CSA Terms & Policies

For those unfamiliar with the term, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s a model that was established to help communities invest and connect with their local farmers in a real and direct way. In short, supporters invest in the farm by paying a fee up front for a “share” of the season’s produce. In return, they receive a weekly bag of produce that contains a mix of the farm’s seasonal produce.

If you are interested in being more directly connected with your local growers on the East Side please consider becoming a CSA Member. This farm is only possible through the continued commitment of so many people and we would be grateful for your support.

Please read our CSA Terms and Policies and ensure that you fully understand these policies. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies please contact us.

SEASONAL COMMITMENT & RISK

We are young farmers learning the trade and dealing with the ups and downs of weather and pests here in Houston and cannot guarantee that all will be available each month. By being a part of this CSA, you are taking on the risk of supporting an organization directly connected to these challenging conditions and the related bounty and scarcities that come with each season. CSA Members commit for the full 12 – 16 week season as established by the seasonal registration.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

We offer two (2) Payment Plans for the CSA:

  • El Seasonal Payment Plan is an upfront payment for the entire season providing us with much needed capital at the start of the season and as such, there is a discount on the price of a seasonal payment.
  • El Monthly Payment Plan is meant to give more flexibility in payment schedule and allow our CSA program to be more inclusive. It is important to note that the Monthly Plan still requires a commitment to participate for the entire 12-16 week season.

We require Autopay for processing your payments for continued registration in the Finca Tres Robles CSA Program:

  • Autopay: Sign up for the automatic payment option that will pay your account in a timely fashion so that you never miss a delivery. You will receive an email outlining the payment prior to any charges being made.

FIRST TIME MEMBER REGISTRATION FEE

New members will be charged a one-time $25.00 registration fee to cover some administrative costs and the costs of packaging. Existing and renewing members will not be required to pay this fee.

COMMUNITY COMMITMENT

We are Houstonians and are proud to be serving the Houston area. It is important to us that we keep as much of our produce as close to the farm as possible and make things as affordable and accessible as possible.

To meet people where they are, we offer a Tiered Pricing in our store to reduce prices to East Side residents who come to visit. Shoppers who need it can shop at full price (blue level 100%), discount 25% (orange level), or discount 50% (green level), no questions asked.

While we will not deny residents the discount, we encourage those residents who can afford it to pay the full price as a means of helping us make our farm more widely accessible to those in our community and neighborhood who can benefit most.

SHARE SIZES

We also offer two (2) different sized CSA shares to choose from – a Half Share and Full Share. The goal for each share is to provide enough to supplement the bulk of the produce needs for a family for the week.

  • El Full Share is meant for a family of 2-4 people, providing an assortment of 6-10 different types of seasonal vegetables and herbs each week.
  • El Half Share is geared for 1-2 people providing a range of 6-8 vegetables and herbs of varying quantities. Some weeks may have more than others depending on availability.

Requests to increase or decrease your CSA share sizes will be handled on a case by case basis. You can submit a request to csa@smallplaces.org and farm staff will get back with you quickly as possible.

CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICY

All payments are final. CSA Subscriptions that are terminated for any reason will not be subject to a refund.

If you believe you deserve a refund or credit for poor quality, damaged, or otherwise unusable produce, please contact the farm at csa@smallplaces.org. We will evaluate on a case by case basis. The email should include:

  • Date & Time the CSA Share was picked up
  • The Pickup Location
  • Description of the damage or quality issue
    *Photos are helpful

CSA BOX POLICY

In an effort to make our CSA easy for our members and more sustainable we will provide Finca Tres Robles reusable grocery bags for everyone:

  • Blue Box for Full Share
  • Yellow Box for Half Share

We will fill a box each week with your CSA share. Every following week you will receive another box of the appropriate color (size), while you drop off your previous bag so that we can fill it for the upcoming week. Bags are provided at no additional cost but are expected to be returned preferably each week, but by the end of the season. A delivery hold may be placed on your account if bags are not being returned in a timely manner.

LATE REGISTRATION

Any late registrations occurring after the 1st week of the season will have a prorated fee for the remaining weeks in the season.

WAITING LIST

If our CSA is filled to capacity, you can remain on our waiting list to be notified when a CSA share becomes available. The waiting list is a first come first serve basis.

SHARE SIGN OUT

CSA Members must sign the CSA Sign In Sheet that will be available at the pickup location and indicate if you have returned a bag that week. It is the responsibility of the CSA member to notify a farm staff member if the sheet is not available.

COMMUNICATION

By joining our CSA, you agree to open and read email communications from us. Please provide the email address you use most frequently so that we can keep you informed of any changes or issues including:

  • Payment Notifications – Any late or missed payment all should be made promptly
  • Holidays & Important Updates
  • Subscription Renewal Notifications

SUSPENSION OF DELIVERY

If you do not have money in your account to cover the price of the CSA share, your bag will not be delivered. If a timely payment is not received, we will send an email letting you know that your service has been suspended.

Restarting your CSA delivery can take several days, so please check in with us if you are unsure of your status. The farm will not hold your bag if it shows there is a payment processing. Credit will not be given if you fail to pick up your share. If a bag is not prepared for you, there will be no charge that week.

VACATION & OUT OF TOWN POLICY

We never want our produce to go to waste and we hope you will help us make that possible. If you will be out of town or on vacation we request that you find a good home for it:

  • Ask a Friend: If you can’t pick up your box on a given week, why not tell a friend to pick up your bag while you’re gone? Contacting us via email the day before is helpful in ensuring there is no issue or discrepancy when they come to pick up your CSA Share. This is not only for our convenience but also to protect you from having someone walk away with your CSA Share.
  • Donate the Share: You can also elect to donate your weekly CSA Share. Help us put our produce in good hands while you’re gone. Email csa@fincatresrobles.org to notify us of your choice to donate the share that week. We ask that you provide as much advance notice as possible.

LATE PICKUP POLICY

We understand that life can be hectic and sometimes things do not always go according to plan. We highly encourage all members to do your best to pick up on the designated times to ensure you get your CSA share at its freshest:

  • Finca Tres Robles – If you pick up on the Farm and cannot make it by on a Wednesday or Saturday, please contact the farm as soon as possible. The farm is closed on Sunday and Monday but will do our best to get you your share. Any shares remaining after 12pm on Tuesday are donated to food insecure families in our neighborhood.

We want to avoid this becoming a habit so repetitive lateness may result in a warning and eventually a holding fee being charged prior to your next pick up. While we hope this will never be the case, if tardiness (especially without notifying farm staff) becomes a habit and warnings and fees have not helped, we may feel the need to terminate your CSA Share Membership. Terminated Share Memberships will not receive a refund.

DISCIPLINARY POLICY

We want our CSA Program to be an enjoyable experience for all involved. While we do not anticipate any issues, disrespectful behavior including rudeness, vulgarity, and other disciplinary issues directed at anyone directly or indirectly related to the CSA Program, including but not limited to farm staff/volunteers, pick up location staff/customers, or other CSA Share Members will not be tolerated. This may result in termination of your CSA Share Membership. Terminated Share Memberships will not receive a refund.

We greatly appreciate your support! If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us.

 

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