2021 CSA Frequently Asked Questions

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CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA memberships help provide the farm with much-needed income during the lean months of winter and early spring, when we're beginning to order seeds, source high-quality potting soil, and hire our team for the coming season. In exchange, CSA members receive a weekly delivery of vegetables, and have the option to add weekly or biweekly egg dozens and mixed bouquets to their share.

Beyond a season full of delicious and beautiful produce, members also receive a weekly newsletter that includes info about each week's delivery, tons of tasty recipe recommendations, and exclusive information about the goings on at Liberty Farms. Through the newsletter and (in non-pandemic years) regular visits from the farmers at CSA pick-up sites, members have the opportunity to develop a relationship with their farmers. When you know where your food is coming from - and who's growing it - it tastes that much yummier.

Due to overwhelming demand, Liberty Farms plans to bring back market-style CSA pick-ups for the 2021 season!** Each week for 20 weeks we bring a selection of vegetables to our different pick-up locations. (See below for a list of those locations.) Our members are then able to "shop" for what they'd like to take home each week based on the size of their share. (See below for info on share sizes.) There's a lot more freedom and customization in our market-style CSA compared to a standard CSA.

**COVID-19 UPDATE: Devastatingly, we are still in the midst of a pandemic. Thanks to encouraging news of a vaccine, all signs point to a reopening of things by the spring; however, we have to be realistic in our expectations of our pick-up sites. While we are planning on market-style pick-ups for the 2021 season, please be aware that this decision will not be finalized until springtime. Thank you so much for your patience and your understanding while we all navigate these uncertain waters together.

We will have five CSA pick-up sites for the 2021 season. Here is the most up-to-date info for each:

LOCAL/GHENT - in our farmstand

114 Ostrander Rd. Ghent, NY 12075

Saturdays, 8:30am-12 noon

POUGHKEEPSIE - at Temple Beth-El

118 S. Grand Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Thursdays 4pm - 6pm

CROTON-ON-HUDSON - at the Croton Free Library

171 Cleveland Drive, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520

Thursdays, 2:30pm-4:30pm or 4:30pm-6:30pm*

WHITE PLAINS - at White Plains Presbyterian Church

39 N. Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601 

Saturdays 10am-11am

PARK SLOPE BROOKLYN - at The Silo at Fleishers Craft Butchery

194 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Saturdays 10am-12pm

*Depending on the COVID-19 come June 2021, we may or may not be able to set up inside of the Croton Free Library in Croton-on-Hudson. If we can set up inside, we will go back to our regular 4:30pm-6:30pm timeslot. If we have to stay outside, we will continue with the 2:30pm-4:30pm timeslot we had in the 2020 season.

We offer three CSA share sizes:

• Full Size (10 items)
• Medium Size (7 items)
• Small Size (5 items)

In terms of what you take home each week, that changes as the season progresses! For example, in July, someone with a medium share might take home:

1. A quart of cherry tomatoes
2. Four large tomatoes
3. A large eggplant
4. Four small cucumbers
5. A bag of mixed lettuce
6. Two zucchinis
7. A pint of green beans

Because it involves bringing down a little extra of everything to ensure that all members can bring home what they want, we're also able to donate our surplus to a nearby food pantry or seniors center each week.

For more info on what we're growing and when this season, check out our garden page.

Share prices differ slightly from pick-up site to pick-up site due to length of travel and administrative fees. To see the prices for your pick-up site, select your neighborhood below under "featured products," or visit our online store.

Our CSA lasts for the 20 glorious weeks, but the exact start date is up to mother nature. Depending on when crops really start coming up, we typically start in the first or second week of June. 20 weeks from then usually gets us to mid- to late October. Egg shares last the same 20 weeks.

With a shorter growing season, flower shares last for 10 weeks, during the absolute height of the season. This is usually from around mid-July to mid-September.

Folks who have signed up as CSA members are automatically subscribed to our CSA member newsletter, where we keep members abreast of exact start dates.

When you sign up for a CSA membership, you have the option to also add a weekly (every week) or biweekly (every other week) egg and/or mixed bouquet share. Please keep in mind that only CSA vegetable share members can sign up for egg and flower shares.

Liberty Farms is proud to have a special relationship with the community of Poughkeepsie through Temple Beth-El. All members at the Poughkeepsie pick-up location are required to separately submit a $36.00 membership fee in addition to the regular cost of their small, medium, or full share. These membership fees allow us and Temple Beth-El to gift CSA shares to community members who would otherwise not be able to afford them. By becoming a member in Poughkeepsie, you're not just guaranteeing a summer's worth of organic produce to yourself for the summer, but you're also helping to make sure someone else has access to delicious and healthy vegetables this year too.

HOW TO PAY YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEE

Please submit your $36.00 membership fee by sending a check made out to Temple Beth-El, and please write Bounty of the Valley on the memo line. Checks can be sent to Paula Reckless at 30 Brentwood Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603. Please email our CSA Manager, Trevi Fountain, at sales@libertyfarmsny.com with any questions regarding this.

We hope you'll consider joining as a CSA member! But if you need a little more convincing, just send an email to sales@libertyfarmsny.com to sign up for the newsletter. You'll receive regular updates, including photos and stories from the farm, recipes, and CSA start dates.

We'd love to have you as a CSA member! You may sign up for the 2021 season NOW by selecting your neighborhood below under 'featured products,' or by visiting our online store.

It's hard to be a small business, especially in pandemic times! We incur a hefty fee for all credit card transactions and don't want to transfer that fee onto you, our members. So, PLEASE CONSIDER PAYING BY CHECK OR ELECTRONIC BANK TRANSFER. To do so, simply select that option (third on the list) during the check out process. We will send you an invoice within 48 hours, which is electronically payable (e-check), or, if you prefer, you may send us a paper check made out to Liberty Farms at 114 Ostrander Rd. Ghent, NY 12075.