Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is designed to build relationships between local farms and the community. Our customers become ‘members’ of this CSA by purchasing our produce in advance of the season and then sharing in the harvest each week as the season progresses. This system allows our farmers to plan a successful season knowing what their market will be, and by choosing locally grown food, you ensure that you are eating the freshest, most nutrient dense and best tasting food possible and being environmentally responsible at the same time.
Our farms include Chandler Family Farm and Highway 19 Produce and Berries.ALL the produce, herbs, eggs and meats offered through this CSA are produced locally on these farms. If we ever purchase from any other local farms for your shares, we will let you know.
Members select a pick-up day and site that are convenient to them, and agree to pick up their ‘share’ promptly each week. Each member will receive a variety of fresh produce including fruit or melons, greens and vegetables, as they are ready for harvest.
Our Growing Practices:
All our farms have set high standards for their production and while none are currently certified, all the produce included in the CSA is grown following sustainable and organic precepts. Among our sustainable practices, we all avoid use of chemical pesticides, fungicides or herbicides, biosolids (from sewage sludge), or bioengineering (GMO). Instead, we favor practices such as crop rotation, companion planting, cover crops and natural fertilizers to control pests and weeds and promote healthy plant growth.
Meats and eggs are produced from free-range pastured animals who are never given antibiotics or growth hormones. Free-range animals are allowed free access to the outdoors during their production cycle. Chickens are supplemented when necessary with non-GMO feed.
Our Shared Commitments:
We promise to do our best to provide you with a beautiful and bountiful share each week. The amount of produce, however, may vary from week to week due to extreme weather, insects or other production factors despite our best efforts. One advantage of our multi-farm format is that these natural stresses seldom affect all farms equally, so while one farm may experience a given crop failure, the others will likely have sufficient to cover the need. However, by joining our CSA, you are agreeing to share the risk of crop failures with us and other members.
In addition to our CSA, our farms each sell to Farmer’s Markets, restaurants and other outlets. However, Deep Roots CSA receives priority. After liberally filling our CSA shares each week, the remainder is sold to other markets. Please note that we may produce some items exclusively for other markets. You may occasionally see some of our products at farmer’s markets or in restaurants that will never appear in your CSA share.
Picking Up Shares:
You will have a choice as you sign up between pick-up sites in Athens, Mabank or Dallas. As we grow, other pick-up sites may be added to the list. Site pickup works like this:
We will provide two reusable bags for our customers at no extra charge. On your scheduled day and time, you will simply go to your chosen pick up site and find your bag of produce - it will be marked clearly with your name - and take it home. The next week, when you pick up your bag, please RETURN YOUR First BAGfor us to re-use. Simply fold it and place it in the return box located at your pickup site. If you forget to return your bag, your share will be delivered the following week in a regular paper grocery bag.
Pick up your share on the same afternoon it is delivered. Although we deliver high-quality produce to the site, it will decline quickly if not picked up in time.
Our pick-up site hosts volunteer their space and time. Please thank them occasionally and help us to keep the sites orderly and attractive.
If you cannot pick up your share due to vacation travel or other circumstance, you must arrange for someone else to pick it up for you or notify us in advance and we will donate your share. Shares that are not picked up within 24 hours will also be donated.
We take the safety of your food seriously by using appropriate harvesting and storage techniques, however, your produce is fresh from the garden.Please store your produce properly (we include information of how to store each veggie and herb properly on our website). And please wash all produce before eating!
Member Fees: The full Spring/Summer Share total is due prior to the season start. All membership fees are NON-refundable after the second week of the season. Half Share $200 (8 wk season) Full Share $320 (8 wk season)
As an example only:
A half-share might include:a pint of strawberries, a bag of baby greens, both squash and green beans, a bunch of kale and a bunch of carrots. A full share might include a quart of strawberries, a large bag of greens, larger portions of both squash and green beans, a bunch of kale, a head of broccoli, a large bunch of carrots and a bunch of beets.
Actual contents will vary each week. Please take a look through our gallery to see samples of our boxes.