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CSA 
The Basics Sign-Up FAQ Newsletter Recipes Praise 
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FAQ Frequently Asked Questions ABOUT THE VEGGIE BOXES 1. What's a CSA and why does Foggy River Farm have one?
LOGISTICS (PAYMENT, PICK-UP, etc.) 5. How much does a Full Share cost?
ABOUT THE FARM
13. Are you organic?
For those who aren't familiar with the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model, here's how it works: At the start of the year, community members can buy a share of the farm's produce; each week, members receive a box of freshly-harvested produce straight from the farm. It's a way for Sonoma County eaters to become more closely connected with our food and the land, animals and farmers responsible for bringing it to our plates. It's also a great way for us farmers to be more closely connected to the people who are eating the food we grow, and it provides our farm with the stability of knowing at the beginning of the year that we have a market for our produce. We strive to give our members a great value for their dollar. Boxes cost $25/week, but during recent seasons the average weekly value was $27 (when compared with grocery store prices.) On top of their weekly veggie shares, members get added benefits: U-pick items; seasonal farm parties; a weekly newsletter with recipes and tips, and extra treats like pumpkins for carving in October. For anyone who cannot pay the weekly cost, we also offer sliding scale options to pay what you can, as well as work-trade opportunities to come help out on harvest days and take home a big box of fresh produce (it's fun!) We also are registered to accept EBT payment, so just reach out to us for details if you'd like to use EBT. We believe that everyone deserves healthy, flavorful food and an opportunity to be closely connected to land.
Each week's share comes with an email newsletter with recipes, cooking tips, and news from the farm. Check out some newsletter examples. Check our the 2010 Weekly CSA Share Summary (Click to enlarge)
An example Spring season share might include Waltham broccoli, bagged spinach, baby carrots, butter leaf (head) lettuce, Swiss chard, French breakfast radishes, and green garlic. An example Summer season share might include Brandywine heirloom tomatoes, Genovese basil, cilantro, Romanesco zucchini, Armenian cucumber, Yellowstone carrots, Tuscan kale, a head of garlic and a red or yellow onion. An example Fall season share might include Sungold cherry tomatoes, arugula, Early Wonder beets, cauliflower, delicata squash, Russian Banana fingerling potatoes and a head of garlic. (Occasional treats to look forward to include: sweet cantaloupe, delicate squash blossoms or garlic scapes, and Jack-O-Lanterns at Halloween.)
Yes, you can choose to add pasture-raised, organic eggs to supplement your produce share ($3/half-dozen.) The eggs come from our flock of free-range hens, a mix of heritage and commercial breeds. You can expect brown, white and green/blue eggs--with deep orange yolks and excellent cooking quality. We are offering only half-dozen shares, because our hens can only lay so many eggs each week and we want as many CSA members as possible to be able to enjoy them.
If you price-check organic, pasture-raised eggs at Safeway, you'll find that they generally cost more than $5 per dozen. We realize this might seem like a lot to pay for eggs, but there are a number of factors that make our pasture-raised organic eggs more expensive than conventionally-raised, battery-farm eggs. First, we have raised our hens from day-old chicks (and some from the egg itself!), caring for them and feeding them for the five months before they start laying. Second, we feed them mostly organic grains, for which we pay a premium. The hens go through at least 100 pounds of feed a week-at over $20 per 50lb bag (feed they were also eating for the 20+ weeks before they started laying)--as well as frequently changed bedding material to keep them healthy and clean. And importantly, our chickens roam freely, enjoying a balanced diet of grasses, grubs, and Foggy River organic produce. This requires space but also results in eggs with deep orange yolks, delicious and highly nutritious, packed with omega-3's. Finally, we're so proud of our chickens' lifestyle that we encourage you to come visit. You'll see that they're quite content-and receive plenty of TLC. ******************* LOGISTICS (Payment, pick-up, etc.)
The cost is $25 per week. The cost for the 27-week season (mid May through mid November) comes out to $675, but if you pay for the entire season upfront, you get your first box for free (i.e. $650 total). There is a $3/week additional fee for members who opt to have their boxes delivered to central location in town instead of picking up on the farm. For those who sign up mid-season, we simply adjust the cost to reflect the number of weeks you will be receiving. For anyone who cannot pay the weekly cost, as long as we have space available we also offer sliding scale options to pay what you can, as well as work-trade opportunities to come help out on harvest days and take home a big box of fresh produce (it's fun!) We also are registered to accept EBT payment, so just reach out to us for details if you'd like to use EBT. We believe that everyone deserves healthy, flavorful food and an opportunity to be closely connected to land.
We don't currently sell half shares, because the logistics of organizing boxes becomes exponentially more complicated when some are half and others a full. However, we do have members who team up with friends or family to split a full share. (Some of these members trade off every other week with a neighbor/friend; others divide up the produce each week.) We generally keep a waiting-list of people who are interested in pairing up with someone else, so please contact us if you are looking for someone to split a share with and we can help facilitate a these arrangements.
Signing up is easy. You just need to submit an online application and then make a payment. Visit the Sign-Up page to get started.
The simplest way to pay is to visit our online store. There are several payment options: 1) pay for the full season upfront, and get your first box for free; 2) pay in two installments: one at the start of the season and one midway through the season; 3) pay in quarterly installments; 4) set up recurring monthly paymets linked to your credit card; or 5) pay with SNAP/EBT funds. Note that if you are able to pay a larger portion before the CSA season starts, this helps the farm with our Spring expenses (seeds, soil amendments, and labor costs for planting.) Thank you! If you would like to pay with SNAP/EBT, please contact us for details. For delivery of your box to a central location in Windsor or Healdsburg, add $3 per week. Please note that For anyone who cannot pay the weekly cost, as long as we have space available we also have sliding scale, work trade, and EBT options. See details above.
Pick-up time is 3:30pm - 6:00pm on Wednesdays, every week during the Summer CSA Season (approx. May-Nov.) Pick up switches to twice per month during the Winter CSA Season (approx. Nov-Feb.)
You will have four primary pick-up options: 1) at the farm stand at 8291 Eastside Road (where you can custom-fill your own box.) This is about 10 minutes from downtown Healdsburg, and about 7 minutes from downtown Windsor and Forestville; 2) at our central drop-off point in Healdsburg (off of Mason Street near the Memorial Bridge), with a $3 delivery fee; 3) at our central drop-off point in Windsor (Windsor Presbyterian Church, Windsor River Rd.), with a $3 delivery fee. 4) at our central drop-off point in Forestville or Sebastopol (if enough sign-ups), with a $3 delivery fee. 5) at a new drop-off site (if you can meet the criteria outlined below), with a $3 delivery fee.
If we do not have a pick up site near you but you are able to gather at least 5 members who would like to pick up in your neighborhood--within a 20 minute radius of the farm--then we will add a new pick up site. (This could include locations in Santa Rosa, Forestville, Geyserville, etc.) Ideally, the drop-off sites will have an easily-accessed outdoor area where the boxes might be left in the afternoon shade until members come by to pick up their boxes. If we opt to use your home as a drop-off point we will waive the delivery fee from your box.
If you're out of town on the pick-up day, you have two options: 1) have a friend pick-up your box and enjoy it for you; or 2) notify us that you'll be gone and we will donate your box to the Healdsburg food pantry or another local charity. ******************* ABOUT THE FARM
YES! Our vegetables, fruit, eggs, beans, and grains are all USDA Certified Organic. It took us several year to finally decide to become certified organic due to the cost of certification--which is several hundred dollars per year--but we have always grown using 100% organic practices. We actually strive to be more sustainable than the basic organic certification requirements. We don't ever spray any synthetic chemical sprays (and we very rarely even use any organic-certified sprays). We use natural, organic soil amendments to enhance the fertility of our soil. We also do much of the work at the farm by hand, to minimize our carbon footprint. And the best part is, as a CSA member you're welcome to stop by for a visit to walk the fields and talk to us about our growing practices. Our "Community Cultivator" weekly CSA newsletter often shares field stories and insights into our growing practices.
Many of our vegetables are heirloom varieties, and our chickens are a mix of hybrid and heritage breeds. We strive to offer rare and endangered varieties that can occasionally spice up your diet and dazzle your dinner guests--purple beans, candy-striped beets, tiger-stripe tomatoes, purple potatoes--as well as plenty of the old classics that we all know and love.
Yes! We encourage you to pick up your share at the farm so that you can stay connected to the land, see your food growing, visit with the hens or goats, and just be outside in a beautiful place! Bring your family and friends! Our CSA members are always welcome to walk around the farm. If it's not during a normal pick up time, just give us a call, or send us an email, and we're more than happy to show you around. If you choose to pick up your box on the farm, you can visit every week!
We will be hosting community workdays during the CSA season, which will offer you the chance to learn about some organic growing techniques. Participating in work-trade harvest times is also a fun way to learn and stay connected with your food and farmers. Our "Community Cultivator" weekly CSA newsletter often shares field stories and insights into our growing practices, and your farmers are always happy to answer any questions during CSA pick up time at the farm.
Emmett's grandparents bought the property in the 1950s, moving the family up from southern California to Sonoma County. His father grew up picking prunes and pears on Eastside Road, and now grows wine grapes on the fertile floodplain soil. We have carved out space for our vegetables and hens, converting 15 acres from grapes to organic vegetables, grains, dry beans and rotating chickens. Take a look at the Farm page to see some vintage photos of past decades on the farm. A big reason why we started the vegetable farm and CSA was so that we could share the land with people in our community. ******************* Want to sign up?
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A full share is a weekly box of mixed produce that changes with the seasons, typically including 6-9 different vegetable varieties. We strive to make each week's box enough to fulfill the weekly produce requirements for a family of four-but of course this will depend entirely on your personal eating habits. A vegetarian, plant-loving couple can go through a full share a week.
