Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct relationship between farmer and eater with a philosophy based on mutual respect between the two. In order for the CSA to run smoothly it is important for both parties to understand and adhere to a set of guidelines which are outlined below.
We are currently using a web-based software program called Farmigo for our members to sign-up for the CSA and manage their own accounts. This program was designed specifically for farmers to help better manage their CSA programs.
CSA Options
This year we will be offering the 18 week (full share) weekly pick-up program, a 9 week (half share) bi-weekly pick up program, and a fall CSA share consisting of 4 bi-weekly pickups through November and December.
The cost of these programs are as follows:
Full CSA Program - 18 deliveries - $580 - Paid in full or installments*
Half CSA Program - 9 deliveries - $315- Paid in full or installments*
Fall CSA Program - 4 deliveries - $150- Paid in full or installments*
* First installment is due at time of sign-up and final installment must be dated no later than July 1st.
Save when purchasing a summer and fall CSA together before June 30th!
Combo Summer and Fall CSA
$720 for full summer and fall CSA (save $10)
$460 for bi-weekly and fall CSA (save $5)
Payment Information
You may choose to make a payment online through PayPal, e-transfer, or by mailing us a check. Your online Farmigo account will send you payment confirmation and allow you to view your payment status.
CSA Season Start Date
The projected 1st delivery date of the CSA program is Wednesday June 21st or Thursday the 22nd depending on your pick-up location. This date is subject to change due to weather as we want to ensure that we have a diversity of veggies available for the start of the CSA program. If the CSA starts earlier or later, the duration of the season will remain at 18 weeks and the end date will be adjusted accordingly. This should not impact the Fall CSA season dates.
Bi-weekly CSA members may receive their 1st CSA share starting on June 21st/28th (22nd/29th depending on their pick-up location). We stagger the start dates of our bi-weekly CSA members in order for us to have a consistent amount of veggies to harvest each week.
Through "Farmigo," CSA members will be allowed to "take a vacation" from their CSA pick-up as long as it is established two days prior to the pick-up date. This can be done through your Farmigo account. When a member chooses this option, they will receive credit for that weeks share in their online store account. They can than use that credit to purchase veggies at anytime though the season. Full CSA members are allowed two vacations and Half CSA members one vacation each season.On occasion, additional vacations can be granted and are at the discretion of the CSA administrator.
If a member does not pick up their veggies and has not selected the vacation/delivery hold option or notified us otherwise, there share will go back to the farm and will be available to pick-up there anytime during normal business hours. On Sunday, all leftover shares will be taken to the Memorial Centre Farmers market where they will be available for pick-up until 2:00, at which point they will be donated to Lovin Spoonful. Another option would be to have a friend or family member receive that week's veggies. There is no need to notify us if that is the plan; however, please forward to them that week's newsletter containing information regarding the veggies they will receive.
Thank you for joining the CSA and making a commitment to the farm. The CSA is the main focus of the farm. CSA shares always get priority for available vegetables as soon as there is enough of a crop for all of the shares. This means that as soon as you sign up, we are planning and growing your share. In this model, refunds don’t really work because as soon as you sign up, we consider your share in what we are growing and start allocating a portion of the harvests to your shares. There is a lot of coordination on the backend, like conducting a symphony to make it all work. We offer the makeup shares as a handy convenience, however, the vegetables are there ready to go every week because that’s our commitment to you.
We will continue to send out a weekly e-mail newsletter with information regarding what veggies you will receive that week, any farm news and recipes. An automated e-mail will be sent to you to remind you of your veggie pick-up on the morning of the pick-up day.
It is important that you read the news sent to you as it may contain important information about your pick-up, however if you do not want the automated reminders, this feature can be turned off.
Please enter csa@rootsdown.ca in to your email contacts so that our messages to you do not get stuck in your junk mail filter.
Sign up for our 2023 CSA Program and receive a weekly box of fresh, organic vegetables throughout the season.
