Cucumbers coming soon! Next week we will have the first flush of cucumbers from our greenhouse! This week we have many of the same products as last, but greens are much more limited (sorry! we need some warmer weather). We have added teff crackers and a few cheeses from Carmela's (if you are a customer at the market at Western Fair you would probably know of Carmela).
Given the much larger audience of people who have signed up for farmstand because of the current situation at markets and stores right now, I want to take this time to explain to everyone who we are and what our plans are for the season. Please take a minute to read through this description, especially if you are a new customer of Common Ground Farm:
What is a "farmstand" order?
This is the type of grocery order that you have been doing for 3 weeks now and will be the same this week. Our order system was originally designed for a CSA farm share (see below), so that is why it is a bit weird in how it works. Normally, these farmstand orders are only offered if there is a surplus of veggies available for us to harvest after we have given enough to our CSA subscribers. But in light of the current situation, we are using these orders to sell everything we grow, as well as other products we've brought in to make delivery worth it for everyone. The idea of "share" doesn't really make sense here so I set the value low enough ($6) so that you can order whatever you want and the $6 goes towards what you order.
What is a CSA share or weekly veggie box?
This is something we have been doing for the past 6 years alongside selling our veggies at the Market at Western Fair District and the Horton Farmers market. In a CSA share program, customers sign up to receive a set value of veggies from us through the summer and fall each week, or bi-weekly. In exchange for putting a deposit down and committing to a certain number of weeks, we prioritize our veggies and products for CSA members and make sure they get the first choice. Some crops are only grown in smaller amounts and are generally only offered through the CSA (occasionally at market if we have a bumper crop). We also include products from other farms when we don't grow them or value-added products like bread, honey, syrup, etc.
This year our first CSA shares begin the week of May 28th. If you haven't yet but want to signup, see this link.
What happens to farmstand customers once the CSA starts?
Last year we used the "farmstand" ordering system to offer extra veggies in the summer to people who had not yet signed up for the CSA or who didn't want to commit. This year, if our markets do not open (or if they open later than usual) we expect that we will have a lot more to offer in product in farmstand orders even once our CSA starts.
What is the difference then, between a CSA order and a farmstand order after May 28th?
All of our CSA customers will have their orders filled first before anything is offered to farmstand orders. This means when things are in short supply (especially when they first start production) they may not be available for farmstand orders. We have limited the number of CSA orders to be sure we can give a wide variety of veggies to all members. But, given that we sell around 50% of our veggies normally at the market, I expect our farmstand customers will still have a lot to choose from. So, although I encourage you to signup for the regular season CSA (It really helps us know we've sold enough and with our crop planning!), if you cannot commit for whatever reason, you will still have the opportunity to buy great stuff from us!
You say the CSA shares start May 28th, but I just signed up and it tells me my first share is July!
We have a limited number of spaces from May until July to be sure we have enough variety and quantity. We currently have plenty of CSA spots for July through December, although shares are selling fast. We expect to be sold out in May so if you are still considering it, you should act soon.
I hope that has helped clear things up! I apologize again if I haven't been super responsive the last couple of weeks. We are a small farm crew and I am the main customer support contact as well as the farm manager and I can sometimes feel stretched to respond well to everyone.
Chris
Common Ground Farm
