Waltham Fields Community Farm CSA Sign Up 2017

We are excited to announce that our 2017 CSA registration is now open!  

 Participating in a CSA is a commitment to the vagaries of farming on your part and to provide you with the best farm experience on our part.  Our hope is to create vital, meaningful and long-term relationships between shareholders and farmers.  Please take the time to read the information on this page thoroughly before signing up for the CSA.  This year, we're offering 20-week and 10-week vegetable shares, PYO flower shares and winter shares, all picked up on the farm.  We also offer you the opportunity to help a neighbor in need access the same fresh produce that you enjoy by contributing to our Food For All share, a tax deductible donation that subsidizes our food access programming.

By joining our CSA, you place your trust in our ability to grow delicious, high-quality vegetables over the course of an unpredictable season.  You have our pledge to work our hardest at doing what we do, with the goal of giving you a 110% return on your investment.

We look forward to seeing you again on the farm!

Warmly,

Erinn, Farm Manager, for the WFCF staff

2017 CSA Options (fuller descriptions below):

• 20-Week Summer Share and Organizational Membership, $730
• 10-Week Summer Share and Organizational Membership, SOLD OUT
• Food For All Contribution, $100
• PYO Flower Share, $100
• Winter Share, $200

2017 CSA Descriptions:

Summer Shares:

Shares include a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, distributed in our barn, where you are able to choose 6-9 crops out of an average of 14 options each week over the course of the season.  After weighing and packing your own vegetables, you can head to the fields to the pick-your-own, which includes snap peas, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, tomatillos, beans, herbs and more.  The season runs from early June through late October on the specified days and times (see below).  The summer share size gains momentum over the course of the season, ending with an overall average of 20 lbs per week.  Our delicious organic veggies are grown by us on 15 leased acres in Waltham and Weston and in partnership with Picadilly Farm in Winchester, NH.  We also work with other local farms to source potatoes and winter squash for your share.  

• Summer 20-Week Share: Pick up once a week, for 20 weeks.  Summer 20-Week shares are designed for one household of vegetable lovers; if you decide to split a share, each additional household needs to becomes a dues-paying member of our organization.  One household is already included in the CSA summer share price.  Please check out the information on splitting a share on our website for more important information; we do not maintain a list of people interested in splitting a share.
• Summer 10-Week Share: SOLD OUT This share is picked up every other week and is intended for a smaller household or those still learning the ropes on managing a "CSA kitchen".  During your pickup week, the crop selection and quantity is the same as our Summer 20 Week Share.  Keep in mind, though, that certain crops may be on the stand for only one week, and it may not land on your pickup week.  Before the start of the season, you will be assigned an "even" or "odd" pickup week.  You can come on any pickup day you choose during your week.  The first week of the CSA distribution (June 7) is "Week 1", making it an odd week; the second week is "Week 2", making it an even week, and so on and so forth.  You'll receive a bi-weekly CSA newsletter, which will serve as a reminder of when it's your week to pick up.  As with the 20-Week Share, if you are unable to come during your assigned week, we encourage you to send a friend instead.  We are unable to switch pick up weeks back and forth, but all unclaimed shares will be donated to our food access programs.  If you have a strong preference for an even or odd week, let us know in the "additional comments" section of the registration form and we will do our best to accommodate. 

Food For All Contribution:

Did you know that we offer half-priced CSA shares for those who can't quite swing the full price, but still want to eat healthy vegetables and support local farms?  We do!  We also provide the vegetables and staff for a special Outreach Market to serve low-income households during the growing season.  The Food For All community contribution  is your opportunity to help a neighbor in need.  Add this tax-deductible donation to your CSA share to maintain and grow our food access programming.  If you can afford to pay a little more, it directly helps households that cannot afford the price of organically grown vegetables.  Now is the time to help create the community you want to live in! If you're in need of a half-priced share, contact Erinn about eligibility and availability.  

Pick your Own Flower Share:

Beginning in mid-July, enjoy 10 weeks of flower picking and bouquet arranging on your own time.  Flower shares consist of a total of 30 stems--pick one large bouquet for a centerpiece or multiple poseys to place throughout your home. Flowers can be harvested any time during daylight hours. You'll receive an email notice the week that the flower shares begin and another notice during the final picking week.

Flower shares are a fantastic way for new folks to be involved in the farm, as they can be purchased without registering for a vegetable CSA.  This is a great treat for yourself or a unique gift and experience for someone special (10 weeks of flowers for Mother's Day?).  As we develop the flower program, we plan continued improvements from year to year (like implementing a drip irrigation system after the 2016 drought!) and hope that you enjoy the blooms as much as we do. 

Winter CSA Share:

Winter shares consist of all your fall favorites, including winter greens, cabbage, onions, leeks, carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes and other storage crops.  We also provide a selection of winter squash and potatoes from partnering local farms.  These shares are a delicious way to celebrate the late season harvest and offer a bountiful Thanksgiving feast!  Winter CSA shares are distributed on three Saturday afternoons in November and December, listed below.   Each winter share distribution averages about 35 pounds of produce and is much larger than a weekly summer share pickup. Coming prepared with lots of boxes, bags and extra time makes each pick up more enjoyable!

Due to seasonal conditions and storage limitations, we cannot meet requests for holding unclaimed shares.  Please make sure that you are able to pick up on the specified days before you sign up for a winter share!

Limited to 150, on a first-come, first-served basis.  Both primary shareholders and split-share partners can purchase their own winter shares, but please make a note of which household is purchasing the winter share on the registration form.

2017 CSA Pick Up Schedule:

Summer: June 7-October 21 with 3 pickup options per week

Shareholders are not assigned a pick up day; you have the flexibility each week to choose which day you come without notifying the farm.  You're welcome to send a friend if there are weeks when you can't make it; any shares not picked up will be donated to our food access programs.

• Wednesdays and Thursdays: 2pm-6:30pm
• Saturdays: 9am-2pm

CSA pick-your-own crops can be harvested any time during daylight hours from June 7 through October 21.  PYO is open to 10-week shareholders during their assigned pick up weeks.  There will be afternoons throughout the height of the summer that PYO will be closed for crop maintenance and management but we will do our best to notify shareholders beforehand.

Winter: 3 distributions total

• Saturday, November 4: 12pm-4pm
• Saturday, November 18: 12pm-4pm
• Saturday, December 2: 12pm-4pm

Payment Schedule and Shareholder Communications:

• A minimum deposit of $200 towards your total share purchases and membership is required.  If the minimum first payment is not possible for you, please contact us to arrange an alternate payment plan.  
• If you can pay in one installment, we encourage you to do so to keep our administrative costs low.
• Important credit card payment info: we are able to accept credit card payments only one time, via the registration link at the bottom of this page.  All later payments must be made by cash or check.
• Please make sure the name of the primary shareholder is on all payments for your share.  The primary shareholder is the "owner" of the share in our bookkeeping records.  Making sure this name is on all payments and correspondence related to your share helps us to credit your account accurately and keeps our administrative costs down too!
• Primary shareholders will receive an emailed invoice from us in early April with a confirmation of all share purchases and payments.  If you choose to pay in multiple installments, we will bill you for the remainder of your purchases at that time.  
• Final payment for all Summer and Flower shares is due by June 1.  Final payment for all winter shares is due by September 1.
• We require each household with a summer or winter CSA to purchase a $30 annual membership, which is tax-deductible and supports our non-profit hunger relief and education programs.  One membership is already included in the Summer CSA cost.  If splitting a share, each additional household must become a dues-paying member on the registration page.
• Important refund information: January 1-March 31--any refunds given will have a $30 administrative fee deducted.  April 1 and beyond--a refund is contingent upon our ability to sell your reserved share and a $30 administrative fee will be deducted.  We cannot guarantee a refund after April 1st.  All refunds are at the discretion of WFCF.  Please contact farmmanager@communityfarms.org to inquire.
• Email is our primary means of communication with our shareholders.  Each week during the season, you will receive a CSA e-newsletter, including a crop list for the week, seasonal recipes, and "Notes from the Field."  Please make sure that we have a working email address for you and any share partners, that you check any additional inbox pre-sort folders that your email server may utilize for messages from us and that you are able to receive emails from: farmmanager@communityfarms.org and distributioncoordinator@communityfarms.org and admin@communityfarms.org