Community Supported Agriculture
Serving Madison & Hamilton Counties and East Central Indiana
Q: What is CSA? Q: What is a CSA member and what do I get for becoming a member? A: CSA members of Mission Berry Farms are ‘investors’ with our farm for the season and pay for a share of our harvest. It is a way for you to become acquainted with the food you eat and come to know that it is grown organically with care. It allows you some piece of mind knowing that it is grown locally instead of across the boarder or in several time zones away. Q: How much money can I save by buying from a local CSA versus buying produce at the grocery? A: We think lots! But, don’t take our word for it. Check out the statistics from the More information on how you will save money by joining a CSA: Q: Should I get a half membership or a full membership? A: Yes, you may split a full membership between two or more households. If you split a membership one member must pick up the entire share at one time at the pick-up site each week. You can plan to meet your membership partner at the farm (or carpool if you like) to pick up your produce; or you can alternate weeks with your share partner if that is more convenient. Just let us know what name should be on the box as we will keep that consistent each week. Q: How do I get my produce? A: You will need to pickup your produce at our farm. Saturdays from 8AM to 12:00 Noon. Your produce will be in a box with your name written on the box. All produce that is not collected by 12 PM Saturday will be processed, eaten by my large hungry family, donated to the neighbors, or sadly thrown out. :-(
A: Please let us know via email or phone or please make arrangements for a friend or family member to receive your weekly share. Another option: Make arrangements with us or a friend or family member to pick up your share or maybe deliver it to a local food shelter. A: We encourage you to share the harvest and make arrangements with friends or family to pick up your produce while you are gone. You do not need to let us know that someone else will be picking up your share; just make sure that whoever will pick up your share signs out under your name. (It is a good idea to have them read this FAQ if they are not familiar with our farm.) A: Most vegetables are picked and made available to our members in a pick-up area of our farm. A few crops, such as peas, beans and cherry tomatoes, must be picked by shareholders themselves. When you get to the farm, please check the Pick-Your-Own bulletin board for a list of pick-your-own crops and amounts per member that may be harvested. If you are unsure, please ask us for any questions about finding or harvesting pick-your-own crops. We’ll try to guide you to the right picking spots with our garden signs. The farm is open for CSA members to pick-your-own from June 10 through the first Saturday in October during daylight hours only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Q: Can I work for my vegetables? A: We will offer a limited number of work shares or work memberships each season. Work Members will agree to work a certain number of hours in exchange for PYO (pick-your-own) produce. Please write and email or call to discuss. Q: Can I tour the farm before I become a member? A: Absolutely! We encourage it. Come to a CSA orientation the first Saturday in June for a tour of the farm and a run-through of how pick up works. Orientations are great opportunities for new members to tour the farm and ask questions before the harvest begins. Q: Can I or my group or family volunteer? A: You bet! We encourage both individuals and groups to come help out on the farm. All children must have adult supervision. Also know that at this time there are no public restroom facilities.
A: Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Members or "share-holders" of a CSA pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.
A: We recommend that you get a full membership if you are a family of four (4) or more, or if you plan to use some of the produce for food storage or share it with family or friends. We're glad to share any information on how to preserve some of our goodies and we'll sometimes include some recipe ideas in your weekly box as well. A half membership should be perfect for a single person or a family smaller than four (4).
Q: Can I split a full membership?
Q: Can I select what I want each week?
A: To ensure freshness we only provide local, in-season produce. We will do our best to learn and remember your preferences and make sure your CSA sack runneth over. Perhaps in the future we will be able to have you interact more with us online through our website.
Q: What happens to my share if I go on vacation?
Q: Can CSA shareholders pick their own vegetables?
For more information, Please email Farmer Dave at farmerdave@missionberryfarms.com