FAQs
Schedule A = Deliveries on June 19th or 20th and every other week thereafter.
Schedule B = Deliveries on June 26th or 27th and every other week thereafter.
Why is your CSA (community supported agriculture) more expensive than other CSAs? Thank you for asking. No two farms are created equal. All CSAs in San Diego are different and our farm is located just inland from Torrey Pines State Park. We receive no government funds and our utilities (water, electric) are the same as for a regular household. We are considered an urban farm.
The value of our CSA share is that we include a bouquet of our flowers with our seasonal fruits and vegetables. And we deliver directly to your home or office. You don't have to drive to a pick-up location. We also offer additional items on our website for your convenience of top quality tested home products. So if we took out the flowers, the fruit and the delivery, the items and costs are similar to other San Diego CSAs. We produce the majority of the produce and flowers here on under two acres. We also procure either certified organic or local food items for diversity. We also incorporate barn yard animals in our operation including a small flock of chickens for eggs. It's costly to maintain them but they're an important part of what we have to offer.
We are not open to the public nor have a stand on site although we regularly offer farm tours. We are committed and staking all we have on keeping our priceless farm.
What does becoming a CSA subscriber have to do with food security? The average supermarket food item travels approximately 1400 petroleum miles to get there. If there is a disruption of distribution due to natural or non-natural interference, most households have on hand food for 3 days. Joining a local CSA means we will provide our products to you as our priority.
Do you deliver prepared meals? Well, not quite but close to it. There are many fresh items and grocery items in the Green Store that make possible quick, easy and nutritious meals.
I am a weekly subscriber and want to add items from the Green Store. Do I have to pay an additional delivery fee? No. Your items will be delivered with your next scheduled delivery with no additional delivery charge.
Do you charge a delivery fee? CSA subscribers have the delivery charges included in the weekly bag. Non members pay the delivery fee upon checking out.
Do I have to be home when the delivery arrives? No, the driver will leave the bag at your front door. If you have special instructions for where to place the bag, please indicate when signing up in the comments box.
If I’m not home for the delivery how does my delivery stay fresh? Many of our shareholders are not home during the day. We pick and pack everything fresh and deliver as soon as we can. Tell us in the comments section when you sign-up where is the best place for your delivery if you are concerned about sun or heat. We recommend a large cooler to avoid damage in the hot months.
What if I take a vacation and won't be home to receive a delivery? We ask for you to arrange to have someone (a friend, relative, neighbor...) pick up your bag or you can call or e-mail us with an alternate delivery address within our delivery radius (for which we must charge $7.50 to off-set the cost of the extra office work). You may also donate your bag. We know of many local, low-income families who are happy to use donated bags. With 2 week's notice, we are happy to suspend a delivery.
Why are your eggs so expensive? Because we have a very small flock and do not 'force' our hens to lay. They are allowed to live out their years. We have one rooster 14 years old! They are free range, happy chickens with plenty of space and access to our gardens. They eat healthy and you will taste the difference in the quality of the eggs they lay.
What form of payment do you accept? We accept electronic checks deducted directly from your bank account, MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express credit cards as well as PayPal.
Do you deliver to my neighborhood? Please check our list of current delivery areas for a list of zip codes and communities. If your neighborhood is not listed we may consider adding a delivery location if at least 10 families or individuals agree to sign up in that community.
I am a new customer and I just signed up. How will future billings work? We operate on a pre-paid, recurring payment schedule. Your chosen payment method and frequency will be automatically charged each time your balance on account reaches our $100.00 minimum. Pre-payment allows us to plan and plant more efficiently.
What can I expect in my delivery each week? Please refer to our "What's in the delivery this week?" for a current list of items in this week's bag.
Do I need to refrigerate the eggs I receive from the farm? The eggs are fresh and I’ve kept mine on my counter for days at a time and they are fine. ‘Real ’eggs have a natural vapor barrier on them to minimize evaporation so a few hours without refrigeration should be fine if it’s not too hot. To be on the safe side, I’d recommend refrigeration.
Do you allow volunteers to help at the farm? We haven’t a schedule for volunteering. The reason is we are required by California Law to treat volunteers (and even more regulations for interns) almost like employees. Sign in, sign out, training on safety rules, schedule and document breaks and lunch time, and most grievous is we would be forced to determine a ghost salary per hour and then pay Workman’s Compensation Insurance on the total hours on the property. The work here requires skill, training and experience and that means someone would have to stop their work for training. So although I appreciate the many people that request volunteering and wanting to visit and do understand the need to train people in the fundamentals of growing clean and healthy food, my hands are tied as our resources are so limited. Even having visitors on the land has been curtailed as our farm liability insurance has more than doubled in the last year (we’ve never had a single injury or claim). Running a business in California with all the regulations and taxes is very challenging to say the least. So, I do hope you understand our seemingly lack of hospitality. I only wish we could be the welcoming and inclusive farm we used to be.
