What Makes us Different?
Farming experience. We have been a CSA farm for 27 years and farming for over 30. We have learned a lot in this period of time and continue to hone how we do things. We continuously work to improve both the farming side of things as well as to offer more choice and services to our members.
We have continued to add to our infrastructure for all these years. A deer fence was one really big investment. Next came a new high tunnel (season stretching growing house) and now more recently we have refurbished our irrigation pond. We have learned that we can’t change the weather, but we can try to prepare for those “less than perfect conditions”.
How else do we stand out?
Fruit. We grow both fruits and vegetables at our farm. Fruit is included in the cost of our shares. Cantaloupes usually begin ripening the middle of July; watermelons in August and early September. Blackberries are available July/Aug. Though we have had our own orchards for many years we realized that the trees had passed their prime and it was no longer cost effective to continue with the orchard side of our farm operation. We pulled out the orchards and now offer for sale tree fruits from some of our orchard growing friends.
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Sweet Corn and Potatoes. Some CSA farms don’t grow or include sweet corn or potatoes in their share offerings (these crops take up a lot of space and add complexity to crop rotations). Both of these crops are included in Vollmecke CSA shares.
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Choice. While one of the main tenets of the CSA model is members share the harvest, we realize that our members prefer to have some control over their share choices. On-site farm pickup shares are not pre-boxed. We offer Farm Market Style pickup, where you may select for yourself the produce you wish that week. Maybe you want two units of tomatoes and no cucumbers. Not a problem to mix and match to get your 6 units. If something is in short supply you might only be able to take one unit in a given week. Once the harvest season for that crop ramps up we expect to have plenty.
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Payment Options Pay in full to receive the best price: Use afterpay to split up your payments. We accept payment via credit card, apple pay, googlepay and check.
Share Size. This year we are offering one share size only. It is similar to what had been in former years our medium share.
Weekly pickup (to include 6 units; feeds 2 adults, or a small family that cooks a few nights per week. 22 share distributions per season).
Make-Up / Deferred Day. We realize that many people like to go away at least once during the summer. Since you have paid ahead for your share, we hate to see you miss out on even one pickup if we can help it! So, we offer a make-up day, or the ability to defer one share, until the end of the season. Our regular season is 22 weeks, but on week 23 ( as long as you let us know via email before your missed pickup), you can come to pick up a deferred share.
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Pick Your Own (PYO) crops. We offer PYO cut flowers, which are included in the price of your share. PYO berries ( if you would like a quantity) are available at a nominal fee for members. There are other times we may have other PYO crops. We will inform members of these opportunities as they come up.
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One-Stop-Shopping. When you pick up your share at the farm, you have the ability to purchase additional produce as well as other local, sustainably produced products. Our own fruit butters, pasta sauce and Happy Hen eggs are available in the retail store. (Purchase an egg share to assure weekly availability.)
You have the ability to feed your family locally produced, nutritious foods all while keeping your dollars local and directly supporting other fine producers.
