are always free to transfer the remainder of your shares to another individual after notifying us first.  

 

Will there be any volunteering or u-pick opportunities on the farm?

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we are not hosting any types of events on our farm besides our carefully organized CSA pumpkin patch day. 

 

Why join your CSA rather than buy my vegetables at the farmers market or grocery store?

1) The most important reason is that you are doing a huge service in supporting a local farm. For farmers, farmers markets are like gambling. We pick what we think will sell and depending on the weather, events and a million other factors, we usually don't sell out and have to bring home produce which we donate to the hungry, feed our chickens with or make processed goods. By becoming a CSA member, you take the guesswork out of the farming and we get income we can count on, which helps us stay in business.  

2) You are our best customers! Because you have kindly invested in our farm for a whole season, we will treat you like royalty! You get the most beautiful vegetables and our best crops in your boxes. Some of the vegetables we grow just for our members. Our second best vegetables or excess crops will go to market, after we have treated our members to the cream of the crop.

3) You save money because each box has about a $40+ value but you only pay $37 per box. So over the season, you can save a lot of money.

4) You connect with the person growing your food. Now you won't have to buy vegetables that came from across state lines or even across countries. Your vegetables will be grown right in Sandy by one farmer using better than organic practices. We don't use organic pesticides (yes these do exist and "Big Organic" does use them). We don't use plastic mulches that go into landfills (another common practice by "Big Organic"). We have an artesian well with some of the cleanest water on earth that irrigates our crops (instead of the nasty irrigation water that some of the flatland farms have to resort to using). 

5) You get to experiment with new vegetables (or maybe not, if you are already a vegetable connoisseur). We provide a weekly newsletter with all your vegetables that will have tips, recipes and information about your vegetables. 

 

Any other questions? E-mail Marieta at sliceofheavenfarm@gmail.com