CSA – Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s basically a produce subscription service.
2. How does the CSA work? The customer prepays in advance for their CSA subscription with Whitton Farms. Participation in the CSA is on a first come first serve basis. Meaning that the sooner you sign up the sooner your spot is secured for the growing season. Once your subscription is secured when the growing season begins we, Whitton Farms, will deliver your sack of sustainably-homegrown food to specified drop locations for you to pick up each and every week you are participating with our program.
3. Where do you deliver? We deliver to the Memphis Farmers Market, Memphis Botanic Garden Farmers Market, and to Jonesboro Arkansas (location yet to be determined).
4. Tell me about seasonal eating. Seasonal eating means that you will grow accustom to eating food that is grown in the spring, then summer, then fall. We think it lends itself to being a tasty, healthy, and educational process. Check our produce availbility list from more detailed information!
5. Is a CSA more expensive than a grocery store? It really depends on the season, and the vegetable in question, but generally, yes. We are growing food that is harvested when its ripe on the vine, delivering it to the customer when its only 24 to 36 hrs old, sprayed with zero preservatives, sustainably grown on our, local, farm. When you shop with farmers in the Mid-South, your money stays in the Mid-South. You know who is growing your food, where it was grown, how it was grown, and you have the opportunity to actually visit where your food is grown. I haven’t been to a grocery store yet than can offer than kind of service, so we price our heirloom vegetables, fresh herbs, vegetable transplants, and our beautiful cut flowers -accordingly.
6. Can I specify what produce comes in my share? No, it would be extremely time consuming to take exact orders for over 300 individuals each week for farmers like us. Farming the way we do in the Delta is, in a sense, an extreme sport. In order to make the CSA work we stream line what goes in the CSA sacks. We try to give every subscriber the same variety and amount of food,(depending on the order size HV or FV) each and every week. Occasionally we throw in few oddball veggies! Know that Keith and I are always growing new and unique varieties of vegetables and fruits for our CSA members to try first. CSA members help us develop and diversify our crop selection.
7. What size package should I get? Generally we recommend a Half Veggie Shares for couples with mixed diets, and Full Veggie Shares for 2 vegetarians, and families with a mixed diet.
8. If I cancel can I get a refund? No, once you join the CSA your spot is secured for the amount of time you have selected. We offer a 4 week minimum subscription all the way to the entire 27 week (full season) CSA subscription.
9. Can I skip a few weeks if I get too much food? Yes, but you must notify us in advance via email. This allows us to make arrangements and update our records.
10. What happens if I go on vacation? Refer to #9
11. Can I switch share types mid-season? Only if you are going up in share size.
12. What if I miss my pick up? If you do not notify us, via email, with 24 hours of a missed pick- up we will donate you CSA sack to a needy family in our farming community.
13. Can I get food every other week instead of weekly? Yes, but you must mail in your application and payment with circled dates on the application.
14. Can you tell me what will be in my CSA sack in advance? No, due to the changes in weather we cannot post every crop that will be in you sack each week. Typically the recipes found in your Whitton Farms e-newsletter will give you a clue to what will be in the sack. It’s a surprise each week!
15. Are you certified organic? No, but we use organic and sustainable farming practices at Whitton Farms. We cover crop our fields, rotate our crops, plant perennial crops, compost, recycle, collect water, and conserve energy to the best of our abilities. We are always educating ourselves about permaculture, sustainably-local farming, and greenliving.
16. Where can I get information on how to prepare my food? Each week of your subscription I will send out an e-newsletter discussing what Keith and I have been accomplishing on the farm, information on our crops, the weather, good reads, and most importantly recipes!
17. What can I expect in my share as the season progresses? Anywhere from 6 to 10 different crop varieties depending on season, share size, and availibility.
Example of a Half Veggie Subscription
All sustainably grown produce is harvested from our fields within 24 to no more than 36 hours of it being
delivered to the drop spot. In addition, most of our vegetable crops are heirlooms and cannot be found in grocery stores.
Typical Summer HV Share
1 quart of cherry tomatoes
1 quart of heirloom tomatoes
1 quart of okra
1 quart of squash
1 quart of peaches
1lb of green beans
1 bunch of sweet basil
18. Can I make crop suggestions for the farm? Absolutely! We enjoy hearing from our subscribers, especially about new, unique plants to grow for food!
19. Do I have to pay for my CSA all in advance? Yes, in order to fully secure your spot for the season you must pay in advance. If you choose a month to month plan, it will depend on our CSA capacity each month.
20. How do I purchase my CSA?
You can purchase a Whitton Farms CSA by visiting our online store where credit cards are accepted, or you can simply mail your application and payment to Whitton Farms, 5157 W ST Hwy 118, Tyronza, Arkansas 72386.
Ready to sign up? Purchase online or download or application.
