FAQ

What’s the difference between a double, full and half share?

Here’s a chart that summarizes the differences between the three share sizes:

*Please note that this comparison chart is intended as a rough guideline only. The quantity of vegetables varies through the season usually with the greatest quantity being delivered in the late summer and fall. Furthermore, people’s eating habits vary a lot. I have seen full shares feed anywhere from one person all the way up to two families.

To further assess the share quantity and suitability to your family’s needs please read the question below and check out the CSA Share Gallery.

Should I get a full share, a half share, or a double share?

Consider a full share (or even a double share) if you:

• are two or more people eating the veggies together
• eat home-cooked meals regularly, or want to start
• make eating vegetables a priority, or want to start
• are adventurous eaters, or want to be more adventurous
• don’t have a garden
• would like to put away some food for winter
• want to get into a routine with picking up the vegetables weekly

Consider a half share if you:

• are one person eating the veggies on your own
• travel and/or eat out often
• have a CSA to supplement your own garden
• want to support local organic farming but need more flexibility than most CSA members
• are good at keeping a semi-regular schedule for pick ups every second week
• are trying the CSA for the first time and aren’t sure about the quantity of vegetables.

Consider a double share if you:

• want to split a share between 2 or more households (neighbours, family or close friends)
• eat a lot of vegetables
• would like to put away some food for winter

To further assess the share quantity and suitability to your family’s needs please see the CSA Share Gallery.

What does a share cost?

We offer an optional sliding scale to allow greater access to people with lower incomes and support better incomes for the people who grow the food. The Sliding Scale Guidelines are provided when you sign up.

What are the CSA pick up locations?

We have 7 convenient pick-up locations throughout the Kingston area and on Howe Island. Please check the online sign up form for current availability. Some pick-up locations fill up early!

• Tuesday, DOWNTOWN KINGSTON, 4:30 to 6:30 PM
• Tuesday, WEST END, 5:30 to 7:30 PM
• Tuesday, EAST END (off Hwy 2), 4:30 to 6:30 PM
• Tuesday, HOWE ISLAND, after 3:30 PM
• Friday, DOWNTOWN KINGSTON, 4:30 to 6:30 PM.
• Friday, EAST KINGSTON (Greenwood Park), 4:30 to 6:30 PM.
• Friday, HOWE ISLAND, after 3:30.

What vegetables come in a CSA share?

We grow a diverse mix of fresh seasonal organic produce. The best way to get an idea of what’s in a share is to check out the CSA Share Gallery.

And here’s a list of everything we grow and include seasonally in the CSA shares.

Vegetables:

• Beans, green and yellow
• Beets
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Cabbage, napa
• Cabbage, sweetheart
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Green Onion
• Kohlrabi
• Leeks
• Onions
• Parsnip
• Peas
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Radish, Watermelon
• Squash, Summer
• Squash, Winter
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Turnips, salad
• Zucchini

Greens:

• Arugula
• Baby Kale
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Lettuce Mix
• Mizuna
• Mustard Mix
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard

Herbs:

• Basil
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Mint
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme

Fruit (in small quantities):

• Ground Cherries
• Strawberries
• Rhubarb

What if I receive a vegetable that I don’t like or can’t use?

At our two downtown pick-ups we offer a swap bin. You can trade vegetables that you know you can’t use for vegetables that you will. If this feature is important to you, please sign up for the downtown pick up.

You will likely find that the vegetables from our farm taste different than the grocery store version of the same thing—often more flavourful, sweeter or less bitter—so it’s worth trying the farm version of everything at least once.

If you don’t pick up downtown, check out our recipe collection and Resource Guides for new ideas for how to use the vegetable or find a friend who will enjoy the vegetable and share it with them.

How do you accommodate member’s vacation schedules?

To accommodate member’s busy schedules, we keep a few flex spots open so that members can arrange an alternate pick-up day from time to time.

There is an online form to request a pick up change. The form is the best way to request a CSA pick up change and avoid miscommunication.

It’s always best to put in your request as much in advance as possible especially in July and August and around holiday weekends.

Do you provide recipes?

Yes, we have new recipes on the blog every week and our members get access to the archive of our favourite recipes collected over the years and our collection of Resource Guides. Plus we have a special members-only Facebook group where CSA members can share recipes in a timely manner.

We also send a weekly email with the share forecast for the week as well as tips and new recipe links for the more unusual vegetables.

Can we visit the farm?

We normally offer 2 types of farm events.

Work bees:

• Held in June and July. Come help with the weeding and meet other CSA members. 

Harvest celebration:

• Held on a Sunday in late September. Farm tours, kids activities and a potluck. (Cancelled until the pandemic is over.)

If you are interested in attending, RSVP to Emily or sign up for the newsletter.

What other products can I buy from you?

• Garden Plants – In spring, we sell organic plants (vegetables, herbs and flowers) that you can grow in your garden to supplement your CSA share.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – We sell Zatoun fair trade Palestinian olive oil.
• Grocery add-ons – New for 2022! Through our online store we offer a select list of locally grown or locally made foods to complement our vegetables. 

Do you grow organically?

We use organic practices. We are not third party certified.

Organic farming is a lot of things, but we are often known for what we’re not. In organic farming we do not use synthetic fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides. We cannot rely on chemical “quick fixes” for fertility and we cannot allow those chemicals to harm our health, our the health of our community or the health of the land and the many creatures that live here.

We are always trying build soil health and fertility, and that means feeding the living soil organisms plenty of organic matter in the form of compost and cover crops. All of this organic matter from compost and cover crops is the basis of a healthy soil ecosystem and the basis of healthy productive crops.

We invite you to talk to us to learn more about our practises. Or come to the farm and see how your food is grown!

What does it mean to share the risk?

We use the traditional CSA model, which means that we do not buy produce and everything in the CSA shares comes from our farm.

We grow a diverse mix of vegetables so that if we have a shortage of one crop, we can rely on a surplus of another crop.

This means that our CSA members truly share the risk and the abundance of the season and are more connected to community and the land.

Does organic food cost more?

That really depends on a lot of factors. With the CSA model you pay in advance and you are supporting the organic farmer directly, so return on investment and efficiency can’t be beat.

Plus any dollars you spend in a local business will circulate more in the community and benefit the local economy for longer. Whereas buying organic food at large corporate grocery stores means that more of the money you spend leaves the community immediately.

That being said, if you can’t afford the basic share price, we have a sliding scale option and a monthly payment plan to spread the cost out over the season.

What is “sliding scale”?

The sliding scale option allows members to pay as they are able within a range.

This way members with lower incomes can pay less for their share and members with an higher incomes can pay more.

The sliding scale increases the accessibility of the CSA to a wider group of people and can provide additional income to the farmers.

Why isn’t there garlic in the share photos?

We distribute freshly harvested and partially green garlic over two weeks in late July and early August.

We provide drying and storage instructions for the garlic and our members use it at their own pace over the following weeks and months.

While yields can vary, in a normal year, members receive about 7 garlic heads per week over two weeks. Half share members get about 7 garlic, full share members get about 14 garlic and double share members get about 28 garlic.

If you need more garlic to store for the winter, please attend a local Garlic Festival. The Verona Lion’s Annual Garlic Farmer’s Market is held on Labour Day weekend and the Perth Garlic Festival is in early August.

What’s next?