MEMBER/FARMER AGREEMENT 2019
 
By signing up for our CSA, you agree to the following terms. Please read carefully. If you have any questions, or would like a hard copy of the agreement, please contact Sarah. 

We, the farm, wish to provide you with fresh, local, seasonal food and you, the member, wish to receive a portion of our harvest. This agreement outlines our shared commitments to that relationship. By signing up for a box, you agree to the following terms.

A.  Becoming a Part of Our Farm 
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relationship between our farm and you as our customer. Rather than simply purchasing food, our customers become “members” of this CSA farm who receive a portion of the farm’s harvest. 
Our CSA runs for 20 of weeks, from mid-June to October.  Members are responsible for showing up at the farm  from 3-7 weekly or bi- weekly   to pick up your share of freshly harvested produce. Members may also select delivery options. 
 
B.  Our Growing Practices 
The farm is pesticide-free produce. Pesticide-free produce is grown without using specific conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.  For more information about our production practices please ask. Our growing practices are similar to the Canadian Organic Standards, however we are not certified organic, and therefore cannot market as such. We are in the process of looking at how to become certified.
Our strawberries are the only product that is still conventionally grown.

C.  The Products We Expect for 2018 
The chart below outlines some of the vegetables we hope to deliver and when you may see them in your share. This chart is based on our best estimate, but of course weather, pests, and other events will affect actual production.
June to July
Arugula, Asparagus, Lettuce,  Rhubarb,  Strawberries, etc.
August to September
Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Tomatoes, Peppers, Lettuce, etc.
October
Winter squash, Garlic, Onions, Potatoes, Lettuce, Carrots, etc.

D. Our Shared Commitments 
A.  Sharing in the Risk of Crop Failure
We promise to do our best to provide you with a bountiful share each week.  The quantity of produce however, may vary from week-to-week due to extreme weather, insects, or other production factors despite our best efforts.  By joining our CSA, you are agreeing to share the risk of crop failure with us and other members. In the unlikely event of a crop failure, our procedure is as follows:
If only a small portion of crops fail, we compensate for the failed crops by filling your share with other crops grown on the farm that are ready for harvest at that time. If a large portion of crops fail, we may not be able to deliver any product in some weeks.
OR
If only a small portion of crops fail, we compensate for the failed crops by filling your share with other crops grown on the farm that are ready for harvest at that time. We may cover for a crop loss by buying in from other farms that may or may not have the same growing practices. However,  this may not be a feasible option for all crops because of cost or widespread failure.
  
B.  Sharing in the Reward of Crop Surplus 
In addition to our CSA, our farm sells produce to the farmers market and roadside stand.  Although production is not segregated, our CSA receives priority. After filling our CSA share with the week’s harvest first, the remainder is sold to our other markets.

E. Picking Up Shares 
You are responsible for picking up your share each week for a full box or bi-weekly for a half box from your pick up location.
You are responsible for observing our drop site rules, which are as follows:

1. Return your wooden box provided by the CSA at the end of the season. You will be charged a $20 replacement fee for a new box if not retuned at the end of the season.
2. Pick up your share within the timeframe stated (3-7pm). Although we deliver high-quality produce to the site, it will decline quickly if not picked up in time. 
3. Follow additional rules posted at your drop site regarding produce selection and pick-up.

If you cannot pick-up your share, you must arrange for someone else to pick it up for you. You are responsible for explaining the pick-up location and procedures to your substitute. If you wish to change your drop site, you must let Meadow Lynn Market Garden know at least one week in advance. Shares that are not retrieved within the pick-up time will be donated to the food bank. We take the safety of your food seriously. We use thoroughly composted manure on our farm and wash greens using the triple-rinse system. All our boxes and preparation area is sanitized before use.  For your added protection, wash all produce before eating and put frozen products in the freezer as soon as possible. Some of the produce will not be washed after harvest. Remember to wash produce before consumption. 
The CSA allows for two weeks of holidays during the season. In the event you are away, you can arrange for someone else to pick up the share, or you can receive a credit that can be used to purchase extra produce during another week, or use it towards your subscription the following year. However, if you do not let us know that you will be away the box will be donated to the food bank. The credit expires at the end of the growing season. You may also wish to donate your share to the local food bank.

F. Member Fees

Weekly box  CSA program is $625/ season
Bi-weekly box CSA program is $350/ season
​Jumbo box (20 weeks) CSA program is $700/season
We stand behind our farm products. If you are unhappy with your CSA subscription, we will refund you the remaining value of the weeks left in the CSA program. 

Communicating with Us
 The best way to communicate with us is via email or text.  Our email/phone is meadowlynnmarket@gmail.com, (226) 567-5833 respectively, and the best times to reach us are early morning or late afternoon. We will do our best to respond as soon as possible, but please understand that we spend most of our time in the field growing your food and not at our desk. Please contact us with any news of the following: changes to your postal, or email address, changes to your drop-site location, problems with your drop-site, or dissatisfaction with your share.
We will communicate with you by email. When you sign up, you will be added to our distribution list. Please read your email from us. We depend on being able to communicate important information such as necessary changes to your distribution schedule or to our farm events. Every week, we will email an update giving you information about the crops available that week, recipe ideas, or other farm related news.

G. IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER/ CONSIDER
- The contents of the weekly box is determined by the farm’s crop plan and will change throughout the season.
- Produce is only available when it is ready in the field, in some cases this may just be for one or two weeks during the season. Unlike a grocery store, that typically buys produce from many farms and may import from different growing regions, we will not have the same produce available week after week.
-The volume of the box may be very large, particularly in the height of the season. To make the most of the contents, you may need to can, freeze, dry or preserve the produce in some way.
-The largest volume of produce usually comes mid to late summer, when many people take vacations.
-In general, the boxes will be smaller at first and larger later on in the season when more produce becomes available.
-Remember to wash all produce before eating. Although we do not use pesticides, it is still important to wash before eating. Some vegetables may have dirt on them, this may be done to provide some protection and storage longevity to the crops.