Hello Dear CSA Members! The following is all the details for the 2021 SPRING CSA PROGRAM - STARTING THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL PAST MEMBERS: It is recommended that you join the pre-season meeting and read through this e-mail for any changes from Winter 2020. You are also encouraged to print it out for easy reference throughout the 13 week season.
Preseason Meeting
We will be having an informational pre-season meeting on Monday, March 22nd @ 6pm (PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE FROM THE PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER) If you have any questions, this would be a great time to ask. We will do our best to keep it short. 30 - 40 Minutes TOPS. It will stay posted for about a month after the meeting so you can go back and re-watch it. To tune in to the Facebook Live and to participate you must already be a member* of or join the Ahavah Community Facebook Group HERE before the meeting on Monday, March 22nd @ 6pm. Preseason Meeting
*The video will be posted to Youtube and sent out for all non-Facebook users.
COMMUNICATION
All communication for changes, holds, requests etc. must come through e-mail and not through Facebook or Social Media channels.
The following are the contact emails you may need:
contact@ahavahfarm.com - this is the main contact for all CSA communication or general business inquiries.
aci@ahavahcommunity.org - this is the main contact for all Ahavah Community Initiative communication or general business inquiries, donations and volunteering.
nursery@ahavahfarm.com - this is the main contact for all nursery and seedling communication or general nursery-related business inquiries.
Follow updates, announcements, news and memes on our social media pages:
Ahavah Farm
Ahavah Community Initiative
Ahavah Farm Nursery
Our Hashtags
EXTRA VEGGIES FOR SALE
DON'T FORGET: SNAP MEMBERS ALWAYS RECEIVE 50% OFF!!
&
As always, all prices are
"Pay-What-You-Can-Afford."
ALL MEMBERS AUTOMATICALL RECEIVE 10% OFF ON ALL EXTRA VEGGIES (SNAP receives an additional 50%!).
See the weekly "What's in your Bag" e-mails that get sent on Wednesdays for your "extras" list.
For Payment: Cash or Check at the drops or the balance can be sent via PayPal to contact@ahavahfarm.com or via Venmo to 719-233-7828 or by paying with credit card over the phone.
GET YOUR SHARE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR!
Door to door deliveries are available for a fee.
Signing up is easy.
1. Log in to your dashboard at www.ahavahfarm.com
2. Next, click on "CSA Signup" to see all associated products for purchase (including door to door delivery options).
3. all door to door delivery purchases must be made no later than Sunday night, the week of delivery.
HOLDS, CREDITS and DOUBLE SHARES
One of the things that makes our CSA special is that we offer you to place a
"HOLD" and to receive a "CREDIT" for a "DOUBLE SHARE." Follow these steps if you are going on vacation or taking a week off from CSA.
1. Email your request to place a hold to contact@ahavahfarm.com NO LATER THAN SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT OF THE WEEK OF HARVEST.
2. Enjoy your vacation.
3. When you are ready for your "DOUBLE SHARE" you must e-mail contact@ahavahfarm.com to place your request NO LATER THAN SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT OF THE WEEK OF HARVEST.
4. Enjoy your double share.
NOTES and RESTRICTIONS: If you request a double share, there is a possibility that we may request a different week due to one reason or another. Double-shares are USE-IT or LOSE-IT.
If you don't use your credits by the end of the season they do NOT roll-over. *NEW* - If you are an "Auto-Renewal" Member we will automatically carry over your credits to the next season - all other members do not get carry-over credits!
In addition, please note that there is a maximum of 1 credit to be used per week (no triple shares).
👀 MARKET STYLE IS BACK! 👀
Market Style is back and it is THE BEST!!!
Market Style gives you more choice over your veggies and it's also an opportunity to enjoy the community during our OUTDOOR Farmer's Market-Style CSA pickup.
There are more details below, buuuut...are you signed up for Market Style?
If you are not signed up for market-style, and you want to be, please send a quick e-mail to FarmHer Havah at contact@ahavahfarm.com to let us know.
**If you do not sign up for Market-Style, you will receive a Traditional bag with the varieties of our choice.
**Regarding Covid-19, all state mandates and laws will be followed and enforced. If there is still a mask mandate, we will enforce this law, and if the mandate is lifted then we will also lift this requirement.
NURSERY NEWS - IMPORTANT!!!
Attention Home Gardeners! If you are planning a garden this year, you MUST get your orders in
soon! We will be cutting off all guaranteed pre-orders no later than April 1st!
Also, if you are planning on purchasing seeds from an online retailer or other retailer, be prepared that your desired seeds will be sold out. We have seen an over 500% increase in seed, seedling and gardening supplies and many retailers are ALREADY sold out! Place your orders today, as supplies across the globe, particularly here in the United States are running very tight and prices for seeds and seedlings are going through the roof! Don't worry though, our seedling prices are set in stone for 2021 and WILL NOT be increasing! In addition, you save 15% off all orders! See below...
Because we love you, we want to give our CSA members a gift...
ALL CSA MEMBERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE 15% OFF ON ALL IN-PERSON PURCHASES. TO RECEIVE 15% YOUR ENTIRE ONLINE ORDER, USE CODE "NURSERY15" AT CHECKOUT!!!
Pre-Order all your garden seedlings for 2021 (over 70 heirloom varieties!) and have them
guaranteed to be available on your selected date in your selected location: Colorado Springs, Denver, Monument and Peyton.
🚨DEADLINE TO PRE-ORDER IS APRIL 1ST!🚨
Use Code NURSERY15 at checkout.
It’s never to early to plan a 2021 victory garden! Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/nursery for more information and USE CODE NURSERY15 at checkout!
CSA PICKUP LOCATIONS AND TIMES
NOTATE TIMES: Times are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.
Please be aware that it is your responsibility to check Facebook and this newsletter at www.ahavahfarm.com/blog for updated information and changes.
Monument / N. Colorado Springs @ Beasts and Brews
- Thursdays
- 12pm to 1pm
- 7 Spectrum Loop, Colorado Springs, CO
Denver @ Jewish Community Center
- THURSDAYS
- 3pm to 4pm
- 350 S. Dahlia St, Denver CO
Colorado Springs @ Ranch Foods Direct
- FRIDAYS
- 1pm to 2pm (Traditional share Drive Thru + Market Style)
- 2:00pm to 6pm (Traditional share pickup Inside store)
- 4635 Town Center Dr.
Ahavah Farm @ Ahavah farm
- FRIDAYS
- 1oam to 11am
- 7545 Log Rd., Peyton CO
INTRODUCING: A Microgreen CSA Share!
Love our microgreens!? Than this selection is for you! Receive 3 types of microgreens every week of the year and save 17% every single week!
SIGNUP ANYTIME. BILLING IS WEEKLY.
Our microgreens are fresh and will last - unlike anything you can find in the store. We pride ourselves on our microgreen quality as being not only absolutely pure - grown without chemicals, fertilizers or inefficient energy (we grow with 100% solar, renewable energy!), but they are absolutely beautiful, long-lasting and delicious! We really can't rave enough, they are THAT good!
What's in a Share?
In your share you will receive a combination of 3 microgreens every week with the option to purchase add-ons and extras when available. Every week we will be growing a mixture of microgreens and you will receive 3 selections of the following: Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Radish, Kale, Kohlrabi, Basil, Cilantro, Lettuce, Brocolli and more.
Pickup locations and times are the same as Ahavah Farm Veggie Share CSA but you do not have to be a veggie-share member to be a microgreen CSA member - these are two independent programs combined into one.
Go to https://www.ahavahfarm.com/microgreen-csa to learn more and to sign up!
🔦 Ahavah Community Initiative SPOTLIGHT 🔦
Please consider making a year-end tax-deductible gift to Ahavah Community Initiative (registered 501c3) by CLICKING HERE.
Since 2018 We Have (not including Spring and Winter CSA's for 2021)...
Donated 154 CSA memberships to families in need! - Over A value of $53,900.00 of free food - OVER1,800 weekly BAGS of veggies😮!
Facilitated the donation of 42 Double Up Food Buck Grants valued at $15,750.00 of free food!
Taught 31 full-length classes on regenerative and biological agriculture.
Attended 48 outreach events to spread regenerative agriculture education to our community including school events, speaking engagements and markets.
Have provided 27 educational tours.
Hosted 4 large public events.
Educated 5 regenerative farming interns.
In addition, Ahavah Farm (aside from ACI) has donated an additional $56,750.00 worth of free food to numerous outlets and families in our local community
We have paid ZERO dollars to salaries or to "other" overhead.
Interested in making a tax-deductible donation? Ahavah Community Initiative is registered as a 501c3 with the State of Colorado as a non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
Want to get involved with either ACI or as a volunteer on the farm? E-mail us to let us know. We are always looking for volunteers and we would love for you to join the party!
BRING-A-BUCK!
Oh the amazing power of community and crowdfunding!
Every week, at all of the CSA locations, we have a bin or jar that looks like this. We ask all of our members to bring just $1 with them every week to help support their fellow-members and community.
Bring $1 every week and be a part of supporting, directly, families in need.
Don't say your $1 isn't important! The only way crowdfunding works is if we all participate. Therefore, your $1 is vitally important and it is directly through this program that we raise the majority of ACI's food donation funds than any other fundraising program, and yet it is the absolute easiest for all of our members to participate!
Everyone can afford to Bring-A-Buck and if we ALL bring $1, the impact can be enormous - to the tune of feeding 1 family for an entire season for every single week we all participate!!!! WOW!!
Ahavah Means Love.
We aim to BE love to you, our community. We aren't perfect, but we strive, and we hope you will too!
DID YOU KNOW that "Ahavah" means "Love" in Hebrew?
As most of you know, the name of our farm, "Ahavah," means "Love," but that's the English translation. So what does "Ahavah" actually mean and why did we name our farm this?
For many of us, when we say, "Ahavah means love" (which we say a lot), the idea that some conjure up immediately is an emotional, lovey-dovey, warm and fuzzy feeling of affection - and we get this reaction all the time: "Oh, that's so nice," we often hear, and I can immediately see in their heads that they are "feeling" the word, as opposed to "visualizing" the word and it's intended meaning.
So what is the intended meaning? The HEBREW word for "Love," which is "Ahavah" means "to serve," to "be kind" and "to give." This is the literal meaning of the word for love and it is broken up in the following manner: the word "ahav" literally means "to give" while the word "ahavah" literally means "I give." Imagine for a moment that when you kissed your children goodnight, or share a moment with your spouse, or tell a friend "I love you" that what you really meant was "I give of myself to you and will sacrifice my life for yours." This is the true meaning behind what the word Ahavah means and what Ahavah Farm stands for. When we say, "Ahavah Farm" what we really mean is "Giving of Ourselves Farm" but that just doesn't have the same ring to it 🙂 . As Jews, our family is called first and foremost to "be love," to "be ahavah": givers of ourselves. To be kind, to be generous, to be uplifting and encouraging, to serve others, to make a difference in people's lives, to be stewards of our earth and to our environment. We are called to give of ourselves to the world and community around us in order to make it a better, more caring place. If this is our family's mission, shouldn't it be the mission of everything in our lives as well...even this farm? As Jews we believe that nothing is ours, not even our own bodies, our time or our money...not even this farm 🙂! We believe that the earth was lent to us by an awesome Creator and it doesn't belong to us as individuals to do with it as we please. It is not my right to mine our land destructively for resources, litter our land, waste our resources or squander our health. It is not my right to treat animals without care, love and compassion. In fact, did you know that we (Jews) are required, in the Torah (the Bible) to feed our animals before we feed ourselves? This is the level of service and responsibility we are called to and it is a message that we try to drive home to our children on a daily basis: Kindness and sacrificial love, "Ahavah," is the most important thing in life!There is a concept in Judaism called "Tikkun Olam": Repairing the world. It's a concept that shouldn't just be for the Jews, but for all of humanity - whether you believe in a higher power or not. It's not just about the earth itself, though this is a huge part of it. It's about repairing our communities, our environment and our souls and relationships. To not just have a "feeling" towards these things, but to live them out in action, every single day and with every decision of our lives.
So if you say that you "love" something, then you have just called yourself to action: to DO something for and about it - for to love something is to give yourself to it. Do we LOVE supporting local food? Then perhaps we should think about not buying groceries at the local box-store and doing more planning. Do we LOVE our earth? Then why are we using mined chemicals and resources, wasting food, using plastic and not wrestling with our food choices and purchase decisions? Do we LOVE people and our community? Then why are we not serving them in at least a small, yet tangible way? To do Tikkun Olam, we must give of ourselves. We must be "Ahavah" to the world and sacrifice our own selfish wants and desires. THIS is what our farm is called to. THIS is what our family is called to. THIS is what every member of our amazing farm crew and team are called to. WE are called to bring kindness, sacrifice, service and giving to our world, to our communities, to our earth and to our own bodies and health - it's the meaning and purpose of life: to serve and to love in a real and tangible way.
This is the real meaning of the name "Ahavah Farm" and we are very proud of that mission and we hope you are too!
COMPOST
Be a part of our ZERO-WASTE mission here at Ahavah Farm and bring us your compost!
PLEASE REMEMBER - NO PLASTIC BAGS.
Want more information? CLICK HERE to learn about the program. Thank you everyone who has been bringing their compost! We are so excited that we can help on your mission to become Waste Free!
What to expect:
We are coming off of the best Spring, Summer and Fall we have ever had. However, this Winter was terrible - the worst in Colorado history! This really dampened our variety, quality and abundance. This is part of CSA membership - during good times we load you up, and during down times, we still try our best to load you up...but if the crop's not growing, well, it's not growing and we can't help that. So with that, we DO expect a great season in Spring and Summer of 2021. We are definitely short-staffed, and we are well-behind where we want to be, but we think by mid-Spring, things will be worked out and we may be caught up and ready to explode the CSA with amazing variety and quality. However, you can certainly expect the season to start out a little slower than usual.
VARIETY:
The season is 12 weeks long. One of the things that makes our CSA unique is our ability and philosophy to balance out the value of your shares throughout the entire season, every season. That means that you won't get a glut of veggies at the end of the season or really sparse shares at the beginning. However, the varieties and some of the "bulk" may change throughout the season, and although we mostly keep things balanced, it's true that your value and size of your share will be bigger in the beginning of the season than towards the end - especially in Fall (opposite all the other seasons). To learn more about what we grow, CLICK HERE.
VALUE:
The goal, from our perspective, is to give you as much variety as we can, while providing you with at least 10% more than what you paid for (we have NEVER failed at this goal, even in 2019 with Bomb Cyclone Elmer). Every Monday (or Tuesday) we will send out a newsletter to our members. This will include any important changes and what to expect for the harvest that week and more. Every Thursday (or Friday) we will send out a bag-packing list. This picture is the bag-packing list from this week and includes what vegetables are in your share. (Click on it to expand it). SUPPORTING LOCAL
Since this is a 100% local CSA, with 100% of everything being grown by our farm, there may be
fluctuations in your share sizes from week to week. There also may be items you have not tried before (actually probably many! - which is the fun!). We do our best to have as many protected crops as possible: against wind, hail, pests and more. However, nothing is 100% and this is FARMING. That means that it is not always up to us whether or not mother nature decides to give us a good season or a not-so-good season. Either way, we do a very good job of making sure we get you quality produce consistently week after week. Please remember that this is a share in the farm and that there is nothing guaranteed and please familiarize yourselves with the terms and conditions that you agreed to at registration.
PICKUP:
Traditional Share: The traditional style bag is a pre-packed bag and is picked up through the drive thru ONLY (extras and plants are still available through the drive-thru). This is very important for the flow of the CSA. The bag contents will vary from week to week (you will receive a list of what is in your bag). Many people love traditional because they get to be creative and try a large variety of items that they normally wouldn't select themselves. We try our best to make it as varied as possible. The benefits of traditional share really boils down to convenience. The drive thru is simple and streamlined and the fuss of selecting and packing your veggies may not be your "thing" and that's ok! **This is the only option for door-to-door delivery.
Market Style: Ah, the market-style, the most beloved of all our programs and the most unique aspect to our CSA relative to so many others. With this option you show up and select your veggies from the coolers provided. Of course we provide tongs, signage, scales and bags for your convenience. Being a market-style member is a huge benefit to so many that are seeking community, choice and the feeling of being at a market. It's fun and lively, the like-mindedness of our community is really unique and to see the friendships being cultivated is heart-warming and special. The downsides to the market-style include the lack of convenience of a quick drive-thru and if you are a late-comer, meaning you show up at the last minutes, there may be less choice available (since they have all been picked through). However, we try to balance it out so that we have plenty of variety throughout.
🚨CLASSES AND EVENTS!!!🚨
One of the BEST part's of Ahavah Farm and Ahavah Community Initiative is the COMMUNITY! Well, 2020 was a community DUD - but no more! Not only is market-style CSA coming back in two weeks!!!!!!! But we are also bring back all of our classes and events! WOW! Events like our annual July 4th Festival and our Harvest Festival, held in October. All our classes, tours, kids classes and more are all returning in 2021 and we are sooooo excited! We hope you are too. To register for any of our classes simply go to www.ahavahfarm.com/classes and click on the calendar event to register.
Here is the schedule:
Seed starting and Nursery Management 101 – By Lorin Mattemore
- April 16th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $FREE. Non-Members: $10
- Description: Starting a garden this year? Want to learn how to start, manage and maintain your seedlings from scratch? Join Ahavah Farm Nursery’s manager Lorin for a fundamentals nursery class: Learn nursery set up and organization, sourcing seeds, direct seeding vs. transplants, caring for seed while sprouting, learn about diseases and troubleshooting and more!
- Class Length: 1 Hour
-
Biological Agriculture 101 and beyond – 5 Series of classes.– By Yosef Camire
- May 7th @ 10am
- June 4th @ 10am
- July 2nd @ 10am
- August 6th @ 10am
- September 3rd @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $12.50 (50% off) / $62.50 (50% off) for full series. Non-Members: $25 / $112.50 (10% off) for full series (Including materials)
- Description: An in-depth look at biological agriculture and how it impact our planet, our health and our communities. This class is an interactive and hands-on class with some powerpoint class time and field time. Classes are approximately 2 hours in length and cover all the fundamentals and basics related to biological farming and gardening. A very valuable class for beginners and a great review for experts.
- Class Length: 2 Hours
-
Microgreen Class 101 – By Lorin Mattemore
- June 11th @ 10am
- September 17th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $10. Non-Members: $20 (Including materials)
- Description: What are microgreens and why do you want to make them a steady part of your diet? Learn about this and so much more. Learn all the fundamentals of not only HOW to grow microgreens, but you will learn about maintaining them, harvesting them and how to enjoy them! Learn about multiple kinds and become a microgreen master! Every member goes home with a WHOLE tray of microgreens!!
- Class Length: 1 Hour
Vegetable Fermentation Basics – By Shane Nelson
- July 16th @ 10am
- September 10th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: FREE. Non-Members: $10 (Includes materials)
- Description: In this class we will learn the basics of lactic-acid vegetable fermentation. We will learn how to make sauerkraut, pickles, and more! Each class member will go home with a small jar of sauerkraut and pickles. Vegetables and supplies will be provided. Cost of supplies is included in the registration fee.
- Class Length: 1 Hour
-
Composting 101 – By Mark Robinson
- May 21st @ 10am
- July 23rd @10am
- Cost: CSA Members: FREE. Non-Members: $10 (Includes materials)
- Description: Come learn all about the amazing art of composting. You will learn all the fundamentals to get started including perfecting your mixture, timelines and what to look for in addition to multiple different composting methods. Learn how to use it and apply it to your garden, how to test it and so much more.
- Class Length: 1.5 Hours
Blacksmithing 101 – By our Resident Blacksmith, Asher Camire
- June 18th @ 10am
- August 20th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $20. Non-Members: $30 (Includes materials)
- Description: Learn the basics of blacksmithing and take home your project! We will learn the fundamentals of how to get you started in blacksmithing – terminology, basic skills, safety and a bit of history. We will make some nails and a scroll!
- Class Length: 3 Hours.
KIDS CLASS!! Natural and Organic Mother’s Day Windowsill Herb Garden. 2 Weeks. – By Asher Camire
- Class # 1: April 30th @ 10am
- PICKUP: May 7th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $35. Non-Members: $45 (Includes materials)
-
- Description: Bring children out to make a Windowsill garden for Mother’s day! A beautiful pine box stained with an organic wheat-based seal to make for a gorgeous addition to your Mom’s kitchen! We will build the box from scratch and fill it with four beautiful herbs to take home to your Mom for a wonderful gift! Herbs included: Chives, Oregano, Thyme and Parsley
- Class Length: 2 Hours.
-
KIDS CLASS!! Farm Story Time and Activity – By Tracy Volpe
- April 9th @ 10am
- May 7th @ 10am
- June 25th @ 10am
- July 9th @ 10am
- August 13th @ 10am
- Cost: FREE – Donations accepted.
- Description: Bring your child to Ahavah Farm for an engaging, interactive story experience. We will explore agricultural concepts in a child friendly environment inspiring a curiosity for where our food comes from as well as interrelated agricultural systems. Come GROW with us!
- Class Length: <1 Hour.
TOURS
Tours are educational in nature and last for about 1 hour. We see all the facilities, walk through and see most of the gardens, test some veggies, meet the crew and learn all about regenerative agriculture and our growing methods. Tours have a suggested donation of $10 and is free for all CURRENT CSA members.
- May 11th @ 10am
- June 8th @ 10am
- July 13th @ 10am
- August 10th @ 10am
- September 14th @ 10am
EVENTS
July 4th Festival, Sunday July 4th from 5pm to 9pm. More information and details to come.
Harvest Festival, Sunday October 17th from 5pm to 9pm. More information and details to come.
Volunteering
How much is that heirloom, beyond-organic, no-till, regenerative, bio-dynamically grown tomato worth anyway? The truth is, that the real cost of growing a single 8oz tomato is approximately $8.00. What do we charge? We charge $2.75 for that same one. That's not all. The lettuce that we charge $4.00 for is really...wait for it...$10.15 per 4oz serving!!!
So, how do we keep our prices low? Well, for starters we barely pay ourselves...but that's a different matter. It's because of the volunteers! YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE! Look, we all want the purest, most nutritionally-dense food on the planet...and it should be free! However, we can't have a revolution without revolutionaries! That's where you come in! We need to vote with our dollar, we need to support local, organic, regenerative food - to do that we either need to pay OUT THE NOSE for it, or we can make a small impact and volunteer. The only wat we can provide this amazing produce is by you, the community!
Not only that...but volunteering is FUN! Seriously, almost every employee we have was hired through volunteering first and it's because they loved it so much they wanted to stay forever! Want to get your hands dirty and come for solace and peace and quiet? You can do that! We need weeders. Want to learn how to be a better gardener and learn skills? You can do that and dig right in. There are so many things to do to help out with, it doesn't matter your skill or your physical strength. Packing bags, weeding, planting, administrative tasks, pickup setup and tear down, events, classes...I could go on and on and on. This is COMMUNITY SUPPORTED FARM - it's YOUR farm. Own it! 😁 - oh, and did I mention that all your mileage, clothing, tools and time are expenses for taxes? That's right - they even allow you to write off up to $18.00/hr for volunteering. Crazy-sauce!
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
GENERAL
By signing up to be a member of the Ahavah Farm CSA program, I am taking on a temporary and limited voting ownership of Ahavah Farm, LLC as an active partner and risk-taker in the farm. I understand that there are no refunds for this program, however, if there is a valid reason for cancelling the seasonal share management will work with me to find a replacement for my share if needed. As a member of this Community Supported Agricultural program, I understand that I am requested to be actively involved (but not required). As a member of Ahavah Farm, LLC, I understand the importance of community, the value in local agriculture and creating, supporting and investing in local, sustainable food systems (Ahavah Farm believes that the most important aspect to this program is the ability for individuals to know and trust their farmer and where their food is coming from). As a member I am declaring that I agree that supporting local agriculture is important to me and that I will be an involved member in the community and will do my best to support Ahavah Farm's mission and the community at large ("involved in the community" is vague and can mean anything from volunteering, involvement with and being active in the Facebook community group, spreading the word, coming to classes and events etc.).
BENEFITS
As a member of the Ahavah Farm CSA program I am aware that I have discounted access to all of our classes, tours and events as part of my membership, however I am still required to register for classes. I understand that I will also have access to 100% of everything that Ahavah Farm sells, if there are extras available, and that the price will be approximately 10% less than the market price. Finally, I understand that a CSA program is a partnership program, and an investment in my health. As such, there are risks to supporting a local CSA program in that the yield may be smaller than anticipated (Ahavah Farm has never had a loss). I am also aware that if there is a bumper crop, my shares may be bigger. I understand that Ahavah Farm aims to provide an approximate value of 10% more food than the cost of my share. I also understand that by being a member of Ahavah Farm CSA, I am supporting the ultimate in ecological and environmental agriculture along with the funding and partnership with Ahavah Community Initiative to feed families in need and to spread the education of environmental agricultural stewardship to the community. I also understand that I have the absolute right to know about 100% of all growing, harvesting, washing and packing methods and can ask any and all questions related to such subjects and I can request any and all documentation related to these subjects as well. As a CSA member I am also aware that I am allowed 1 personalized/private tour, as availability allows, and as scheduled in advance.
TIMES and RIGHTS to ADJUST
I understand that the CSA seasons are broken up into 4 seasons throughout the year and it is my responsibility to be aware of pickup dates, locations and program details as they have all been made available to me ahead of season start. I agree that Ahavah Farm has the right to adjust the delivery dates and schedules throughout the season with the full expectation that there be considerable notification ahead of time to allow for members to adjust their schedules as well (an example of this would be an emergency on the farm, weather interruptions or anything that could hinder the harvest and delivery of the crop).
COMMUNICATION
I understand that all OFFICIAL communication and notices must come through e-mail and that I will not use Facebook messenger, texting or voicemails as official communication (these are fine to use if not urgent, but they are not trackable and therefore we request that they not be used and will not be accepted as OFFICIAL communication because they are not often checked or monitored – especially our private social media messengers). I understand that as a member, I am requested (not obligated) to join the Facebook Community Group: “Ahavah Farm Community Group.” I understand that all notifications, changes, updates, rules, exclusions, times, instructions and everything related to the program will be
thoroughly communicated to me through the use of: E-mail, Ahavah Farm Community Group on Facebook and in person (pre-season meetings). I am responsible for receiving these communications and for monitoring changes.
PAYMENT
I also agree that my CSA subscription must be paid in full prior to the first delivery (exceptions for SNAP, Donated shares and Payment Plan members), is non-refundable and if the full amount is not paid prior to the first delivery my account may be suspended or cancelled. I also understand that if I use a Credit Card to process my order, or if I use another form of electronic payment (i.e Paypal or Square) there is a 3% fee included in the price of subscription. WHen paying with cash or check, please deduct this 3% when sending in your payment or we will utilize this extra 3% as a donation to Ahavah Community Initiative.
By Paying for my share I attest that I have read and understand the terms of the program and am excited to be a part of a community centered around the common purpose of community, sustainability and purity!