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CSA Philosophy~ the agreement between city dweller & farmer |
CSA Philosophy~ the agreement between city dweller & farmer
CSA POLICIES-
We ask all new subscribers to carefully
read the following document and then click "I agree" when finished.
These are the guidelines that keep our CSA running smoothly, and you will
be responsible for knowing them.
The Philosophy of CSA – Community supported agriculture is a relationship one step above a simple convenience, a give and take of produce for cash. It is based on mutual respect between the customers and the farmers. Under the CSA model, subscribers pay in advance for the food they will receive, reflecting the risk that the farm takes to plant, tend, and harvest crops. Terra Firma is not a delivery service; your subscription is a contract to receive a minimum of one month's worth of produce.
Payments: We use an web-based software program called Farmigo to help manage the financial interactions between our customers and our farm. With Farmigo, Terra Firma subscribers have full online access to their own accounts. We accept payment via Paypal or credit card. Having a balance now means the opposite of what it did under our old system. Now having a balance means money you can spend on boxes which are deducted each delivery day.
Autopay Option: We encourage all of our customers to sign up for automatic payment options that will pay your account in a timely fashion so that you never miss a delivery. You will receive an email prior to the charge being made.
Manual Payment: If you prefer, you will still have the option to make renewal payments manually. If you choose this option, you will receive an emails letting you know when it's time to renew your balance. (More on this later)
Box Sizes and Values -- We offer three different box sizes for your convenience: Small is valued at $14 per week, Medium at $24 and Large at $32. If you're a new customer, we recommend starting with a Small subscription. You can change your box size at any time, but you must give us 72 hours notice before doing so. You will receive an email confirmation confirming the change.
Subscription Cost – To join Terra Firma's CSA, we ask for an initial payment of at least $100 into your account. If you choose the autopay option, your account will automatically be charged again any time the balance falls below $75, and you will receive an email notification. If not, you will receive an email any time your account falls below $50 advising you to make a payment. Your account will be charged by the box for each box you receive.
Incentives for Long Term commitment- We provide bonuses for subscribers who make larger payments that help us finance the longer term operation of our farm.
For a payment of $300, get a 3% bonus.
Your account balance will be $309.
For a payment of$850, get
a 5% bonus. Your account will be posted as $892.50
For a payment of $1,400, get
a 7% bonus. Your payment will be posted as $1,498.
Communication: Terra Firma publishes a weekly newsletter that is delivered with the boxes. A searchable database of newsletters is also available online. The newsletter will announce any important changes in delivery schedule, prices, policies, etc. The newsletter is available online at www.terrafirmafarm.com , in the newsletter archives section, with any holiday changes also noted in the banner. It is your responsibility as a CSA member to read the newsletter.
By agreeing to join our CSA, you
are also agreeing to open and read email communications from us including:
Statements:
All statements regarding your account will be emailed to you, including
autopayments made, payment due, payment received, notice of suspension
of service, or credit paid.
Other: You may also receive specific emails announcing important
changes to our service.
We encourage subscribers to give us feedback about box quality and contents by using the tools at Farmigo or by emailing us at Goldenbell@aol.com. It's very important that you include your full name, and your Email address login which you used to create your online account, on all correspondance.
The pickup site list is our way of communicating to you whether a box was delivered for you, and what size, which is also emailed to you each week. We do not go back and pickup the site lists later, so please do not leave any checks or correspondance at the pickup site.
Start me up: Follow the Farmigo Link to sign up. A confirmation of your account and pickup location details and start date will be automatically emailed to you.
Referral Credit and Vacations: If you can't pick up your box on a given week, why not tell a friend to pickup your box while you're gone. If they sign up with us, we will give you an $18 referral credit.
If you're going on a longer vacation, we will give you a vacation credit for the weeks you miss ($10 Small, $16 Medium, $21 Large.) Why the reduced value? Just because you're leaving doesn't mean we don't still have produce for you that will get left in the field. We need a full 7 days notice for vacation credits, and they will not be issued for accounts with a balance below $100.
Suspension of service: Your box will not be delivered if you do not have money in your account to cover the price of the box. If we don't receive a timely payment from you, you will receive an email letting you know that your service has been suspended. If you make a payment after this time, you need to wait for email notification of your next delivery.
We will keep your suspended account active until the end of the calendar year. If you do not reactivate your subscription, we will issue an electronic credit or send a check for any balance remaining in your account.
Cancellation: To cancel your Terra Firma subscription, logging into your Farmigo account.
Credit: If you believe you deserve a credit for poor quality, damaged, or otherwise unuseable produce, please contact Valerie at Goldenbell@aol.com. We will evaluate cases individually.
Pickup Location Etiquette: Terra Firma relies heavily our own private drop sites, and we ask everyone to follow the following rules:
Please observe the pick-up times carefully. Doors may be locked or hosts gone to bed during other times.
Don't take a box if one doesn't have your name on it.
All boxes are labelled; if there isn't one there for you, there's probably
a reason why. If you have someone pickup for you, do not forget to inform
them of this policy.
Do not look through other peoples boxes. All the like-sized boxes
contain the same items.
Return your boxes for recycling. Please unfold them carefully according
to instructions on the bottom. We use
the boxes multiple times.
Late pick-ups are not eligible for credits, due to natural deterioration of fresh produce. Lots of things can happen to boxes after hours, we don't credit for any of them.
Terra Firma’s Two Weeks Off -- We take a vacation at the end of each year, for three reasons. First, the end of December/ early January is a bleak time in terms of vegetables, so you won’t miss out on much. Second, a larger percentage of subscribers take vacations during the same two weeks, which makes it convenient for you as well. Third, we need a vacation from the rigorous schedule that growing and harvesting food for three hundred plus people demands.
You will not be charged for a box during our vacation. Your account will only be charged for weeks we deliver.
Other Holiday Changes: The newsletter will have the schedule changes, which can also be found posted here Newsletter Archives
New Subscribers -- We strongly urge
you to read through the Member's Answer Zone to fully enjoy and understand
the csa experience at our farm. There are many common questions answered
there, and it's always good to know things in advance!