FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Fruit and Vegetables CSA

1) Why is organic produce better?
Organic produce is grown without chemical inputs and so has no chemical residues. It is grown in healthy, living soil so it tastes better and is more nutritious.

2) What is meant by the words “sustainably grown” ?
Sustainably grown produce is raised using methods that will not deplete, compact, or add chemical residues to the soil. Rather, sustainable farming involves constant care and building of the soil with compost and other organic materials.

3) Why is it better to buy locally raised produce?
When you choose locally raised produce, you are not contributing to the economic and environmental costs incurred by cross country shipping and refrigeration. Your choice will also bring you benefits in the form of enhanced taste and nutrition, because you will be eating produce which is as fresh as you can obtain without growing it yourself .

4) What is an Heirloom vegetable or fruit?
Heirloom (sometimes called Heritage) vegetables or fruits are varieties of familiar plants which were developed years ago for home gardeners and small farmers. They were developed for superior qualities of taste and nutrition – not for shelf life and shipping long distances. Often these are also open pollinated varieties, which means they can be grown from seeds saved from last years crop.

5)If we join, when will we start receiving produce?
Our season is from early June through Thanksgiving.

6)What happens if a crop fails due to the weather?
We plant a great diversity of different crops suited to thrive in a wide variety of weather conditions. If a crop fails, others will succeed and thrive to fill your weekly basket.

7)What if we go on vacation?
You can arrange to have your share picked up by friends or relatives while you are gone. We will also supply information on safe methods of preserving your share until you return.

8)What if I don’t know how to prepare some of the produce I get?
We will supply recipes and other hints about how to best prepare, preserve, and use our produce. One of the benefits of membership will be to receive produce that you won’t see in grocery stores.