Member Agreement for 2017
GROMAINE FARM
Mailing Address: 190 Stanford St., South Portland, Maine 04106
Physical Address 12 Margison Road, Woodland, Maine 04736
Phone Number: (207) 272-6844
Email: tristan.noyes@gromaine.com
Section 1. Introducing Our CSA Farm
A. Becoming a Part of Our Farm
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relationship between our farm and you as our customer. Rather than simply purchasing food, our customers become “members” of this CSA farm who receive a portion of the farm’s harvest.
Our CSA runs for 18 weeks (Farm Boxes-June 15-October 12). Members are responsible for showing up at South Portland Farmer’s Market, Noyes Flower & Plant Shoppe in Caribou, or EF Education each week to pick up your share of freshly harvested produce or flowers, unless the home delivery or mail options were selected. You will generally receive the specified number of heads or bunches outlined in your share type with more being provided on occasion if wanted during peak season. Detailed information regarding pick-up is discussed below in Section 3. Variety and quantity may vary as described below in Section 2.
B. Our Growing Practices
The farm is USDA Certified Organic by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Organic produce is grown without using specific conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. For more information about organic production please ask. We’d be happy to tell you more. Some varieties of flowers we include in our bouquets do not have organic seed available for purchase. Additionally, the farms/organizations we source vegetables from are also certified organic unless indicated. We may include conventionally grown products from family farm friends, but we will state this on our insert inside the farm box.
Section 2. Our Shared Commitments
A. Sharing in the Risk of Crop Failure
We promise to do our best to provide you with a bountiful share each week. The quantity of produce however, may vary from week-to-week due to extreme weather, insects, or other production factors despite our best efforts. By joining our CSA, you are agreeing to share the risk of crop failure with us and other members. In the unlikely event of a crop failure, our procedure is as follows:
• If only a small portion of crops fail, we compensate for the failed crops by filling your share with other crops grown on the farm that are ready for harvest at that time. If a large portion of crops fail, we may not be able to deliver any product in some weeks.
• We may cover for a crop loss by buying in from other local farmers. This may not be a feasible option for all crops because of cost or widespread failure.
Section 3. Picking Up Shares & Delivery of Shares
Pick Up:
You are responsible for picking up your share each week from your drop site. If you cannot pick-up your share, you must arrange for someone else to pick it up for you. You are responsible for explaining the pick-up location and procedures to your substitute. Shares that are not retrieved within the pick-up time will be donated to a charity or food pantry or sold at the farmers market.
If you inform us at least a week in advance that you are going on vacation or will be out of town we will give you the following choices:
A. Deliver your box to a different recipient
B. Give you a credit for that week that can be used to supplement later boxes, purchase merchandise, be used as a gift card, or toward a future share.
C. Donate your Share to a Local Food Pantry.
Pick-up Locations:
South Portland Farmers Market
Located in Mill Creek in the City Hall Parking Lot
Sundays
10AM-2PM
or…
Noyes Flower & Plant Shoppe
11 Franklin Street
Caribou, Maine 04736
Wednesdays before 5PM
or…
EF Education
Cambridge, MA 02141
Thursdays before 5PM
Delivery:
Home delivery in the Greater Portland area will likely occur during late afternoon/early evening Thursdays. Home delivery between Caribou and Brunswick will likely occur Tuesday afternoons. If you are not at home, we will leave the box in a convenient location for you to retrieve it. The box should stay fresh until you return home that evening. If for some reason anything is wilted, please let us know right away.
Priority Mail:
Priority Mail shipments will typically arrive on Fridays. The box should stay fresh until you return home that evening. If for some reason anything is wilted, please let us know right away.
Food Safety:
We take the safety of your food seriously. All of our greens are rinsed and harvested into refrigeration immediately to help extend shelf life. For your added protection, we do, however, always recommend washing all produce before eating.
Section 4. Member Fees
By selling membership in advance of the growing season, CSA reduces the burden of up-front costs for the farmer. Your membership fees provide us with money to purchase seed and equipment before the season starts, and we appreciate your commitment.
Section 5. Communicating with Us
The best way to communicate with us is via phone at (207) 272-6844 or via email (Tristan.noyes@gromaine.com). We will do our best to respond as soon as possible, but please understand that we spend much of our time in the field growing your food or on the road delivering it and not at our desk. Please contact us with any news of the following: changes to your postal or email address, changes to your drop-site location, problems with your drop-site, or dissatisfaction with your share.
We will communicate with you by email. When you sign up, you will be added to our distribution list. Please read your email from us. We depend on being able to communicate important information such as necessary changes to your distribution schedule or to our farm events. Every week or month, we will email or include in your order an update giving you information about the crops available that week, recipe ideas, or other farm related news.
By signing up online you agree to purchase the membership share indicated. Although unlikely, the farm may change parts of this agreement related to production and distribution from time to time. We will contact you via email in advance of any changes to this agreement.