Are Farm Share vegetables organic?
Yes, Farm Share provides 100% certified organic vegetables. The vast majority of the vegetables are grown on a 35 acre family farm that has been certified organic by NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers Association) for over eight years. All other vegetables are grown on nearby organic farms.
Are Farm Share vegetables grown locally?
Yes, all Farm Share vegetables and fruit are grown in New York State and brought to you directly from the farms.
How are Farm Share crops delivered to me?
Farm Share delivers crops packed in wax coated boxes to your doorstep in temperature controlled vehicles.
When are deliveries made?
Farm Share deliveries are made once per week during the 22 week vegetable season (June-November) and the 20 week fruit season. A delivery schedule will be sent to all members before the first delivery.
Do I need to be home to receive a delivery?
No one needs to be home to receive a Farm Share delivery, but please understand that we want to make sure you receive your box and that deliveries are not always during business hours. Please designate a safe place for us to leave it when you sign up, either on a doorstep, in a vestibule that is always open, or with a doorman. In Manhattan, we can offer two delivery windows, one during the day and one at night.
Do the shares contain heirloom varieties?
Oh yes. Farm Share includes many heirloom variety of vegetables including tomatoes, garlic, greens and potatoes.
Can I suspend deliveries during the season if I go on vacation?
We are able to suspend your deliveries during vacation weeks with a little advance notice, although payment is for the entire season regardless of missed weeks because our farmers need the funds to buy seed and operate the farms. Most of our members have chosen to donate the weeks they miss to a local food pantry. They are very grateful for the fresh food - we make all the arrangements and deliver the food. Please let us know by Thursday before delivery week if you would like your delivery suspended.
Are your fruits organic as well?
Our fruits are grown according to accepted sustainable practices but are not certified organic. It is very difficult to grow orchard fruits in the Northeast on a small farm 100% organically, but our fruit farmers substitute organic pesticides wherever possible and use farming practices designed to keep the land and water safe and the food healthy.
What is the quantity of food in a share?
The quantity changes some from week to week depending on the weather and the harvest, although generally the veggie shares contain 6-10 different types of vegetables. They are designed to feed 1-2 adults who love vegetables or a family with small children. Vegetarian families or families with 3 or 4 serious appetites for veggies often get two shares per household. Here are two examples of boxes from last year:
One week midsummer contained 4 middle eastern cucumbers, several delicate baby squash, two heads of green leaf lettuce, a bag of asian microgreens, a bunch of spicy garlic scapes, a bunch of white turnips, a bunch of purple beets.
One week in the fall contained several onions, two shallots, a large bunch of carrots, a head of napa cabbage, 6 huge ripe tomatoes, 3-4 golden potatos, 3 purple eggplant.
The fruit shares generally contain 1-3 kinds of fruit. Quantities of fruit also change throughout the summer. You might receive cartons with 20 ripe purple plums and 10 delicious peaches one week in summer, then, in the fall – two big bags of juicy apples and a carton with 8 pears. Fruit (and eggs) are only available as an add-on to the veggies.
I don’t live within your delivery area – can I receive my share at a pick-up location?
We are a home delivery service and do not currently have a pick-up location.
We are expanding, however, and when we receive lots of interest from an area it helps us decide where to grow next. So even if we don’t currently deliver to your town, please let us know if you are interested, and tell your friends who are interested to contact us as well. We’ll keep your information on file and contact you as soon as we can bring you the goods!