CSA: Community Supported Agriculture

Why Deep Roots?

Two small farms come together to grow for Deep Roots.  These farms are local and have entered into this partnership to grow high quality produce and strengthen the communities with food.  Chandler Family Farm and Highway 19 Produce are passionate about growing food and keeping it affordable for families who wish to choose fresh options for them. .  Since each farm contributes items weekly to the boxes, a variety of vegetables  is assured and the possibility of crop failure for any reason is limited.  All will be grown without the use of pesticides or GMO's.  Everything in your share will be grown by us, we do not bring in any outside produce or fruit.  We want you to be fully informed considering this is an investment and support for all farms involved. 

How it works!

 Your Commitment: As a CSA member, you are essentially a shareholder in our farms, sharing both the benefits and the risks. Your investment at the beginning of the season provides funding for our farmers to grow your food.  Because of this, we cannot offer refunds or cancel subscriptions after the second week of the season. 

We offer a few pickup options:  When you sign up, you will choose a day and location for your weekly pick up. These locations are our farms and farmers markets.  We rely on you following the designated times of pick up to allow us to continue on with our farming or personal off farm lives.  It is important when choosing your pick up option to commit to these hours/days each and every week for the season.  We are small farms without a lot of storage areas and produce needs to be cool after harvesting for optimal results.  So the earlier you get it into you refrigerator after harvest the better.  

If you will not be able to pick up your box within 24 hrs of delivery, you may ask a friend or family member to pick it up for you.    Or you may ask that we  donate your box to a local food pantry that week.   If you would like to donate your box, please let us know 24 hrs in advance of delivery.   

The benefits of membership:

• Freshly harvested fruits and vegetables, nutrient dense, field ripened for best flavor
• Locally grown by farmers committed to the health of the community
• Opportunity to visit the farms where your food is grown, shake your farmer's hand, and ask any questions  you might have about how your food is grown or handled.

Farmer's Commitment: We commit to using only natural and sustainable methods to grow our vegetables. While our farms are not certified organic, everything we grow is free from pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  We commit to transparency in our farming methods and encourage you to visit and ask questions so you are fully informed. 

We also commit to having your box of fresh veggies ready for your pickup on time each week.    In the event of a storm or other weather that prevents on-time delivery, you will be notified by text or email.   Delivery will be made as quickly as possible after the weather passes.

What do you get in a Share?

Each week, when you pick up your share it will be filled with super fresh veggies from our fields.  We grow as wide of a variety of vegetables and fruits that we can here in East Texas.  Our season starts in January with onion plantings, quickly followed by potatoes and sweet corn.  We grow many greens for the spring like head lettuces, kale, swiss chard and bok choy.  As the summer heats up we are producing more cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and okra.  Bobby grows wonderful strawberries and blackberries while Jennifer has a huge watermelon and Israel melon crop each year.  Our weekly produce subscriptions are filled with familiar veggies that you can feel great about feeding your family and we like to tempt you with a few new and unusual items as we can. 

We offer a half share and a full share.  Our half share typically consists of 5-6 veggies/fruit and should feed a family of 2.  Of course it all depends on how often you cook at home and how big your vegetable appetite is. In my house of two adults and one child, we go through a ton of vegetables, I would use a full share for us.  In our full share, you will typically receive 7-8 items and ideally enough to feed a family of 4. 

Farming has many varying factors that can determine when and what is harvested.  Everything is almost determined by the weather.  We can only start planting outside in the fields when it is dry enough, warm or cool enough depending on the crop, and day length also has a huge affect on growth.  The more sunshine, the warmer the days, the faster the growth is.  As farmers, we plan ahead and strive to have a variety of produce that changes from week to week but we harvest at peak ripeness and readiness so you get the full flavor and nutrients available.  This means we have to be flexible and we also need YOU to be flexible. 

What is the Cost?

Each season will run for 8 weeks.  We hope to have a Spring, Summer and Fall season this year.  Our plan is to begin the first week of April for the Spring season.  Then Summer would continue for June and July.  The fall season is TBD.  Once you have signed up and we finalize the exact dates for the first weekly pickup - you will be informed.

Half share:  $200 for 8 weeks ( $25/wk)
Full Share: $320 for 8 weeks ($40/wk)

Where do we pick up?  Choose one day and one pickup location for the season.

ATHENS - Highway 19 Produce: 8362 North HWY 19 Athens, TX 75752

• Tuesday 3-7pm

MABANK - Chandler Family Farm: 18151 E HWY 175 W Mabank, TX 75147

• Tuesday 3-7pm

DALLAS - SATURDAY PICKUP ONLY

• White Rock Farmers Market: 9150 Garland Rd, Dallas TX 75218
  • pick up 8am-12 noon at Chandler Family Farm market booth

DALLAS - SUNDAY PICKUP ONLY

• Lakewood Village Farmers Market : 6434 E. Mockingbird @ Abrahms
  • pick up 9am-1pm at Chandler Family Farm market booth

What about add on's ?

As of now - we will NOT be offering an egg share add on. Our hens here at Chandler Family Farm have dwindled down and we are in the process of building up the flock once again.  I will have eggs available at the farmers market and will probably offer a sign up list for each week to reserve them.  But at this time, i can not set aside for egg shares because I will not have that many available.