What is a CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a subscription based system that connects our farm to you directly. It’s a great way to support our farm ahead of the growing season and in return you are guaranteed the cream of the crop product weekly.
How Does it Work?
Beginning June 5, 2020 we will have shares available on a weekly and bi-weekly basis every Saturday until September 18, 2020 (If Saturday doesn’t work we can schedule a different day). Shares can be picked up at our farm in Urbana, Virginia from 10 AM until 2 PM. Your weekly or bi-weekly pickup will be a large bouquet of our best blooms from the farm, fresh cut, sustainable, and ready to brighten up your space.
What is a share?
A “Share,” of flowers is another way of saying a part of your, “Portion,” of the harvest. The number of, “Shares,” you receive as a member of the Tupelo Farm and Garden Flower CSA is equal to the, “Portion,” assigned to you from the total harvest. That, “Portion,” is divided over 16 weeks into eight or 16, “Shares.”
How often will I receive flowers as part of the CSA?
We offer two membership options during our growing season with different share frequencies. The first is a weekly membership in which you will receive a share of flowers every week for 16 weeks. The second option is a bi-weekly membership. In the bi-weekly membership you will receive a share every other week for 16 weeks; that’s eight shares.
What kind of flowers will I receive as part of my membership?
We specialize in unique varieties, and this year we plan to plant a wide array of blooms including: Sunflowers, Snapdragons, Zinnias, Queen Anne’s Lace, Yarrow, Black Eyed Susans, Caryopteris, Hydrangea, Celosia, Gomphrena, China Asters, Cosmos, Bachelor Button, and many others. As is always the case in agriculture, things happen. Sometimes the frost or pests gets to a certain variety, and we have to adjust. Regardless of what gets harvested, we guarantee you will receive all your shares.
How are Tupelo Farm and Garden flowers Different than My Local Grocery Store or Florist.
Okay, we are so excited to tell you about this part. We are extremely committed to sustainable, ethical practices at our farm. That commitment starts with our growing methods. We use ecologically safe practices that protect pollinators and lower our carbon footprint. When you purchase from a grocery store or some local florists, you are getting out of state, and sometimes out of country, flowers that have been covered with preservatives and pesticides (pollinator killers). We skip all that in favor of flowers grown right here on our farm and harvested within 24 hours of your pickup. They are as fresh as it gets. Best of all, our customers consistently report that our flowers last at least a week when kept in a cool spot with fresh water.
Do you Accept payment plans?
We do not. Our CSA Memberships are already priced below market value to help make sustainable flowers available to all. Purchasing a membership up front and in full is important for the CSA model because it provides the necessary funds for us to order the seeds, work the land, cultivate the blooms, harvest, bundle, etc. Therefore we cannot take payment plans.
What if I am out Of Town or Forget to Pick Up my Flowers?
General Rescheduling policy
Flower pickups are every Saturday. We require a week’s notice regarding any change of plans for your pickup including trips out of town, prior engagements, events, etc. If you need to reschedule, or you need another person to pick up for you, please give us at least a week’s notice.
Missed Pick-up
We know things happen, and you can’t avoid every curveball life throws at you. We offer one, “pass,” for these moments. If you do not show up for pick-up, we will hold the flowers for you and try to get in touch for a reschedule. Missed pick-up flowers must be collected within 48 hours or they will be donated to a local nursing home.
What to do with flowers if you will be out of town or just cant get them on a given week.
We have a couple options for how to handle your flowers when you will be out of town or just cant make it to the farm for pickup.
Reschedule. If you cant make it on Saturday, let us know up to a week before what day you can make it (it must be after your pick-up time). We will try to accommodate, but please do not just show up on a different day without confirming with us. We may be doing a landscaping job or a wedding at another location, so we need to know when you’re coming to the farm.
You can donate your flowers. We like to deliver extra flowers to local organizations. Just let us know you want to donate your flowers, and we will get them to the appropriate places (we will determine where to take the flowers).
You can give them to a friend. If you will be out of town, let us know in advance who will be coming to the farm to pick up your flowers.
What to do if you are sick
Obviously, this a concern these days. Regardless of how sick you feel or what kind of sick you are, please let us know immediately. We can try to arrange a contactless pickup at a safe distance from the rest of the flowers being picked up. Alternatively, if you are too sick to pick up, we can arrange for them to be picked up by a friend, rescheduled, or donated.
What if I don’t Like The Flowers included one week?
CSA members have priority at our farm. They get the nicest blooms in the field, harvested at the perfect time. That being said, each week the bouquets are, “Farmer’s Choice,” which means we are selecting the flowers perfect for harvesting that week. We cannot accommodate custom requests.
