Two Small Farms
What is a CSA?
What sorts of foods and how much does a member get each week?
How long is your season?
Can I pick which items I receive?
Why isn't there more fruit in the shares?
Can members visit the farm?
How do I pick up my produce?
What happens if I'm out of town on distribution day?
What are you farmers doing during the months you are not delivering
produce?
What happens if your crops fail?
How much does it cost to become a member?
Can I try this out for a short time to see if I like it?
I want to join! How do I sign up?
What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. We wrote
a whole separate page about it, so please take a peek.
How much food does a member get each week?
Two share types are available, the Share and the Share with flowers. We consider
a Share to be sufficient for a family of four for one week. A vegetarian family
who rarely eats out will need more than the weekend gourmet; so some families
share a share with another family, others get two shares. Large households or
co-ops may want to buy two shares.
Here is a sample spring basket:
| Share:
2 pounds fava beans 2 bunches baby carrots 8 small heads baby lettuce (one per serving) 1 bunch spring onions 2 bunches radishes 1 pint strawberries 1 bunch parsley 1 large fennel head |
|
Here is a sample summer basket:
| Share:
2 pounds tomatoes 1 bag salad mix 2-3 pounds potatoes 1 bunch rosemary 1 pound sweet peppers 1 bunch green onions 1 bunch beets 1 basket strawberries |
The weekly share also includes a newsletter, which contains updates about the farm, stories from Andy, and recipes for the food you've recieved. In this sample share, your newsletter would include recipes for fava beans, baby lettuces, snow peas and parsley.
What about a half share? We used to make up two sizes of shares: Full Share and Half Share. Over 90% of folks wanted a half share, so we discontinued the 'full share' and made all our shares into what we used to call 'half shares.'
How long is your season?
36 weeks; March through Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, crops grow very slowly
and production becomes inconsistent and chancy. From January through March,
we plant and nurture the crops we will harvest for you in March.
Can I pick which items I receive?
This is not a delivery service, but share holding in a working farm. We grow
everything in its season and pick it at its best. The share is a balanced mix
of what the farm has available in the field. Our members tell us they love getting
surprised each week, and they enjoy trying things they wouldn't otherwise have
tried. Many of the pick up sites have 'trade boxes', where one member can leave
one item and another can pick up double of an item they love. We leave each
trade box at most sites with an extra item in it, please only take an item if you are
leaving one, thank you.
We try to keep the boxes filled with the most popular items, and keep a balance when selecting what to grow and put into the shares each week.
Why isn't there more fruit in the
shares?
We are primarily a vegetable farm. We can't do everything, so we concentrate
on what we do best. Stephen and Andy do grow organic strawberries, and our neighbor Bill Peixoto grows several kinds of organic apples;
we plan to add these again during the season. We will continue to try to add
other kinds of fruit, perhaps by cooperating with other neighboring organic
fruit growers.
Can members visit the farm?
Yes! We have an open house during the spring months
and have many other events on the farms during the year. We love showing off our farm,
but it is also our home and we must balance tours with a very busy
work schedule. The best way to find out about these events is to receive our newsletter.
How do I pick up my produce?
Two Small Farms delivers shares to several locations in the Monterey Bay Area,
Silicon Valley, the Peninsula, and San Francisco. On delivery day, members go to the drop off site and pick
up their shares for the week. Specific pickup sites and schedules.
Please break down the farm box, and leave it there in a neat pile. This way we can reuse the wax boxes and keep costs down.
What happens if I'm out of town on
distribution day?
We suggest you have a friend/relative/neighbor pick up your share. We cannot
give refunds because we've planted months earlier. If no one can pick up
your share for you, we can take it to our local soup kitchen (Loaves and
Fishes in Watsonville) and get you a receipt for tax purposes.
Please give us 24 hours advance notice for this service.
What are you farmers doing during the months
you are not delivering produce?
When we are not making our CSA deliveries, we are busy
growing herbs for winter restaurant deliveries or planting and cultivating
the crops that will be harvested in early spring. Winter is a time when
inclement weather makes promising a regular CSA delivery a risky (and
muddy) business.
What happens if your crops
fail?
Because weather always affects the rates of plant growth or maturation,
and insects or diseases can always interrupt production or damage quality,
farming can be a risky business. In the past when a crop was delayed or
destroyed to some degree, we substituted with produce grown
by neighboring organic farms. We have ongoing business relationships
with other organic farms, and we help each other out. We lend each other
equipment from time to time, we sublet one another land from time to
time, and we refer business to each other. If our farm needs additional
product, we anticipate relying on our friends at Marsalisi Lemon and Avocado farm, Far West Fungi, Live Earth Farm, and Watsonville's Lakeside Organics.
All produce not grown by Two Small Farms will be duly noted and identified
in our newsletter.
How much does it cost to become
a member?
The Share is $22 per veggie box or $30 for veggies with flowers. Members must sign up for a minimum of 9 weeks,
although we do offer a four week trial membership for new members.
Can I try this out for a short time to see if I
like it?
Yes! For those new to our farm, we offer a four week trial membership. To find
out if space is currently available, call us at (831) 786-0625, or send
us email.
I want to join! How do I sign up?
Click here to for information that you can fill out in an email, or call us at (831) 786-0625.
If you have any other questions, feel free to call or email us.
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