Heavens Harvest Farm CSA policy and agreement

 

Heavens Harvest Farm is dedicated to the Community Supported Agriculture model of providing food directly from farm to consumer.
 
We are dedicated to the preservation of all the resources granted to us by our creator. As such, we will always grow our produce as certified organic, utilizing the best in sustainable practices. This will enable future generations to have access to high-quality produce grown in healthy soul, in order to nourish their whole person.
 
You the member are agreeing to participate in Heavens Harvest Farm’s CSA for the duration of the season you are presently signing up for. As part of this agreement, the farm will supply a weekly portion of produce based upon the members request in the form of a small, medium, or large share. Also, if applicable a ½ or full dozen egg share. The member shall pay for their share in full using the several payment options offered by Heavens Harvest Farm.

Shares

Each share will contain a variety of vegetables (in season) portioned by the farm, corresponding to the size share purchased. All produce originating from Heavens Harvest Farm and its partner farms will be grown in accordance with the USDA Organic guidelines. The only exceptions will be produce grown in a responsible and conscientious way by partner farms known to Heavens Harvest Farm personally. These items are grown using IPM methods ( Integrated Pest Management ). IPM means that produce is not relegated to a calculated spray schedule for disease and pests, but rather a spray only as-needed basis. These items (mostly fruit ) will be appropriately noted each week in the farm newsletter as required by the guidelines set forth by the USDA. We highly trust these items with our own family members and children. The shares will be delivered weekly to the site of the member’s choice and the delivery day and time will be determined by the farm before the start of each season. Anyone that signs up after the start of the season will receive a pro-rated share price based on the weeks left in the season.

 

Sign up and Payment

All members joining Heavens Harvest Farm’s CSA will be directed to Farmigo. This intermediary website hosts all of Heaven Harvest Farm’s member information. Each member will establish their own Heavens Harvest Farm account with Farmigo and proceed to ordering their share, choosing a site location, applying payment and entering any applicable information regarding their membership. Farmigo is a well respected company using secure forms of payment through authorize.net. All information contained therein is secure through Farmigo. This method of sign up enables Heavens Harvest Farm to focus more attention on providing each member with the healthiest produce available rather than spending too many hours sifting through paperwork. It also gives us the ability to keep track of payments and payment schedules with greater ease and accuracy.

 

Member

By joining the Heavens Harvest Farm CSA, each member agrees to participate in the promotion of locally grown, sustainable and USDA  certified Organic agriculture. It is the farms intent to offer reasonable prices for all shares by selling direct from the farm to the consumer. By participating in the farms CSA, and providing payment for their share, the member enables Heavens Harvest Farm to begin each season with sufficient funds. All farms use a large portion of their income in the first two months of the growing season for operational needs. Heavens Harvest Farm appreciates full payment for the members share upon initial sign up. However, we understand that not everyone is able to do that, so we are willing to accept alternative payment schedules as provided by HHF and organized by the Farmigo system.
 
The member agrees to recognize the possibility that the farm is suspect to changing weather patterns and the variability of the environment. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have lost large and/or entire portions of valuable crops. In the case of these unfortunate problems, the farm will make all attempts to continue to supply the member with a variety of quality produce. More importantly, with a successful harvest the member recognizes that he/she will receive all of that season’s bounty from the farm.
 
In the event that the farm misses a share delivery to a member, we ask that the member promptly notify us so that we may work out an appropriate compensation. If the member is to miss a delivery and cannot pick it up we ask that the member have someone of their choosing pick up the share in their stead. We also offer to double up shares for weeks that members have vacations scheduled provided we receive ample advanced notification. If no options have been discussed with the farm, the  site host has the option to donate the share to someone in need.
 
All shares are harvested and packed as close to the delivery date as possible. In most cases the contents of the share are harvested the day before delivery. All produce is kept in a walk-in cooler until delivery, so the items' field heat can be brought down to an appropriate temperature. The majority of the produce in each share is grown at Heavens Harvest Farm. It is USDA-certified organic by Baystate Organic Certifiers. Heavens Harvest Farm is not only committed to the healthiest produce possible, but also to minimize wasting produce through lack of use or environmental issues beyond our control. Commonly, about 45% of all produce grown for supermarkets is culled as waste due to minor blemishes. Each member should be aware that Heavens Harvest Farm is constantly seeking a balance between quality produce and eliminating unnecessary waste. It is our hope that we can attain both of these goals through a careful and thoughtful approach to our produce selection.
 
Heavens Harvest Farm welcomes any constructive thoughts or comments from its members so that we may continue to increase the quality and availability of our produce.
 
Thank you for joining with us and supporting locally sustained agriculture and Heavens Harvest Farm.