NEW! ACCOUNT ACCESS and WEB STORE

Members: you can now log in to see your next delivery day, directions to your pick-up site, order and payment status and so on. Plus, visit our Web Store to order our produce in bulk ? juicing carrots, dry-farmed tomatoes, raspberries and strawberries, and more! Your order comes with your next CSA delivery. (Account Access and Web Store)

PICK-UP LOCATIONS

Our locations in Santa Clara/San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties! (Pick-Up Locations)

PICK-UP PROTOCOL

PICKING UP

Remember to pick up your box!
It is your responsibility to remember to pick up your share on the correct day and during the allocated time. If you forget, we cannot refund, replace or give you credit for your missed share.

After hours, boxes are reallocated
If you miss picking up your share during the allocated delivery time, your site host is authorized to give away your share (so the food does not go to waste).

Respect our site hosts
Please do not disturb host by coming by late at night or early the next morning. Many of our pick-up sites are at members' private homes, and, unless you have express permission from them, we ask you to respect the times they have allowed for members to access their property.

Neatness counts
Please be neat! After removing your produce from its box, carefully unfold it (see diagram below) and stack it neatly with the others in a flat pile, like so:

If you bring back strawberry baskets or egg cartons for us to re-use, stack them neatly with any others already there. When taking the produce out of your box, do not drop stray vegetable or fruit scraps on the ground or in the yard (this includes strawberry tops, if you or your child are eating them while unpacking!).

Courtesy counts
Please be respectful! Courtesy for fellow members and for a site host's property (and their neighbors!) is paramount. Treat your pick-up site the way you would wish someone else to treat yours – with respect.

Be safe
There are other members, their children, and other traffic around our pick-up sites – watch for them please.

THE BINDER AND CHECKLIST
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, fruit, etc.

Please, always check the binder first
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.

Not on the list? Don't take anything
If your name is NOT on the Checklist, 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.

On the list? Take a share (even if...)
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, so if there are no boxes left in your share size, 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.

Double-check what's yours
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, or even what it says in the newsletter. And look for hand-written notes from us. Sometimes changes or special offerings are noted after the lists have been printed.

Problem? Call or email at once
If there is a problem with your share or pick-up site, please CALL US (or email us) as soon as possible. Don't just leave a note on the Checklist – site hosts may see it, but checklists don't come back to the farm until after the following week's delivery, and by that time the opportunity to handle your concern has passed.

NEWSLETTERS
Newsletters are emailed to you each week on Monday or Tuesday night. They usually become available in the newsletter archive later that week.

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!).

Take the bag, leave the box
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.

Gently flatten your box. Gently!
Flatten your box please. Once you have removed your veggies from the box, turn it over, 'unlock' it (see diagram above), 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 above shows you how to do this. Thanks!

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Your Fruit
In order to maximize quality and freshness of our berries and other delicate items like heirloom tomatoes, they will not be packed inside the share boxes, but rather will be set to the side in bulk. The Checklist (see above) will specify the combined total of how much fruit you are to take. Please only take the amount indicated or you will be short-changing another member! Remember, quantities can change from week to week, so ALWAYS check the list every week before taking any fruit.

The Eggs (by the half-dozen)
The eggs will be inside a cooler at your pickup site. Eggs are an option that members sign up and pay for in addition to their regular share. DO NOT take eggs unless they are indicated beside your name on the Checklist. DO return cartons to your drop site the following week, as we can re-use them. Thanks!

Note: ALL eggs are in half-dozen cartons. The number of egg options next to your name indicates the number of half-dozens you are to take, NOT the number of dozens! One 'carton' = 6 eggs = one egg option.

The Bread
Bread is an option that members sign up and pay for in addition to their regular share. DO NOT take a loaf of bread unless it says so beside your name on the checklist. Bread will be in a separate box somewhere at your pickup site.

Exchange or 'Trades' Box
Most locations have an informal "Exchange Box." If you have something in your share one week which you don't want, you may put it in the exchange box, and help yourself to anything else in there that someone else might not have wanted but which looks good to you! If there is no obvious 'Exchange Box' set up at your location, feel free to use an empty share box and start one! Any items left in the Exchange Box at the end of the day will be donated or composted by the site host.

Thank you!

POLICIES

Pick-up Protocol
There are many protocols about how to proceed when picking up your share – high among them are courtesy, honesty, and neatness. Understanding and following our Pick-up Protocol is very important to the successful operation of our CSA! Not following instructions leads to problems, and chronic abusers may be asked to leave our membership. Please be sure to read our Pick-up Protocol, above.

Post-dated checks please...
If you choose the monthly (or two-payment) payment plan and pay by check, we request that you pre-write and send us all your checks for the entire season up front (post-dated Apr 1, May 1, Jun 1, etc). We keep them on file, and do not deposit them until after the first of the month for which they cover. If you should drop out of the program for any reason, we will void and return (or shred) all of your undeposited checks. See our cancellation policy (below) if you need to discontinue mid-month. (See our FAQ for tip on keeping track of post-dated checks in your checkbook.)

Bounced-check Policy
Okay, we don't like this one any more than you do, but we've gotta have it in writing. So if you should happen to bounce a check, we reserve the right to collect a $15 fee to cover the logistical costs inherent in correcting the situation/arranging for replacement payment, etc. (We are pleased to report, though, that this rarely happens amongst our wonderful CSA membership!)

Vacation Policy
Many members have asked, "What if I know I am going to be gone for a few weeks during the season and unable to pick up my box? Do I still have to pay for it?" Our policy is, if you are going to be gone for at least a month and you give us at least 3 weeks advance notice, we can refund you for those weeks. There is a $25 processing fee for setting up vacations - please read about this in our Refund Policy, below.

If on the other hand you are going to be gone for less than 4 weeks, or only a week here, a week there, we ask that you pay for your share, and then be creative – have a friend or neighbor pick it up while you're gone, or give it to the person who house or pet sits for you while you're away. (Be sure they are well versed in the Pick-Up Protocol!)

If you can't find a taker, you can always ask us to donate it. There are several places, programs and families who benefit from this (see below).

Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel, please give us at least 2 weeks advance notice so that we have time to find a replacement taker for your share. If you paid using our 'monthly' plan with checks, and cancel mid-month, keep in mind that we cannot refund you for a partial month (but will void and return [or shred] all remaining months' checks). If you paid using our 'one payment' or 'two payment' plan, you will be refunded for any remaining weeks in the season (but after a minimum of 4 weeks). Please read about our Refund Policy, below.

Refund Policy
There will be a $25 processing fee for any change to your membership or share combination initiated by you that results in a refund (including downgrading your share size, discontinuing options, vacation, or cancellation). Please allow up to 30 days for the processing of any refund.

There is NO processing fee for upgrading your share, adding options, donating your share, or for any error on our part that necessitates a refund.

Donating your share
If you know in advance that you will not be able to pick up your share and want to donate it, call or email the farm and let us know. Please give us a few days notice!! Less than 2 days and we can't guarantee we'll be able to arrange the donation, but we will do our best. We cannot donate if you contact us the day of delivery; shares are already scheduled and en route to your pick-up site.

Once notified, we arrange to redirect your share to a needy family or organization (such as Loaves & Fishes in Watsonville), where they are greatly appreciated!

Share-splitting
You are welcome to split a share with someone, however share-splitting is the responsibility of the member who signed up for the share; we do not manage the splitting of shares. This includes payment: you are responsible for all payments – do not divide the cost and pay half/have your share-splitter pay half. You pay us for everything and have your share-splitter reimburse you for their half. DO give us your share-splitter's contact info though (name, phone, and email), so we can note them in our database and see they receive a copy of our e-newsletter!