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Membership
Thank you for your interest in our CSA!
Following are the details regarding membership and a link to the Membership Agreement Form and a Liability Waiver Form. If you are interested in joining, please sign and return the agreement and liability waiver forms as soon as possible. If, after reading this, you have any questions, please call (309-313-3224) or email (barefootgardens2003@yahoo.com) us. We will be glad to answer your questions.
What is a CSA?
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a movement that brings people, food and land together by creating a partnership between community members and local food growers. Individuals pay for a season’s worth or “share” of produce, in advance. The grower then provides produce on a weekly basis (according to what is ready for harvest) throughout the duration of the growing season.
Having given you that background on CSAs, we should point out that Barefoot Gardens is more than a weekly box of vegetables. We create a garden that is yours to share with the other members of the CSA. When you come to Barefoot Gardens, you are invited to walk among the garden beds and harvest the available flowers, vegetables, herbs, and berries that you need for the week. If harvesting brings to mind slaving under a hot sun, you should know that most people are able to harvest what they need for the week in 10 or 15 minutes and that the vast majority of our members learn to prefer harvesting for themselves. Of course, one of us is also usually on hand to help you and members often help each other and share information while harvesting.
Another thing that sets Barefoot Gardens apart from most CSAs is the diversity of crops that we make available during the season. Each year we grow literally hundreds of different varieties of vegetables, flowers, berries and herbs – the majority of which cannot be found at the supermarket. And unlike that imported produce, our vegetables and herbs are selected for flavor and texture rather than appearance and transportability.
Membership Fees
This year you have the option of signing up by the month (any month May through December) or by the season. The price per (calendar) month is $100 for couples/families or $50 for individuals. This might be the best option for those of you interested in participating only a few months during the season. For those of you who are going to be around and want to participate most of the season, we are also dividing the year into a summer season (May through September) and a
fall extension (October through December). The summer season (5 months) will be $450 for couples/families or $225 for singles. The fall extension (3 months) will be $275 for couples/families or $137.50 for singles. You can also sign up for the entire 8 month season for $700 for couples/families or $350 for singles.
You may also mix the two options. For example, someone might want to sign up for the full summer season and then add October for an additional $100 (couples/families) or $50 (singles).
Number of shares and payment schedule:
Membership enrollment is accepted on a first come, first served basis. It is customary for members of a CSA to pay for their share of produce in advance. This enables the grower to buy seed and equipment before the season begins, thus reducing the burden of up- front costs for the grower. Of course, you may make the full payment at once.
However, you are also welcome to make payments as follows:
Likewise, if for one reason or another, you will not be able to pay in full by the end of March, please let us know. We can usually work something out.
Harvest Times:
Harvest days and times are the following:
Fall extension harvest times will change because of daylight and temperature changes. In October, the Monday harvest times change to 5:00 to 6:30. In November and December, we anticipate changing the harvest times to Monday, Thursday and Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00. During the coldest weather in late November and December, this will allow the hoop houses to warm up to well above freezing so that we can cut and harvest greens (greens are ruined if cut when still frozen).
Occasionally, we will have extremely heavy rainfalls that make parking in our grass parking area impossible. If that happens, we will contact you and ask that members harvest on a different day.
Harvesting at Barefoot Gardens
Although we pick and prepare some items for distribution to the CSA, the majority of produce is picked and harvested by the members themselves. This allows members to familiarize themselves with their favorite varieties and to choose and harvest exactly what they will use. Again, someone (most likely John) will usually be on hand to help you find and/or harvest what you are looking for.
To help you harvest, we have a white board set up in our screened porch. Please check it before heading out to the garden to harvest. The white board will have information about what is available to harvest on any given day. Likewise, we use a flag system to indicate the crops that are or aren’t ready to harvest. Red flags indicate items that are not ready for picking. Blue flags are used to indicate items that are ready to harvest.
Finally, this year we will be making a special effort to clearly label each variety to help you identify what you are picking.
What to Bring:
We suggest you bring the following when you come to harvest at BFG:
1. A Harvest Basket – A harvest basket is the #1 tool for keeping your harvested materials together and protected. They are just handy to have. We were going to recommend the hand- made market baskets from Ghana currently sold at Middle Earth, on the square. They are well- designed, durable, beautiful, fair- trade and reasonably priced. They should last you many, many years. We will also be making our BFG baskets available for use when harvesting.
2. Ziploc type bags – One of the things that really reduces the quality of your produce is allowing it to dry out. This is especially true of greens. The best way to avoid this is to bag your produce the moment it is cut. So, it is handy to always have a number of bags of different sizes with you when you come to harvest. The handiest of all are quart and gallon sized ziploc type bags. They seal easily and are easy to wash and reuse. We will usually have some plastic grocery store bags available for those who forget their own.
3. A Cooler – A second threat to your freshly harvested produce is to let it get warm. 90% of the things you will harvest over the garden season will appreciate being put in a cool dark place as soon as possible. We recommend you have a cooler (with ice pack) so that you have a place to keep your produce after you harvest. The cooler becomes even more critical as we move into the hot days of summer.
4. A Knife and Pruners/Scissors - We find the handiest harvesting tool to be a simple kitchen knife with a finely serrated edge. However, other folks prefer snipping herbs and greens with pruners or heavy duty scissors/shears. We make some of these available for folks who forget their own but you will save yourself time and frustration if you have your own trusty tools with you.
5. A Vase or Large Jar - When planning to cut fresh flowers, we recommend bringing a water- tight container with you to transport them home.
6. Something to Share - It has become a tradition over the years for people to occasionally bring a drink or a healthy snack to share. This is especially true on Monday evenings, which tend to be the most social of the harvest times. We invite you to make your own unique contribution when you are inclined to do so.
Email Communication:
The easiest way to communicate with us (apart from face to face during harvest times) is via email. That is also how we will communicate with you. When you sign up, you will be added to our listserv, which is basically a way that we can communicate with the entire CSA at once via email. During the season, we have come to use email as our principal means of communication. Every week or two, we will send out an update giving you information about the crops available that week, recipe ideas or other news. Likewise, we will use email if there is something that is time sensitive – for example, if we have a six- inch rain that renders the parking area unusable.
Personally, we dislike having lots of unwanted messages in our inbox and assume that many of you feel the same way. Therefore, the listserv is set up to be one way communication only, i.e. if there is some message that someone wants to share with the rest of the CSA, it will have to be through us. You will not be able to “reply all”.
It’s important that this works for you. So, if you would rather not receive CSA- related emails, please let us know. We’ll immediately remove you from the list. Similarly, if you would like to add a spouse or partner to the listserv, we can do that. Finally, you may prefer to be contacted at a different email address or at multiple addresses. We can make those changes as well.
Additional Housekeeping Details:
Pets: If you choose to bring a pet with you when you come to pick- up, we ask you to keep your pet in your car during your visit.
Shadow: We have a black, medium- sized dog whose name is Shadow and who is very friendly with both children and adults. In fact, he is one of the main attractions for the children of the CSA. However, we should warn you that he also fancies himself a guard dog. If you are one of the first arrivals during harvest times, he will bark ferociously! Please know that he is all bark and never bites or attacks. If you have any kids, or visitors, that are nervous around dogs, please let us know and we will make appropriate accommodations.
Children: We certainly welcome children and encourage you to bring them along when you come to pick up produce or come out to help harvest. However, there are some potential hazards that you should be aware of. Of particular concern are the two barns and an ongoing tree fort project, south of the big barn. They are going to be wonderful places for fun and adventure someday. However, we still haven’t had time to clean them out completely and to check thoroughly to make sure they are (relatively) safe. For now, we ask that you help us keep the kids out of the barns and off of the tree fort altogether. All in all, we ask that parents keep an eye on their children while they are here, especially the very young ones.
Plant Hazards: While we strive to keep the gardens completely weed free, we still fall short of that goal (maybe some day!). As a result, it is possible that you will accidentally harvest some weeds. While most of the common garden weeds are quite edible, some of them may not be. If you have any questions about whether an unfamiliar plant is a crop or a weed, please ask John.
Likewise, we have two plants that you will want to be able to recognize. Poison Ivy and Stinging Nettles are abundant along the marginal areas. The stinging nettles produce a burning, bumpy rash that goes away after a few minutes. Poison Ivy can produce an oozy rash that lasts for weeks if you are highly allergic. In any case, the best prevention is to learn what they look like. Neither of these plants should be a problem if you and your children stay in the mowed areas.
Insects: Mosquitoes, gnats and ticks can be an issue. We recommend that you not use DEET based repellents on your or your children’s skin. If you do use a bug repellent with DEET, we suggest that you put it on clothing and shoes (for ticks). Unfortunately, ticks are a real hazard in the spring in this part of the country. We suggest making CSA night bath night for your children (and for yourselves). Before bathing, check carefully for ticks. It is also a good precaution to take clothes and put them in your washing machine right away when you get home. The tick population tends to fade away by the end of June and some years (such as the last three years) they have not been much of a problem at all.
Surplus produce and flowers: In order to be sure to have enough of any crop for the CSA, we always have to plant extra. As a result, it is inevitable that we are going to have surplus produce. Surplus vegetables will be made available for free to members on a pick- your- own basis at regular harvest times.
Along the same lines, we are constantly running trials of new varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers so that we can improve our offerings in the years to come. Unfortunately, these may not be available in sufficient quantities to share with all members of the CSA. Finally, we may grow some extra produce for sales to a local restaurant or local food outlet. Both for cultural purposes and because space is limited, these plantings will be intermixed and harvested together with what is grown for the CSA. You can be assured that the needs of the CSA are our top priority.
Liability Waiver Form: An unfortunate necessity that comes with running this operation is concern about liability. It would help us out a great deal if you could print off this Liability Waiver Form, sign it, and send it in with your membership agreement form and deposit. You will not need to fill out a new form if you turned one in last year.
Satisfaction Guarantee: We are dedicated to growing beautiful, healthy, and delicious vegetables, flowers, berries and herbs without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. We make every effort to be available to answer questions and respond to member needs. If, for any reason, you are not completely satisfied with your membership please contact us immediately and we will refund your money for the remaining weeks of the season.
We anticipate another productive and enjoyable garden season. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with returning members and creating new ones with those who are new to our CSA this year.
~John Curtis and Karen Mauldin- Curtis
Thank you for your interest in our CSA!
Following are the details regarding membership and a link to the Membership Agreement Form and a Liability Waiver Form. If you are interested in joining, please sign and return the agreement and liability waiver forms as soon as possible. If, after reading this, you have any questions, please call (309-313-3224) or email (barefootgardens2003@yahoo.com) us. We will be glad to answer your questions.
What is a CSA?
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a movement that brings people, food and land together by creating a partnership between community members and local food growers. Individuals pay for a season’s worth or “share” of produce, in advance. The grower then provides produce on a weekly basis (according to what is ready for harvest) throughout the duration of the growing season.
Having given you that background on CSAs, we should point out that Barefoot Gardens is more than a weekly box of vegetables. We create a garden that is yours to share with the other members of the CSA. When you come to Barefoot Gardens, you are invited to walk among the garden beds and harvest the available flowers, vegetables, herbs, and berries that you need for the week. If harvesting brings to mind slaving under a hot sun, you should know that most people are able to harvest what they need for the week in 10 or 15 minutes and that the vast majority of our members learn to prefer harvesting for themselves. Of course, one of us is also usually on hand to help you and members often help each other and share information while harvesting.
Another thing that sets Barefoot Gardens apart from most CSAs is the diversity of crops that we make available during the season. Each year we grow literally hundreds of different varieties of vegetables, flowers, berries and herbs – the majority of which cannot be found at the supermarket. And unlike that imported produce, our vegetables and herbs are selected for flavor and texture rather than appearance and transportability.
Membership Fees
This year you have the option of signing up by the month (any month May through December) or by the season. The price per (calendar) month is $100 for couples/families or $50 for individuals. This might be the best option for those of you interested in participating only a few months during the season. For those of you who are going to be around and want to participate most of the season, we are also dividing the year into a summer season (May through September) and a
fall extension (October through December). The summer season (5 months) will be $450 for couples/families or $225 for singles. The fall extension (3 months) will be $275 for couples/families or $137.50 for singles. You can also sign up for the entire 8 month season for $700 for couples/families or $350 for singles.
You may also mix the two options. For example, someone might want to sign up for the full summer season and then add October for an additional $100 (couples/families) or $50 (singles).
Number of shares and payment schedule:
Membership enrollment is accepted on a first come, first served basis. It is customary for members of a CSA to pay for their share of produce in advance. This enables the grower to buy seed and equipment before the season begins, thus reducing the burden of up- front costs for the grower. Of course, you may make the full payment at once.
However, you are also welcome to make payments as follows:
- $100.00 deposit: In order to guarantee your participation in our 2012 season, we will need your deposit with the signed membership agreement form and liability waiver returned to us as soon as you are ready to commit. The deposit will be considered your first payment toward membership and is non- refundable.
- Remaining balance paid in full by April 30, 2012.
Likewise, if for one reason or another, you will not be able to pay in full by the end of March, please let us know. We can usually work something out.
Harvest Times:
Harvest days and times are the following:
- Monday evenings 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
- Thursday morning 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.
- Saturday mornings 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Fall extension harvest times will change because of daylight and temperature changes. In October, the Monday harvest times change to 5:00 to 6:30. In November and December, we anticipate changing the harvest times to Monday, Thursday and Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00. During the coldest weather in late November and December, this will allow the hoop houses to warm up to well above freezing so that we can cut and harvest greens (greens are ruined if cut when still frozen).
Occasionally, we will have extremely heavy rainfalls that make parking in our grass parking area impossible. If that happens, we will contact you and ask that members harvest on a different day.
Harvesting at Barefoot Gardens
Although we pick and prepare some items for distribution to the CSA, the majority of produce is picked and harvested by the members themselves. This allows members to familiarize themselves with their favorite varieties and to choose and harvest exactly what they will use. Again, someone (most likely John) will usually be on hand to help you find and/or harvest what you are looking for.
To help you harvest, we have a white board set up in our screened porch. Please check it before heading out to the garden to harvest. The white board will have information about what is available to harvest on any given day. Likewise, we use a flag system to indicate the crops that are or aren’t ready to harvest. Red flags indicate items that are not ready for picking. Blue flags are used to indicate items that are ready to harvest.
Finally, this year we will be making a special effort to clearly label each variety to help you identify what you are picking.
What to Bring:
We suggest you bring the following when you come to harvest at BFG:
1. A Harvest Basket – A harvest basket is the #1 tool for keeping your harvested materials together and protected. They are just handy to have. We were going to recommend the hand- made market baskets from Ghana currently sold at Middle Earth, on the square. They are well- designed, durable, beautiful, fair- trade and reasonably priced. They should last you many, many years. We will also be making our BFG baskets available for use when harvesting.
2. Ziploc type bags – One of the things that really reduces the quality of your produce is allowing it to dry out. This is especially true of greens. The best way to avoid this is to bag your produce the moment it is cut. So, it is handy to always have a number of bags of different sizes with you when you come to harvest. The handiest of all are quart and gallon sized ziploc type bags. They seal easily and are easy to wash and reuse. We will usually have some plastic grocery store bags available for those who forget their own.
3. A Cooler – A second threat to your freshly harvested produce is to let it get warm. 90% of the things you will harvest over the garden season will appreciate being put in a cool dark place as soon as possible. We recommend you have a cooler (with ice pack) so that you have a place to keep your produce after you harvest. The cooler becomes even more critical as we move into the hot days of summer.
4. A Knife and Pruners/Scissors - We find the handiest harvesting tool to be a simple kitchen knife with a finely serrated edge. However, other folks prefer snipping herbs and greens with pruners or heavy duty scissors/shears. We make some of these available for folks who forget their own but you will save yourself time and frustration if you have your own trusty tools with you.
5. A Vase or Large Jar - When planning to cut fresh flowers, we recommend bringing a water- tight container with you to transport them home.
6. Something to Share - It has become a tradition over the years for people to occasionally bring a drink or a healthy snack to share. This is especially true on Monday evenings, which tend to be the most social of the harvest times. We invite you to make your own unique contribution when you are inclined to do so.
Email Communication:
The easiest way to communicate with us (apart from face to face during harvest times) is via email. That is also how we will communicate with you. When you sign up, you will be added to our listserv, which is basically a way that we can communicate with the entire CSA at once via email. During the season, we have come to use email as our principal means of communication. Every week or two, we will send out an update giving you information about the crops available that week, recipe ideas or other news. Likewise, we will use email if there is something that is time sensitive – for example, if we have a six- inch rain that renders the parking area unusable.
Personally, we dislike having lots of unwanted messages in our inbox and assume that many of you feel the same way. Therefore, the listserv is set up to be one way communication only, i.e. if there is some message that someone wants to share with the rest of the CSA, it will have to be through us. You will not be able to “reply all”.
It’s important that this works for you. So, if you would rather not receive CSA- related emails, please let us know. We’ll immediately remove you from the list. Similarly, if you would like to add a spouse or partner to the listserv, we can do that. Finally, you may prefer to be contacted at a different email address or at multiple addresses. We can make those changes as well.
Additional Housekeeping Details:
Pets: If you choose to bring a pet with you when you come to pick- up, we ask you to keep your pet in your car during your visit.
Shadow: We have a black, medium- sized dog whose name is Shadow and who is very friendly with both children and adults. In fact, he is one of the main attractions for the children of the CSA. However, we should warn you that he also fancies himself a guard dog. If you are one of the first arrivals during harvest times, he will bark ferociously! Please know that he is all bark and never bites or attacks. If you have any kids, or visitors, that are nervous around dogs, please let us know and we will make appropriate accommodations.
Children: We certainly welcome children and encourage you to bring them along when you come to pick up produce or come out to help harvest. However, there are some potential hazards that you should be aware of. Of particular concern are the two barns and an ongoing tree fort project, south of the big barn. They are going to be wonderful places for fun and adventure someday. However, we still haven’t had time to clean them out completely and to check thoroughly to make sure they are (relatively) safe. For now, we ask that you help us keep the kids out of the barns and off of the tree fort altogether. All in all, we ask that parents keep an eye on their children while they are here, especially the very young ones.
Plant Hazards: While we strive to keep the gardens completely weed free, we still fall short of that goal (maybe some day!). As a result, it is possible that you will accidentally harvest some weeds. While most of the common garden weeds are quite edible, some of them may not be. If you have any questions about whether an unfamiliar plant is a crop or a weed, please ask John.
Likewise, we have two plants that you will want to be able to recognize. Poison Ivy and Stinging Nettles are abundant along the marginal areas. The stinging nettles produce a burning, bumpy rash that goes away after a few minutes. Poison Ivy can produce an oozy rash that lasts for weeks if you are highly allergic. In any case, the best prevention is to learn what they look like. Neither of these plants should be a problem if you and your children stay in the mowed areas.
Insects: Mosquitoes, gnats and ticks can be an issue. We recommend that you not use DEET based repellents on your or your children’s skin. If you do use a bug repellent with DEET, we suggest that you put it on clothing and shoes (for ticks). Unfortunately, ticks are a real hazard in the spring in this part of the country. We suggest making CSA night bath night for your children (and for yourselves). Before bathing, check carefully for ticks. It is also a good precaution to take clothes and put them in your washing machine right away when you get home. The tick population tends to fade away by the end of June and some years (such as the last three years) they have not been much of a problem at all.
Surplus produce and flowers: In order to be sure to have enough of any crop for the CSA, we always have to plant extra. As a result, it is inevitable that we are going to have surplus produce. Surplus vegetables will be made available for free to members on a pick- your- own basis at regular harvest times.
Along the same lines, we are constantly running trials of new varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers so that we can improve our offerings in the years to come. Unfortunately, these may not be available in sufficient quantities to share with all members of the CSA. Finally, we may grow some extra produce for sales to a local restaurant or local food outlet. Both for cultural purposes and because space is limited, these plantings will be intermixed and harvested together with what is grown for the CSA. You can be assured that the needs of the CSA are our top priority.
Liability Waiver Form: An unfortunate necessity that comes with running this operation is concern about liability. It would help us out a great deal if you could print off this Liability Waiver Form, sign it, and send it in with your membership agreement form and deposit. You will not need to fill out a new form if you turned one in last year.
Satisfaction Guarantee: We are dedicated to growing beautiful, healthy, and delicious vegetables, flowers, berries and herbs without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. We make every effort to be available to answer questions and respond to member needs. If, for any reason, you are not completely satisfied with your membership please contact us immediately and we will refund your money for the remaining weeks of the season.
We anticipate another productive and enjoyable garden season. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with returning members and creating new ones with those who are new to our CSA this year.
~John Curtis and Karen Mauldin- Curtis
