Questions?

Here are some common questions we get asked. If you can’t find an answer here, please contact us any time.

Can I return something, or exchange it?

This is covered here. As a quick overview, No. Due to the nature of our products, we are not able to accept returns. All Sales are Final. Please ask any questions you might have at the time of purchase. Vegetables are perishable food items, and it would be a health hazard to allow back, something that left our supervision.

We also encourage you to always inspect your items to be sure they are as they should be. We try to catch everything, but sometimes things change within hours on a very hot day. IF something is not right, please do bring it to our attention as soon as you notice, and we try to make it right by replacing that item as long as available or offering you an equal value of something else. We reserve the right to decide that situation appropriately. We have a No-money-back policy. There is no need to bring the item back a week later, which would not be an accurate representation of what the item was like.

If you purchase bulk for canning/freezing, we will arrange a pickup that works for you. This means you can schedule this at a time when you will be able to process the vegetables. The vegetables will be in their prime, as they should be, but they must be processed immediately. If you wait a week and do not store them properly, you will have losses. We are only responsible for providing you with good quality vegetables at the time of your pickup, not for how long they will last, since this is completely out of our control once they leave us.

We are also absolutely not responsible for what you do with produce, or how you process it. If you have jars exploding, for example, it is due to improper canning practices and has nothing to do with our produce. We highly recommend the National Center for Home Food Preservation. You can find more preserving info/links on our page “Favorite Recipes” or just ask me.

Allergies: Please be aware that our produce is grown and processed in an environment that may contain allergens. Customers with severe allergies should exercise caution.

If you need assistance, please let us know how we can help.

Pickup Policy

Scheduled pickups are expected.

• Unpaid Orders: Orders not paid for and not picked up by the end of the scheduled day will be canceled. Future orders from these customers will require prepayment.

• Paid Orders: Orders that have been paid for but are not picked up by the end of the scheduled day will be canceled. As the items were prepared and provided, these orders are non-refundable.

Essentially, regardless of payment status, the pickup must occur on the scheduled day. We usually also try calling to remind of the pickup.

When and how can you sign up and pay for CSA shares?

You can find everything about our CSA here. In addition:

• Easy! Just let us know you're interested and which share size you'd like (Half, Full, or Fall).

• We accept cash, checks, website payments, and PayPal (through our Farm Store page).

• While we list shares online, you don't have to buy them there. We always appreciate cash or checks.

• Don't see shares online? Still, contact us! We might be able to make it work.

• If we're sold out, we'll put you on our waitlist and let you know if anything opens up.

• When can I sign up?

• Sign-up is open when you see Shares (Summer and Fall) listed on our website. The earlier you sign up, the better the deal you get.

• We typically offer Summer Shares for the next year, at a steep discount, in October.

• As described above, you can let us know that you are interested, whenever that is, and we’ll let you know.

• We might even be able to find you a spot after a CSA has already started. Don’t wait that long if you have a choice, but under the right circumstances, we can usually work something out. For example, if you just moved here or didn't know that CSA existed.

Important: Can I share a CSA share with someone?

We no longer support shared shares.

What happened to your Quarter Share? What happened to the prices?

The simple answer is, we finally fixed our CSA after basically selling a lot more for a fraction (maybe a quarter or less of its worth) of what other farmers offered. We knew that for some time, but did not want to upset or lose customers, but with what is going on with inflation and corporate greed, we are just not able to do business at such a loss anymore.

The Quarter we invented was the size of everyone’s Half Share all along, only we did not know that. And since everyone found the Quarter of this size “just right”, we don’t need the Quarter. Since then, others are offering Samplers and Quarters, but it’s not what we had. But I guess “imitation is the greatest compliment”

Our Market style pickup is also unique since there is no fixed amount of items you can take. The only time we limit something is to make sure everyone gets something. If there is not enough for everyone, these things will be for sale only. But generally there is lots of abundance and you take what you want.

We still do offer Custom Shares if you feel that Half or Full does not meet your needs. Contact us to inquire.

We often get asked if we grow our fruit and vegetables

Yes.

That’s it, the only good answer.

I do have to wonder why this question comes up more and more, and what that implies. It might have something to do with people getting fruits and vegetables marketed as local and then finding Florida stickers on them. That is completely unacceptable, and we do not engage in or endorse that.

If we have anything that we did not grow, I will be sure to let you know. For example, we had the honor to team up with Ralph Mosher in Bloomfield and carry his amazing Honey. And whenever he has extra Honey, we will be happy to do so again.

We also bring in Apples/Fruit from Doug Bussa in Glastonbury on occasion, and we are very open about that. He deserves that for all the work he puts in to achieve such amazing fruits.

Wholesale

Yes, we do offer wholesale accounts. Contact us to apply. There have been some changes, however. We no longer offer wholesale just because you re-sell.

Required is a minimum purchase of 300.- or more at wholesale pricing, with multiple boxes of the same item, as well as multiple pick-ups of this size or more throughout the season. Wholesale accounts also qualify for free samples and extras as available. Contact us for more info.

If you resell but do not meet wholesale requirements, we have reasonable bulk sales available. You may contact us for arrangements that work. On large orders, discounts might apply, but are not guaranteed.

We offer bulk pricing on a lot of seasonal favorites. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, please check with us. There might be enough for your order, but not enough to post on the website, or we might be able to tell you when we expect to have it.

How do I pick up My Order, or CSA share?

-We have a Market at our location several days a week. Stop by anytime it is open. This IS for CSA pickup as well as retail.

-Orders will need a scheduled pickup, so we know when to get them ready for you

-We offer scheduled pickup

You schedule a 5-minute slot for pickup. Your order will be on a table with your name on it. And/Or we also bring your order out when you arrive. Call us when you get here

It’s easy to schedule (or reschedule) a time slot. Just go to our scheduling page here.

When you schedule, you will get a confirmation e-mail as well as the address for your convenience.

This will also have the phone #…but please do not text to that number. It is a Landline.

Can you just show up for shopping?

And Is it only for CSA - No. We are Retail with a CSA option.

Yes, you can shop during our Business Hours. We have a Market set up at our location that is open to retail as well as CSA pickups.

Orders, Bulk Pickup, and Wholesale Pickup must be scheduled since we have to get your order ready for you, and we’ll keep it out of the weather until you get here. That’s why we have to know when that is.

Can we ship or deliver?

No, we can not. We are not set up for shipping fresh produce and do not have the personnel to deliver.

What are your farming practices?

We are Minimalistic-Alternative, which means we reject strong toxins and GMO. We don’t have a farm but we lease land—one of the reasons we won’t be certified organic.

Learn all about our farming philosophy here.

What vegetables do you grow?

Everything we grow is Non-GMO.

To see a full basic list of what we grow, in order of arrival, click here. Or check out the Photo Gallery here. However, we try new things every year, and you will see them at the market, not necessarily on the website. Rest assured, that even customers that have been with us for many years keep finding new, exciting things. Not always addressed in this list are the various varieties that each item has, or new things we try for more variety and fun.

What are my payment options?

We prefer cash transactions, but we are set up for a wide range of payments. If you want to pay with Credit/Debit, Apple etc., please do purchase off our Website. If what you want is not on the website, contact us to place your order and I will put it on the website just for you. PayPal is also an option. This also applies to shopping at the Market. You CAN pay without cash, but ONLY with the above mentioned options.

We also accept FMNP. Now SoliMarket. This can only be used as cash when you pick up. You can not pay with it on the website. You can ‘shop’ the website to see what is available, then come to the markets, or place an order with us and pay when you pick up. Let us know if you need help.

We no longer offer POS (Point of Sale), and we no longer allow payment plans. It definitely does not work for us.

Can I buy gift cards?

We don’t offer gift cards anymore, but if you want to purchase something for someone, or pre-pay, you may do so. We even offer custom Gift certificates for you to present as a gift at no extra charge. Please inform us of this, so we can be aware.

If you feel there is a discrepancy or if you have a complaint

Be it real or imagined, we would appreciate it if you talked to us first to give us a chance to correct things if there was something out of order.

Should you choose to initiate a discrepancy claim with the credit card company for something that was correctly priced and charged, for a return, of… let’s say 1.- (that happened) we will reserve the right of not wanting to conduct business with you anymore, or for cash only. This causes a lot more trouble than just monetary.

So please, whatever it is, do talk to us first. Our goal is to have happy customers that enjoy coming back.

What is meant by “risk” and “policy” in regard to CSA? (Also covered here, but I’ll elaborate)

A CSA share is priced lower than if you would buy the items individually. It is for one a pre-payment, but the concept is also that you share the risks the farm of your choice might face. There are ups and downs in farming and harvest, and in the worst-case scenario, crop failure.

We have seen a lot of this over the last years with extreme drought and flooding, a Hurricane, Tornadoes, and such. There were many farmers that had to close early because their crops were destroyed. We had huge losses, but we managed to keep the CSA tables full, even overflowing. We did, for a while, have to limit certain items, however.

Some of our members even asked about this, they were ready and willing to share the loss. But we try to avoid that if at all possible. The risk, however, is real. That is part of why there is no refund for CSA. And that is why we are generous unless this is not wanted, because of that trust that you place in us. If there are losses, we deal with them, making CSA shares a priority

We have been asked if we qualify for any of the many programs that were offered for crop loss or small business loans or any of the financial support that was out there. No. Not for any of it. Often enough it was a low-interest loan, which is not helpful if you already lost a lot of income. This is a long story. The short answer, No. We also do not have insurance on anything. How can you insure, let’s say, a patch of corn, or a few rows of Zucchini… you can’t. That is why we appreciate your support so much. For the most part CSA payments literally and actually get spent on farm things to start the season again.

And we are especially grateful when our CSA members also feel like purchasing extras with us, instead of in the store when they get their groceries. And we show that appreciation in how we work our CSA.

The other part is your commitment to picking up your share each week or making arrangements to have someone else pick it up. Let us know, however, since we’re not giving your share to just anyone. Unlike anyone else we know, we also let you pick up extra the next time if you tell us ahead of time that you won’t be able to pick up.

However, if there is no communication, and you do not pick up your share, you lost that pickup. Much like any other membership, gym, for example.

Communication is the key to not having any pickup missed, even if you can’t make it. But, there is a limit to how often we can do this.

When you buy a share, you agree to this by default. We also make it clear in the descriptions. We ask for your signature for this when CSA starts, just to make sure everyone has read and understood this.

Since it is clearly stated and explained multiple times, this serves as a binding contract. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not purchase a CSA share with us. If you are OK with it and trust that we will take good care of you, to the very best of our ability, and try everything in our power to make this a pleasant experience for you, please DO join our CSA. We would love to serve you. We also ask you to sign a form to make sure everyone read and understood.

As someone noticed, “everyone is leaving with big smiles and full bags”. As it should be

We reserve the right to change prices without notice.

There might be different sales on the website and on location, as well as cash-only deals that are not available on the website.

This might be because of limited quantities and/or quick sales. We “man and woman” all aspects ourselves, which means if we have 10 of something left, for example, we are not going to have this on the website, because that could be sold within the first hour of market, and if you place your order after that online, it gets messy. I would not be able to update the website while working the market. I could, but what if it is not just that one item? Hence, that limited item will not be on the website.

We might find that we have more very ripe Tomatoes than we thought, when setting up, and put them on Sale. We might just feel like having a Sale.

But if you stop by when we’re open, it’s there, and yours. You are always welcome to check in and ask about something.

And "Good to Know” to answer the question “Can they do that?” - Yes, we can. Please read

Please also check our Return Policy and all that, it’s all “good to know” Thank you. And yes, we really are doing our very, very best to make everyone happy and satisfied and wanting to come back. But, things happen, and we have to talk about it. Preferably before it happens.