These guidelines contain all of the important information members should know and understand about how CSA works at Leaning Birch Farm. Please take a few minutes to read through this page as it will help lay the groundwork for a successful year together. The guidelines and policies it outlines are the basis for the Membership Agreement that members need to sign when they join our CSA.
Risk and Reward
Shared risk and reward are at the heart of every CSA model out there. By joining our CSA, you are becoming a part of our extended farm family. Together, we all agree to share in the risk and reward of farming. If the year is especially abundant, you will receive product of exceptional quality and size. If the year is a difficult one with heavy pest, disease, and weather pressures, we may have less of a particular item or possibly not have that item at all. If we experience an extreme natural disaster, such as flooding rains or a tornado, it is possible you may receive no further products at all that year. In this event, your farm card will carry over to the next season with no loss in value.
Receiving your share
Community is a really important part of CSA, and going to the pick up site is a chance to meet and get to know your farmers and fellow members. To make sure each of the sites run smoothly and safely, though, we need a few rules.
Pick up at the farm for the 2024 season will be every Friday from 4-7 PM.
In addition to picking up at the farm, members may pick up at any of our off-farm locations. When selecting your site, please make sure you can retrieve your share within the pick-up time frames listed.
This summer season, we will again participate in the Saratoga Farmers Market on Saturday from 9-1 and we will be at the Schenectady Greenmarket on Sundays from 10-2. If we participate in any other locations, that information will be shared with farm members and the location added to the online store.
Picking up at the Farm
When coming to pick up your share, we ask that you refrain from bringing pets onto the property (other than service animals). If for some reason you need to bring your pet with you, we ask that you leave your pet in your vehicle while you are at the farm. This is our dog, Tucker’s, home and he has free reign of almost the entire property. He is very friendly (sometimes TOO friendly!) but be aware that he does bark when folks arrive at the farm. Please know that he has never harmed anyone or anyone’s pets. If you have concerns around dogs, please let us know and we will contain him in the house while you are here. He does like to play and can get a bit “exuberant,” so please be aware of that, especially with smaller children. He is an unaltered male, as well, so that’s another reason not to bring your pets to our farm.
In general, we just ask that you are mindful of your actions so that we can continue to open up our farm to you and your family. Members should feel free to invite a guest or family member to come to the farm with them; some of our best new members are friends of current CSA members who visited the farm!
Communication
Like any strong community, we need good communication. Leaning Birch Farm will share essential information about cancellations, delays, or problems via phone, email, or text. Please be sure to let us know the best way for us to communicate with you in short notice. Should you need to reach us for something urgent, especially on Fridays, text messaging or phone calls work best…we will not see emails as we will be outside, farming, and not at our computers. If you have a question or concern that doesn’t need immediate attention then email works fine.
Refund Policy
Please be sure you want to join our CSA before making your purchase. A CSA is about commitment to a local farmer and the farmer’s commitment to you. If you decide CSA simply isn’t for you and you no longer want to buy our produce, you can sell your card to a friend and inform us of the change. Or, simply let us know you would like cancel your membership and forfeit your funds.
If you have to move out of the area or suffer an extreme hardship that prevents you from utilizing your card, you may be eligible for a prorated refund based on the balance on your Farm Card plus an administrative fee. No refunds are given during the last month of the season. Any refunds are given at the farm’s discretion—please call or email us to discuss options.
If Leaning Birch Farm experiences a catastrophic event (other than extraordinary disease, pest, or weather event) resulting in a complete farm shut-down, members will receive a prorated refund based on the balance on their card. This will occur only if we will be unable to begin anew in the next season.