CSA Questions & Answers
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- What is the Kuhn Orchard’s Winter CSA?
- How often will Kuhn Orchards deliver the CSA boxes?
- Where will I be able to pick up my CSA box?
- I don’t shop at the Farmers Markets where the CSA boxes will be delivered. Can I still participate in the CSA?
- What is the cost of the CSA?
- What will be included in the CSA box?
- What other services will Kuhn Orchards offer me?
- What does Kuhn Orchards expect of me when I participate in their winter CSA?
- Will my CSA box be delivered when we have inclement weather?
- Can I split a CSA share or does Kuhn Orchards offer half shares?
- I really like the idea of the CSA, but I’m not sure I can commit. Instead, can I order apples on a monthly basis when Kuhn Orchards makes the CSA delivery?
- Can I ask for a substitution in the CSA box?
- I definitely want to participate in the CSA, but what if I want to purchase more than what is offered in my CSA box?
- How do I get in touch with Kuhn Orchards?
- This all sounds great! How do I apply for the Winter CSA?
What is the Kuhn Orchard’s Winter CSA?
Kuhn Orchards has been selling their produce at farmers markets in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. for a number of years. We have had many inquiries from our customers about purchasing Kuhn Orchards produce over the winter months after the majority of our farmers markets have ended for the season. We started our first winter CSA program last year. We received positive feedback from the 75 participants and have chosen to continue the program this winter.
What is a CSA?? CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture,” and has a range of definitions. The Kuhn Orchards CSA is a program where we will deliver boxes of produce and dry goods to subscribers in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County, VA over the winter months. CSA members share both the bounties and risks of the farmer. This being said, there must be some flexibility in the products that Kuhn Orchards will provide to subscribers in their CSA box. You may read further to learn about what will be included in the CSA box. We are limiting the subscriptions to the first 150 applications.
How often will Kuhn Orchards deliver their CSA boxes?
Kuhn Orchards will deliver CSA boxes to subscribing customers on a bi-weekly basis on Saturdays. Pick-up locations are:
Vienna, VA
Lorton, VA
Washington, D.C.
Since our markets end at different times, the Fairfax County deliveries will start on Saturday November 17, 2012, and Washington, D.C. delivery will start on Saturday, December 1, 2012. We will deliver on a bi-weekly basis until April 20, 2012, and our Farmers Markets will begin the first week of May.
Delivery dates are as follow:
November 17 (Fairfax County locations only)
December 1 (D.C. delivery begins), 15, & 29
January 12 & 26
February 9 & 23
March 9 & 23
April 6 & 20
Total of 12 deliveries for Fairfax County CSA members.
Total of 11 deliveries for Washington, D.C. CSA members.
The pick-up timeframe is as follows:
Vienna, VA: 8:00 – 10:00 am
Lorton, VA: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Washington, D.C.: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Depending on how many participants we have in each CSA delivery location, we may have to adjust the delivery time slightly to accommodate the number of participants. The above timeframes are our best estimates; if we do need to change the pick-up time it will be very slight and we will notify CSA participants before the first delivery.
Where will I be able to pick up my CSA box?
For subscribers wishing to participate in the Vienna, VA CSA,
you may pick up your CSA box at the Red Caboose Parking lot located at 131 Church St. NE, Vienna, VA 22180. This is the parking lot where we are located for our Saturday Farmers Market in Vienna. http://www.viennafarmersmarket.com/ Parking may be limited in the Red Caboose Parking Lot because of weekend activities, but plenty of parking is available on the street and nearby.
For subscribers wishing to participate in the Lorton, VA CSA,
you may pick up your CSA box at the VRE Parking Lot located at 8990 Lorton Station Boulevard, Lorton, VA 22079. This is the parking lot where we are located for our Sunday Farmers Market in Lorton. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/FarmersMarkets/lortonmkt.htm
For subscribers wishing to participate in the Washington, D.C. CSA,
you may pick up your CSA box at the St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church & School Parking Lot/Basketball Court next to 1419 V Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20009. http://saintaugustine-dc.org/. Because parking may be limited because of weekend church and school activities, we are asking that all customers find on-street parking. The St. Augustine Church owns two parking lots. There is one directly behind the church – this is not the CSA pick-up location. The parking lot in which a Kuhn Orchards employee will meet you is located closer to 14th Street than 15th Street and is enclosed by a black fence and has basketball hoops.
I don’t shop at the Farmers Markets where the CSA boxes will be delivered. Can I still participate in the CSA?
ABSOLUTELY!! We simply chose these locations to serve as our CSA “hubs.”
What is the cost of the CSA?
We will prepare the boxes for each delivery so they are valued at $35 per box. For Fairfax County deliveries, the cost will be $420 for the entire CSA, and for D.C. deliveries the cost will be $385. (The price difference is because Fairfax County customers will have 12 deliveries, whereas D.C. will have 11 deliveries.) We will also have an additional $10 crate deposit. Each week, if you exchange your empty crate with your filled one, we will check you off and your balance will be zero. At the end of the winter CSA season, if your balance is zero, you will receive a refund of your $10 crate deposit. If you have not returned all of your crates by the end of the CSA season, you will be charged for your outstanding crates. Last year, many CSA members brought reusable bags to transfer their CSA items into, and never took the crate home. We appreciate this practice, but it is not required.
Payment must be received in full at the time you submit your CSA Subscriber Application. This is not a month-to-month subscription policy. Subscribers must participate in the full 11 or 12 delivery schedule, depending on delivery location.
What will be included in the CSA box?
What is included in your CSA box will change over the season.
One hesitation that a lot of people have about participating in a CSA is regarding the quantity of food. For instance, we’ve heard lots of folks say, “I have a friend who participated in another CSA and they got a ton of [insert product here]; so much that they didn’t know what to do with all of it.”
The Kuhn Orchards CSA will not put you in this kind of predicament. We will give you variety in your CSA box with apples, vegetables, dry goods, and cider.
If it gives you any reassurance, here’s what last year’s CSA members said about the quantity of food in their CSA box:
82.5% of CSA participants had 2 individuals in their household
&
86.8% of CSA participants said the quantity of food included in their CSA box was “just right”
Remember, we really strive to not overwhelm CSA participants with too much of one item, and we do include dry goods which reduces the urgency to consume everything in the CSA box within a 2-week period.
What you could expect to see in your CSA box is:
Apples
You will be given two varieties of apples in your CSA box; one may be tarter, the other may be sweet, or one might be good for baking and the other good for eating fresh. With each delivery, you will receive about five pounds of apples. Honeycrisp, Gala, and Ambrosia will be varieties included in the CSA box but only until December, as they do not store well for extended periods. Other varieties we hope to include are: Fuji, Pink Lady, Goldrush, Stayman, York, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Idared, and Mutsu. The regularity and quantity of each variety included in your CSA box will depend on availability after our farmers market season.
Potatoes (white potatoes will be the majority but, red-skinned and sweet potatoes will be included occasionally)
Cider
Jam & Jelly
Applesauce
Apple Butter
Pumpkin Butter
Canned Peaches
Dried Apples
Honey
Pears/Asian Pears
Onions
Garlic
Shallots
Chestnuts
Winter Squash
Horseradish
Sunchokes
Eggs (from our neighbor)
Salad Greens (from our neighbor)
Asparagus
Rhubarb
We have also planted the following items and hope to include them in the boxes this year: Swiss Chard, Leeks, Carrots, and Beets.
Obviously, we will not be able to bring to you our fresh picked asparagus and rhubarb in the middle of the winter, but by the end of April we hope to include our tender tips of asparagus and stalks of rhubarb as a “Welcome Spring” treat!
What other services will Kuhn Orchards offer me?
We will send you a reminder email the Wednesday before the scheduled delivery; we will also include a list of items that will be in your CSA box so you can menu plan, if you wish. We will also include tips on how to store and prepare your produce, and recipes utilizing the items in your box.
We will establish a page on our website specifically for our CSA members that will have resources just for you, such as: a calendar of pick-up dates (just in case you forget), contact information for the drivers delivering your CSA boxes, the list of items you can expect in your CSA box for each week, recipes, and storage & preparation tips.
What does Kuhn Orchards expect of me when I participate in their winter CSA?
We want the CSA members to understand that they are subscribing to a service which we are providing, and we would like you to respect that service. If a subscriber cannot pick up the fruit within the pick-up timeframe, they need to notify Kuhn Orchards in some fashion.
If the CSA member knows in advance that they cannot make the pick-up date (e.g. pre-existing plans, vacation, out-of-town, etc.):
- They can send another individual to pick up the CSA box (it is not necessary to notify Kuhn Orchards that you will have a proxy)
- They can post-pone receipt of their CSA box to the following delivery. They can contact Kuhn Orchards via email or phone before the delivery and arrange to receive 2 CSA boxes the following delivery. If the CSA member does not want to receive double boxes the following delivery, then the CSA box will be donated to a food pantry. (Unfortunately, no money can be refunded to the subscriber.)
On the day of pick-up, if the CSA member has not arrived, the Kuhn Orchards Delivery Employee will give a courtesy-call 30 minutes prior to the end of the pick-up window. If direct contact is made with the CSA member, arrangements can be made:
- For the D.C. and Lorton CSA pick-up locations, the Delivery Employee will wait an extra 30 minutes past the pick-up timeframe if the CSA member can come to the pick-up location. If direct contact is not made or response is given by the CSA member, the Delivery Employee is not obligated to wait for you.
- For the Vienna pick-up location, since we are making two deliveries in Fairfax County back-to-back, we are unable to offer the 30 minute extension because it will delay our next pick-up location. However, the CSA member may meet the Delivery Employee at the Lorton CSA pick-up location.
- If the CSA member is unable to pick-up the CSA box within the 30 minute extension, they may opt to receive two boxes the following delivery.
Will my CSA box be delivered when we have inclement weather?
If inclement weather (snow, ice, or sleet) is expected in south-central Pennsylvania, Northern Virginia, or Washington, D.C. and travel is risky, we will notify you via email or phone that we will post-pone the delivery. There may be occasions that we will deliver earlier than the scheduled date to avoid a predicted storm. Either way, we will contact you as soon as we have made a plan of action.
Can I split a CSA share or does Kuhn Orchards offer half shares?
We do not sell half shares, but it is fine if you’d like to split a share with a friend or co-worker. Some people split the share after pick-up or you can go one week and your friend the next. If you decide to go this route, when you sign-up, please make sure to include the name, contact information, and email address of the individual/family with whom you are splitting your CSA share.
I really like the idea of the CSA, but I’m not sure I can commit. Can I order apples on a monthly basis when Kuhn Orchards makes the CSA deliveries?
This year we will offer a Monthly Apple Delivery service in addition to the Winter CSA. The Monthly Apple Delivery is for folks who really like Kuhn Orchards apples, and don’t necessarily want the diversity or commitment of a CSA box. If this describes you, you can sign-up for the Monthly Apple Delivery Newsletter.
By signing up for the Monthly Apple Delivery Newsletter, you will receive a monthly notification via email that will inform you of products you may order, such as: a box of apples, cider, applesauce, pumpkin butter, apple butter, canned peaches, dried apples, jam/jelly or honey, and possibly asparagus in the spring. Some items may not be available each month depending on our supply. You will place your orders via an online “order form” on SurveyMonkey and payment will be due the morning of pick-up. We will accept cash, check or credit cards.
Dates for the Monthly Apple Delivery are Saturdays:
November 17th (Fairfax County, VA locations only)
December 1st
January 12th
February 9th
March 9th
April 6th
You can sign up for the Monthly Apple Delivery Newsletter in one of 2 ways: on our website or via our newsletter.
Can I ask for a substitution in the CSA box?
If you absolutely do not wish to have a particular item in your CSA box, we are willing to substitute the item; however, there will be $5 fee per box. We encourage you to find someone (a friend, neighbor, or co-worker) to give (or sell!) your undesirable item. Yet, if this is not feasible from your end, we will make the substitution. Or, you may choose to leave the item out of the box at the time of pick up and we will donate it to a food bank.
I definitely want to participate in the CSA, but what if I want to purchase more than what is provided in my CSA box?
Last year our CSA members asked about ordering half bushels of apples in addition to what they received in their CSA box. So we developed a way for CSA members to order additional items that would be delivered with their CSA boxes – such as a box of apples, cider, eggs, all of our dry goods, and when we had extra in the Spring, asparagus and rhubarb.
In each CSA Reminder Email, a link will be included so CSA members can fill out an “order form” on SurveyMonkey to purchase these CSA “add-on” items. Payment is due the day of delivery and we will accept cash, checks or credit cards.
The CSA “add-on” service is completely optional and is only for CSA members, and is different than the Monthly Apple Delivery.
How do I get in touch with Kuhn Orchards?
You can email us at KuhnOrchardsCSA@gmail.com, use the contact link on our website and fill out the form, or call us at (717)334-2722. We will get back to you as soon as we are able!
This all sounds great! How do I apply for the Winter CSA?
We are very pleased that our CSA service will satisfy your fruit and vegetable needs during the winter months! Since we are very busy at market we will not be accepting applications or payment at any of our farmers markets. Here’s how you can apply for the Kuhn Orchards Winter CSA:
- Download the application here
- Enclose a check (made out to Kuhn Orchards, LLC) OR include your credit card information on the application and we will process your credit card information at our office.
- Mail the completed application and method of payment to:
Kuhn Orchards, LLC
P.O. Box 95
Cashtown, PA 17310
After we have received and processed your application, we will mail you a copy of your application and credit card receipt or copy of your check for your files.