CSA Frequently Asked Questons

We offer two CSA size options. Our Farm Size option will supply four to five people with a week of fresh produce and we include anywhere from 10 to 14 different items. Our Farm Light Size option will supply two to three people with a week of fresh produce and we include anywhere from 8 to 12 different items.

We offer two CSA participation options; the Market Option and the Traditional Option. Under the Traditional Option the farm selects that week’s offerings and other than items listed as choice options or items available at the Swap Table there are no available substitutions. The Market Option is a more flexible option as you select, from our available list the items you want and the quantities you want them in, to be included in that week’s CSA box. The only requirement for the Market Option is that you spend a minimum of $27 each time you order. Regardless of the participation option you select there is no weekly commitment and you can alternate between options as you desire. Some weeks, particularly during the long summer, it may be easier to select the Traditional Option. We suggest that anyone new to a CSA consider either our Market Option, opt for the Farm Light size or consider the Farm Size Traditional Option with a family member, friend or neighbor.

Since we plan on offering CSA memberships throughout the year to better match when we grow and more importantly when we harvest, we have the following seasonal CSA programs available to join:

• Spring CSA (commencing in 2023) generally begins mid-March and runs for 10 weeks through the end of May. The weekly cost is $20 and we only offer the Farm Light size. The Spring CSA will have some good choices but nonetheless will have the least variety of produce from which to select your CSA size option. We ask that anyone interested in enrolling in the Spring CSA do so by March 1^st
• Summer CSA generally begins early June and runs for 20 weeks through mid October. The weekly cost is $27 for the Farm Size and $20 for the Farm Light size. The Summer CSA will have the greatest variety of produce from which to select your CSA size option. We ask that anyone interested in enrolling in the Summer CSA do so by May 15^th
• Autumn CSA (now enrolling for Oct 2022) generally begins mid-October and runs for 11 weeks through the end of December. The weekly cost for the Farm Size is $27 and $20 for the Farm Light size. We generally have many of the same items available as in the Summer CSA. We ask that anyone interested in enrolling in the Autumn CSA do so by October 20th

Each CSA member will also enjoy a 10% CSA member discount against any purchase made in the Farm Market (excluding live goods like plants) on their pick-up day. This includes any items purchased through the online market when you are placing your CSA order. CSA members also have access to our on-line recipe database “Cook with What You Have”. (Link to website login)

In a simple word, none. You can order when you want and as many or as few times you want. Obviously the more active your participation, the more valuable your CSA member discount becomes.

Each week we will email each CSA member the list of available produce and those items to be included in the Farm and Farm Light size options for the Traditional Option for the week by Sunday at 6PM. You then must log-in to the CSA Member Portal and place your order. CSA orders must be in by Tuesday by 3PM. We cannot take orders after Tuesday at 3PM as there is simply no time to fill them.

Pickups are on Wednesday from 2PM to 6PM.

We select the fruits, herbs and vegetables that make up our Traditional CSA offerings based upon crop availability, peak freshness, customer demand, experience and surveying customer preference. We have learned which of these our customers prefer more frequently and those that they prefer less frequently. Generally speaking, you will find our weekly offerings to be an excellent representation of the crops we are harvesting at that point in our season.

We also have some general guidelines that we follow in designing our weekly offerings included in the Traditional Option

• We include herbs every week
• We include lettuce and greens every week
• Items we include frequently: tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, summer squash/zucchini, onions, fruit whenever available
• Items we include a lot but less frequently: garlic, root vegetables (beets, radishes, turnips) peas (snow or snap), beans, cole crops (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), eggplant, melons, Swiss chard, kale, arugula, spinach, cherry tomatoes
• Items we include occasionally: fennel, hot peppers, tomatillos, husk cherries, kohlrabi, celery, celery root, garlic scapes, sweet corn, new potatoes, micro-greens
• Winter items: pumpkin, butternut squash, winter squash onions, parsnips, carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, garlic, lettuce, Asian greens, spinach, arugula, micro greens, ginger, turmeric

In the future we plan on creating meat, fish, dairy, eggs and cut flower CSA options.

Each week we will have fresh items on our Swap Table. If you see something you do not like in your weekly CSA box you can swap it for something you may like at our Swap Table.

You are also free to add anything we have available in the farm market to your weekly CSA. Our online system has real-time availability. For example, if you want us to add olive oil, vinegar, baked items, cheese, jam, crackers etc. we will gladly package this for you and have it ready along with your CSA share.

If you are interested in becoming a Sweet Hill Farm CSA Member, sign up in the right sidebar or stop by the farm to join.