What our members have expressed about our CSA:

"We so appreciate these delicious fruits and vegetables! And mission accomplished -- our fifteen year old son is eating them! We really enjoy the newsletter also." – Adrianne, Glenn and Kyle Wojnar

"Dear Farmer Tom and All your Crew, My husband and I would like to thank you for all the hard work and caring that goes into providing us with nutritious, tasty, locallly grown, and sustainable fruits and vegetables throughout the year. As we enjoy them every week we are grateful for your effort and judgement in the field. We wanted you to know how much we apprediate the opportunity to participate in your program. Thank you!" – Zara Dee Mehta

"The veggies and fruit are delicious! How can I eat anything else now!?" – Heather McKenna

"It's a real luxury to have this tremendous bounty of great food, and even better knowing that it's being produced in a way that's good for the earth, the farmer, the workers, and everyone involved. My only concern is that I will be desolated when the season comes to an end. What will I do in December, January, February and March?" – Heather Murdock

"My children loved visiting the farm and want to be reassured that the veggies on their plates are from their farm." (a sentiment expressed by more than one parent!)

"We first learned about Live Earth Farm last year when a friend of mine started sharing her 'extra' produce with me. We thought we had been eating 'real' food already, but realized we hadn't when we tasted your produce - truly phenomenal!" – Amanda Kelly

"Dear Tom and Debbie, Thank you for all the hard work you do, - not just getting us our lovely and nutritious vegetables and fruits - but for the thoughtfulness you put into the newsletters; sharing your beliefs, opinions and concerns for our world; for the care with which you tend your farm, your crops and your staff; for your humanity, integrity and morality. Our family is happier, healthier, more hopeful, I think, for being part of your CSA family. And for that, we are most grateful." – Terry, Joe and Phillip Hingston

The Regular Season

In 2010 our Regular Season will be 34 weeks long, beginning the last day of March/1st day of April [Weds March 31st/Thurs April 1st] and ending the week before Thanksgiving in November [Weds Nov 17th/Thurs Nov 18th]. Generally speaking, when we talk about 'The Season' we are referring to our Regular season.

The Winter Season

We also offer a Winter Share, however this is usually limited to our existing CSA members only. Want to know more about it though? Click here.

Our Shares and Options (Regular season)

We have two share sizes during the regular season – a Family Share, and a Small Share.

We also have several Options which can be added to either share. There are two different fruit options: Extra Fruit and Fruit "Bounty". We also have Pastured Eggs, and new in 2008: fresh artisinal sourdough Bread! Read on for details.

Family Share

The Family Share consists of a large quantity and variety of seasonal vegetables, and always includes some fruit as well. It is roughly sufficient for a family of four for one week. See past newsletters for actual listings of 'what was in the box' each week. Try clicking on weeks from different months to see how content changes over the season! Also, see our Harvest Schedule to get an idea of what all we grow. A vegetarian family, large households, or co-ops may want to buy two or more Family Shares.

Small Share

Our Small Share will contain a variety of seasonal produce suitable for two-person households for one week (or for bigger families that maybe don't cook every day, but still want to have fresh, local and organic produce in their diet!). The Small Share may not always include fruit, but will most of the time. It will definitely include fruit when we have an abundance, like strawberries when we are flush with them in the spring and summer, and apples or sometimes even avocados in the fall! (It is always a little different every year.)

Every week during the season you will receive a newsletter via email which, in addition to farm news and pictures, contains several recipes geared for using 'what's in the box' that week. We also have a truly huge compendium of recipes in our online recipe database -- a great inspiration generator when you're running out of ideas of your own!

Extra Fruit Option

The Extra Fruit Option is 29 weeks of additional fruit starting in May and running through the end of the season. We call it 'Extra' Fruit for a reason, because although you get some fruit with your Share, this option adds a greater quantity and more variety. If you are a fruit lover, you'll want this! The fruit you get with this option evolves slowly over the course of the season, starting with lots of fabulous strawberries in the spring (strawberries most of the season, actually!). Coming into the summer you will see (in no particular order other than when they are ripe!) blackberries, raspberries, plums, apricots, and delicious concord grapes, followed by apples (4-5 different varieties) and pears (French butter pears) and pineapple guavas. Sometimes we may supplement our fruit offerings with fruit from other local, organic growers, things like avocados and kiwis. See see Harvest Schedule for an idea of what fruit is ripe when. Please note: our Extra Fruit option sells out early, often before the season starts. Be sure to check our registration page for availability.

Fruit "Bounty" Option

The "Bounty" Option is 15 floating weeks of additional fruit. It is functionally different than our "Extra Fruit" Option, above, in that the weeks you will receive your fruit are not tied to specific calendar dates, but rather to seasonal production, i.e. to those periods when we have a flush of our different fruit crops (but you will be guaranteed a total of 15 weeks of additional fruit by the end of the season). The "Bounty" may contain any of the fruit we grow. Think of it kind of like a 'chef's tasting menu' at a restaurant! How much fruit is in a "Bounty" option? It will always be equivalent in quantity to the "Extra Fruit" option (the per-week cost is the same), but to be more specific, in 2008 "Bounty" members started with 3, 4, then 5 baskets of strawberries each week [when we were really flush with them]; another week they got 2 baskets of strawberries and 2 baskets of apricots; another week was 2 of strawberries, 1 of apricots, and a bag of plums; yet another was 2 of apricots, 2 of blackberries and 2 of strawberries; yet another (as the fall fruit bounty arrived) was a bag of apples, a bag of pears, and a basket of our sumptuous sungold cherry tomatoes! You can feel the bounty of the seasons evolve with this option.

Pastured Eggs Option

There is a world of difference between "Pastured" and "Free Range Organic" eggs. Click here to learn more about our CSA's eggs, where they come from, and why you want to make this particular distinction when selecting eggs to feed your family. Important Note: The Egg Option is a half-dozen, so if you want a dozen per week, be sure to request 2 'Options'. Good news for 2008: we are happy to announce that the Egg Option will be available the full length of our season – 33 weeks! (In 2007, eggs were only available May-October.)

Bread Option

Get a freshly handmade loaf of artisinal bread each week with your share! Click here to learn more about this wonderful new option. If you love bread, you will love this!!


How our CSA delivery system works

During our regular season, Live Earth Farm delivers weekly shares to multiple pick-up locations throughout Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monerey counties. Each week, you go to your chosen location, during the time allotted, and pick up your share of fruit and vegetables to take home with you (we do not offer door-to-door delivery).

The main portion of your Family or Small share will be packed inside a box, however any part of your share which is especially delicate – like berries or heirloom tomatoes – will be set outside your box at your pick-up site (all Options will also be outside the box as well). There is a binder with a checklist at each pick-up site which spells out exactly what you are supposed to take each week. Read more about this below under Pick-up Protocol.

Depending on where you pick up your share, you will either pick up on a Wednesday or Thursday. See Pick-up locations, days and times, below, for which locations deliver on which days.

Cost and Signup Info

2010 Regular Season rates
(click here to see rates for Winter Season)

Payment Methods

We take payment by check, credit card or PayPal.

Payment Plans

The CSA concept embodies paying the farmer in advance for the season, however for those who cannot afford to pay the full amount at one time, we also have our two-payment and monthly payment plans, which allow you to spread your payments out over the season.

How do I sign up?

Since there often is more demand for our CSA shares than we are able to supply, we need to control the number of signups we take in so that we don't oversubscribe. Fortunately we have started using a new CSA signup system, which keeps track for us. If space is available you will be able to sign up; if you end up on our waiting list, we will contact you when space becomes available.

When do I pay?

We always request some sort of deposit* at signup (to reserve your share combination), and then you pay your balance due according to one of our payment plans.

*between October and January, the deposit is a flat fee ($200/share, $50/option); the rest of the year it is the first payment of whichever payment plan you choose. Either way, your deposit is always applied towards your total share cost (i.e. your balance due is your total share cost less any deposit you have paid).

Registering for each new season

Currently, every member must sign up anew each season; being a member one season does not guarantee your membership in the next (including winter). You must re-sign up for each season. We generally begin Registration for our next Regular Season (and for the Winter Season!) during the fall of the current season. Notification is sent out by email to our existing members the beginning of October. October is reserved exclusively for members to 're-enlist' (i.e. before we begin allowing waitlisters to sign up). Starting in November, we open up Registration to people on our waiting list as well, and then continue to take signups until we are full.

How/when will I know I'm getting the share combination I wanted?

We email everyone a Confirmation upon receipt of signup AND payment. If you are paying by credit card, your signup and payment are simultaneous. If you choose the pay-by-check option, however, merely completing the signup process does not secure your share – you also need to mail us your check(s). We email you your confirmation when we receive them. Note that in the pay-by-check scenario, the bounce-back email you get immediately upon signing up is NOT your confirmation, it is simply an acknowledgement that your signup was sent successfully. You need to mail the checks.

Pick-up locations, days, and times (Regular season*)
  [*Click HERE for Winter season sites/times]

Our Policies

Pick-up Protocol

The Binder, the Checklist and Newsletters

	There will be a binder at each pick-up location. Inside it is the checklist which spells out what you are supposed to take in terms of share, eggs, and fruit, etc.
	Always go to the binder first and look to see if your name is on the checklist before taking your share, then check off the box next to your name to let us know you picked up.
	If your name is NOT on the list, do not take anything, because we didn't pack anything for you. You will be short-changing another member if you do so. Instead, call us, and we will find out why and work things out.
	If your name IS on the list, a share HAS been packed for you, so don't leave empty-handed. Occasionally someone will take the wrong thing, and if you are one of the last to pick up and there are no boxes left in your share size, you may take a share of the other size (then call and let us know so we can remedy any inequities, if necessary). People can also forget to check off next to their name, so don't assume remaining shares necessarily map to the number of un-checked boxes on the checklist. If your name is on the list, take a share.
	ALWAYS look at the checklist first before taking anything! Fruit, in particular, can change in type OR quantity from week to week, so never assume it will be the same as the week before. And look for hand-written notes from us. Sometimes changes or special offerings are noted after the lists have been printed.
	If there is a problem with your share or pick-up site, please CALL US (or email us) as soon as possible. Leaving a handwritten note on the checklist does not help – checklists don't come back to the farm until after the following week's delivery so by that time, the opportunity to handle your concern has passed.
	Newsletters are emailed to you each week on Monday or Tuesday night.

The Box

	There are two different sizes of boxes, corresponding to our Family and Small shares. ALWAYS take a moment to be sure you are taking your produce from the correct size box. Family Share boxes are mostly white, and slightly larger; Small share boxes are mostly brown, and slightly smaller. We only drop off the exact number of each size share, so if you take the wrong size you will be short-changing another member (or yourself!).
	Do not take the box itself home with you. We reuse our share boxes and they are expensive to replace. Each box has a perforated plastic bag liner (to help keep your produce fresher longer). You are WELCOME to use this liner bag to take your produce home in.
	Flatten your box please. Once you have removed your veggies from the box, turn it over, 'unlock' it (see diagram below and in binder), flatten it, and leave it in a neat pile with the other boxes. Do not just leave your empty box for 'someone else to deal with.'
	Do not tear the box when you go to flatten it – we'd like our boxes to last as long as possible! The diagram below shows you how to do this, and is also in the binder if you forget!

Your Fruit