CSA
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About our CSA
Calvert's Gift Farm offers members 24 weeks of our own locally grown, certified organic produce
for $432 per share. This equates to approximately $18.00 worth of vegetables each week. We begin the 3nd week
of May and run to the end of October. Members may choose to pick up their share boxes at the farm on either
Tuesdays or Thursdays. Because we offer on farm pickup, members are not held to strict times. Shares can be
picked up any time after 12 p.m. on your designated day and may be picked up as late as 6 p.m. the following day.
In addition to the weekly share of vegetables, each shareholder receives our collection of recipes. Each week, a
"trade box" will be available. Members can exchange less appreciated produce for their particular favorites. We
strongly suggest shareholders make arrangements to have shares picked up when on vacation. The farm will not
be responsible for missed pick-ups. We provide many added benefits to our shareholders. Surplus produce from
the weeks harvest are frequently offered to our members. Bulk items such as potatoes, tomatoes, or garlic, are
available for purchase on a seasonal basis. Blackberries and flowers are offered as pick- your-own and are free to
share-holders. Other pick-your-own opportunities frequently arise throughout the growing season.
In addition to the vegetable CSA, fresh, cage free, brown eggs can be purchased through the farm. We have a
small flock of laying hens, however they cannot meet the demands of the CSA. The egg shares are offered as an
additional benefit and come from the Warns Farm in Freeland, Maryland. Eggs are available for $72 for the
season ($3.00 per dozen for 24 weeks) and are picked up with your share box. 1/2 shares (every other week) of
eggs are also available.
A work option is available for those who would like to participate in farm activities. We offer a $50 rebate upon
completion of a 15 hour work commitment. The entire 15 hours must be completed in order to receive the rebate. If
you would like to participate, please indicate so on the membership form. Click here to get a membership form in
Html format.
Calvert's Gift Farm offers members 24 weeks of our own locally grown, certified organic produce
for $432 per share. This equates to approximately $18.00 worth of vegetables each week. We begin the 3nd week
of May and run to the end of October. Members may choose to pick up their share boxes at the farm on either
Tuesdays or Thursdays. Because we offer on farm pickup, members are not held to strict times. Shares can be
picked up any time after 12 p.m. on your designated day and may be picked up as late as 6 p.m. the following day.
In addition to the weekly share of vegetables, each shareholder receives our collection of recipes. Each week, a
"trade box" will be available. Members can exchange less appreciated produce for their particular favorites. We
strongly suggest shareholders make arrangements to have shares picked up when on vacation. The farm will not
be responsible for missed pick-ups. We provide many added benefits to our shareholders. Surplus produce from
the weeks harvest are frequently offered to our members. Bulk items such as potatoes, tomatoes, or garlic, are
available for purchase on a seasonal basis. Blackberries and flowers are offered as pick- your-own and are free to
share-holders. Other pick-your-own opportunities frequently arise throughout the growing season.
In addition to the vegetable CSA, fresh, cage free, brown eggs can be purchased through the farm. We have a
small flock of laying hens, however they cannot meet the demands of the CSA. The egg shares are offered as an
additional benefit and come from the Warns Farm in Freeland, Maryland. Eggs are available for $72 for the
season ($3.00 per dozen for 24 weeks) and are picked up with your share box. 1/2 shares (every other week) of
eggs are also available.
A work option is available for those who would like to participate in farm activities. We offer a $50 rebate upon
completion of a 15 hour work commitment. The entire 15 hours must be completed in order to receive the rebate. If
you would like to participate, please indicate so on the membership form. Click here to get a membership form in
Html format.
| Unfortunately, our CSA is full for 2010. Please contact us at giftcal@aol.com to be added to our waiting list. Please include your address. |
What you should know about our CSA
There is no one formula for operating a CSA. The concept is that the consumer
helps the farmer with the up front costs of production and is later rewarded with
the harvest from the farm. CSA’s are meant to bring local food and local
economy together, to exchange your payment for the farmers labors. As the
popularity of the CSA movement has increased, perhaps the original meaning
has become clouded.
To us, first and foremost, CSA means that our customers are buying produce
directly from us. It also means that they are prepaying for their produce. This is
quite a business model, to have your product sold before it is even produced.
We greatly appreciate that, otherwise we wouldn’t have an income stream
before mid-April each year. All of the produce that is in your share comes from
our farm. There was a time when we traded for produce that we don’t grow
here. We now feel that our farm has evolved enough so that we provide our
shareholders with a great variety of food that has been grown only by us. Some
farms operate as a CSA only. We choose to combine the CSA with off-farm
sales at area farmers markets. It makes better economic sense for our small
farm. We do, however, always give the CSA our first priority. In respect to
farming, Mother Nature always bats last. The weather is unpredictable from one
year to the next. Weather cycles aid in the production of some crops and
hinder others. For this reason, we grow a diversity of crops. You will always get
a fair value in your CSA share. We hope you understand that conditions
outside of our control may dictate what goes into your box. Some CSA’s lay out
the produce available for the week’s share and let their customers choose from
the array. We have found it is less labor intensive for us to pre-box the shares
and it gives our customers a larger window of time in which to pick up their
produce. We charge fair prices for the food in your share. We are not a
cooperative, we are a small farm working hard to produce high quality fruits and
vegetables.
We want you to join our CSA because you want local, organically raised
produce. We want you to join our CSA to get fresh, nutritious food for your
family. We want you to join because you want to support a local farm and keep
farming as a viable business option in Baltimore County. We are spoiled, we
get to enjoy great food everyday and appreciate the seasons and the bounty of
the earth. We want to share the bounty with you.
There is no one formula for operating a CSA. The concept is that the consumer
helps the farmer with the up front costs of production and is later rewarded with
the harvest from the farm. CSA’s are meant to bring local food and local
economy together, to exchange your payment for the farmers labors. As the
popularity of the CSA movement has increased, perhaps the original meaning
has become clouded.
To us, first and foremost, CSA means that our customers are buying produce
directly from us. It also means that they are prepaying for their produce. This is
quite a business model, to have your product sold before it is even produced.
We greatly appreciate that, otherwise we wouldn’t have an income stream
before mid-April each year. All of the produce that is in your share comes from
our farm. There was a time when we traded for produce that we don’t grow
here. We now feel that our farm has evolved enough so that we provide our
shareholders with a great variety of food that has been grown only by us. Some
farms operate as a CSA only. We choose to combine the CSA with off-farm
sales at area farmers markets. It makes better economic sense for our small
farm. We do, however, always give the CSA our first priority. In respect to
farming, Mother Nature always bats last. The weather is unpredictable from one
year to the next. Weather cycles aid in the production of some crops and
hinder others. For this reason, we grow a diversity of crops. You will always get
a fair value in your CSA share. We hope you understand that conditions
outside of our control may dictate what goes into your box. Some CSA’s lay out
the produce available for the week’s share and let their customers choose from
the array. We have found it is less labor intensive for us to pre-box the shares
and it gives our customers a larger window of time in which to pick up their
produce. We charge fair prices for the food in your share. We are not a
cooperative, we are a small farm working hard to produce high quality fruits and
vegetables.
We want you to join our CSA because you want local, organically raised
produce. We want you to join our CSA to get fresh, nutritious food for your
family. We want you to join because you want to support a local farm and keep
farming as a viable business option in Baltimore County. We are spoiled, we
get to enjoy great food everyday and appreciate the seasons and the bounty of
the earth. We want to share the bounty with you.
