CSA

News Flash: We have Openings for new CSA members — join now!

We now have just a couple openings for new members to join our CSA for the second half of the season (starting August 19 or later). If you are interested in joining our community farm, please send Emmett an email (emmett.hopkins@gmail.com).

About the CSA

For those who aren’t familiar with the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model, here’s how it works: at the start of the year, community members can buy a share of the farm’s produce; each week, members receive a box of freshly-harvested produce straight from the farm. We look forward to sharing our bounty with you and welcoming you into our farm community. Please take a look below to learn the details and send an email to Emmett (emmett.hopkins@gmail.com) if you are interested in signing up.

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CSA Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT THE VEGGIE BOXES

1. What’s in a Full Share?

2. What’s a typical share like?

3. Are there “add-ons” such as eggs, salad mix or fruit?

4. Why are eggs so expensive?

LOGISTICS (PAYMENT, PICK-UP, etc.)

5. How much does a Full Share cost?

6. Can I buy just half a share?

7. How do I pay?

8. When do I pick up my box of veggies?

9. Where do I pick up my box?

10. Can my house be a central drop-off point?

ABOUT THE FARM

11. Are you organic?

12. Do you grow heirloom varieties?

13. Can I visit the farm?

14. Will there be opportunities to work and learn on the farm?

15. How did you end up on Eastside Road?

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ABOUT THE VEGGIE BOXES

What’s in a Full Share?

A full share is a weekly box of mixed produce that changes with the seasons. We strive to make each week’s box enough to fulfill the weekly produce requirements for a family of four—but of course this will depend entirely on your personal eating habits. As a vegetarian, plant-loving couple, we easily go through a full share a week.

What’s a typical share like?

An example Spring season share might include Waltham broccoli, spinach, Chioggia beets, Yellowstone carrots, butter leaf (head) lettuce, Swiss chard, Tuscan kale, French breakfast radishes, parsley and green garlic. An example Summer season share might include Brandywine heirloom tomatoes, Genovese basil, cilantro, Romanesco zucchini, Armenian cucumber, Kentucky Wonder beans, Swiss chard, and a red or yellow onion. An example Fall season share might include Sungold cherry tomatoes, arugula, Early Wonder beets, cauliflower, delicata squash, Russian Banana fingerling potatoes and a head of garlic.  (Treats to look forward to include: sweet cantaloupe, delicate squash blossoms, Jack-O-Lanterns at Halloween, and cut zinnias to decorate your table.)

Are there “add-ons” such as eggs, salad mix or fruit?
Yes, you can choose to add pasture-raised, organic eggs, a bag of baby salad mix or a box of organic, seasonal fruit for those fruit lovers.

Eggs ($5/dozen; $3/half-doz): The eggs come from our flock of free-range hens—
a mix of heritage breeds, many of which are endangered. You can expect brown, white and green/blue eggs—with deep orange yolks. We have a limited availability of eggs.

Salad mix ($3/bag): While we will occasionally include lettuce or other salad
greens in the regular produce box, signing up for a salad mix add-on will guarantee that you’ll get your weekly fix of tender, young lettuces.

Fruit box: We will include occasional melons and apples in the regular produce
box, but not a weekly fruit supply to satisfy your cravings for sweet, juicy treats.  We have partnered with our neighbor, Golden Nectar Farm, to supply fruit
boxes to those who request them. By signing up for a fruit add-on, you’d be sure to get your weekly supply of delicious local fruits from Golden Nectar Farm (they grow all the traditional local fruits, as well as some you’ve never even heard of! Apples, oranges, pluots, apriums, asian pears, table grapes, pineapple guava, etc.).  You can choose either 1 lb., 2 lbs. or 3 lbs. of fruit per week.

NOTE: You will need to decide at the start of the season if you would like to regularly receive eggs, salad mix, or fruit for the entire season.

Why are eggs so expensive?
First of all, if you price-check organic, cage-free eggs at Safeway, you’ll find that they cost more than $5 per dozen.  We realize this might seem like a lot to pay for eggs, but there are a number of factors that make our pasture-raised organic eggs more expensive than conventionally-raised, battery-farm eggs. First, we have raised our hens from day-old chicks (and some from the egg itself!), caring for them and feeding them for the five months before they start laying.  Second, we feed them organic grains, for which we pay a premium.  The hens go through at least 50 pounds of feed a week—at over $20 per 50lb bag (feed they were also eating for the 20+ weeks before they started laying)—as well as frequently changed bedding material to keep them healthy and clean. And importantly, our chickens roam freely, enjoying a balanced diet of grasses, grubs, and Foggy River organic produce.  This requires space but also results in eggs with deep orange yolks, delicious and highly nutritious, packed with omega-3’s. Finally, we’re so proud of our chickens’ lifestyle that we encourage you to come visit.  You’ll see that they’re quite content—and receive plenty of TLC.

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LOGISTICS
(Payment, pick-up, etc.)

How much does a Full Share cost?

The cost is $22 per week. The cost for the 31-week season (1st week of May –  last
week of November) comes out to $682, but if you pay for the entire season upfront, you get your first box for free (i.e. $660 total).

Can I buy just half a share?
We don’t sell half shares, because the logistics of organizing boxes becomes exponentially more complicated. However, you are more than welcome to team up with someone else who only wants half a share—and split the produce however you see fit. We can help facilitate these arrangements if you are looking for someone to split a share with.

How do I pay?
There are two payment options: 1) pay for the full season upfront, and get your first box for free ($660 for the season); or 2) pay in two installments–$341 at the start of the season and $341 midway through the season ($682 total for the season). Check or cash are both acceptable. The first payment deadline is April 15th; the second August 15th. [Note: we have extended the first payment deadline to May 2nd (the day of our Open House.)]

When do I pick up my box of veggies?
Pick-up time is 4:00pm – 7:00pm on Wednesdays.

Where do I pick up my box?
You will have three primary pick-up options:
1) on the farm at 8194 Eastside Road;
2) at our central drop-off point in Healdsburg (503 Brown Street);
3) at our central drop-off point in Windsor (The Green Grocer on the Town Green).

Alternatively, if you gather 5 members who wish to have their boxes delivered to a central drop-off point within the Healdsburg/Windsor area, we will consider making that a new drop-off site. Or, if you absolutely cannot pick up your box at one of the organized sites, we may be able to arrange home delivery within the Healdsburg/Windsor area at a cost of $5/week.

Can my house be a central drop-off point?
We might need volunteers who would like to offer their home as a Windsor or Healdsburg drop-off point. Ideally, the drop-off sites will have an easily-accessed outdoor area where the boxes might be left in the shade until members come by to pick up their boxes.

What if I go on vacation for a week?
If you’re out of town on the pick-up day, you have two options: 1) have a friend pick-up your box and enjoy it for you; or 2) notify us that you’ll be gone and we will donate your box to the Healdsburg food pantry or another local charity.

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ABOUT THE FARM

Are you organic?
We are not certified organic due to the cost of certification, which is several hundred dollars per year.  However, we give your our word that we grow using organic practices.  We don’t spray, ever, and we use natural, organic soil amendments to enhance the fertility of our soil.  We also do most of the work at the farm by hand, to minimize our carbon footprint. As always, you’re welcome to stop by for a visit – and check out our growing practices yourself.

Do you grow heirloom varieties?
Many of our vegetables are heirloom varieties, and most of our chickens are heritage breeds.  We strive to offer rare and endangered varieties that can spice up your diet and dazzle your dinner guests—purple beans, candy-striped beets, tiger-stripe tomatoes, purple potatoes—as well as the old classics that we all know and love.

Can I visit the farm?
Yes.  Just give us a call, or send us an email, and we’re more than happy to show you around. If you choose to pick up your box on the farm, you can visit every week! (You can also stay up-to-date virtually by way of our online blog: http://farming101.wordpress.com)

Will there be opportunities to work and learn on the farm?
We will be hosting community workdays during the CSA season, which will offer you the  some organic growing techniques.  You can also meet the chickens and enjoy a home-grown, home-cooked Foggy River lunch.

How did you end up on Eastside Road?
Emmett’s grandparents bought the property in the 1950s, moving the family up from southern California to Sonoma County. His father grew up picking prunes and pears on Eastside Road, and now grows wine grapes on the fertile floodplain soil. We have carved out a little space for our vegetables and hens, and are living in a house on the property.

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Want to sign up? Send an email to emmett.hopkins@gmail.com for an application!