Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Download PDF Version of our FAQ.

What is a CSA and how does it work?

Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership between CSA members and a farmer. The farmer is supplied with a predictable income, and members are supplied with freshly harvested vegetables, fruit, and eggs on a Weekly or Every Other Week (EOW) basis beginning in June and going until the end of October or November. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm pledge to pay in advance for the cost of growing the vegetables provided during the summer harvest. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season. Members pick up their shares at a distribution site run and organized by neighborhood CSA members.

What kind of vegetables will I get in my share?

A week’s share will consist of 7-10 vegetables (as the seasons dictate). In addition to the vegetables that you are familiar with - onions, squash, carrots, greens, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants, cabbage, parsley, etc., MimoMex Farms also grows an array of traditional Mexican and Central American vegetables and herbs as well as a large selection of peppers (grown without pesticides!) that will surely turn even the most conservative cook into a culinary adventurer!

Eggs

The Egg share consists of one dozen eggs from pastured chickens at MimoMex Farm (the chickens get to run around the farmyard to their hearts content). The price for a Weekly Egg share is $110 and the price for an Every Other Week Egg share is $55. The optional egg share is only available if you are purchasing a Weekly or an Every Other Week vegetable share.

Fruit

The Fruit share consists of seasonally available fruit including strawberries, cantaloupes, sugarbaby watermelons, peaches, cherries, plums, apples, and pears. A Weekly Fruit share costs $160 for 16 weeks and an Every Other Week share costs $80 for 8 weeks. (Please note that the fruit provided will be from a conventional farm and is not grown with organic farming methods.) The optional fruit share is only available if you are purchasing a Weekly or an Every Other Week vegetable share.

Our Farmers

We are partnered with MimoMex Farms in Goshen, New York, (formerly Rodri-Mex) run by Martin and Gaudencia Rodriguez. Some of you may have already seen MimoMex and their produce at the Sunset Park Greenmarket during the summer months on 4th Ave. and 59th St. The Rodriguez family is based in Brooklyn during the off season, but once the growing season starts, they move upstate to their farm in Goshen.

How much will it cost?

The Sunset Park CSA offers two vegetable share price structures: Plan A if your household income is over $30,000 and Plan B if your household income is $30,000 or less. Vegetable share pickups are either Weekly for 22 weeks, or Every Other Week (EOW) for a total of 11 pickup weeks. If you choose an EOW share, we will let you know what your pick-up schedule will be. Share prices are listed below.

For a complete list of fees and payment options, please see our signup page.

How do I pay?

A deposit (or full payment) is due with your agreement form to secure membership. After your deposit is made, full payment is due by May 14, 2010. Shares will be filled on a first come, first served basis. The deposit includes a $15 administrative fee. You can:

• Pay in Full - Paying for your share early in the season is the preferred method, as it helps cover expenses such as seed orders, equipment, and maintenance.
• Pay in Installments* – To reserve a share pay a deposit and pay the remainder by May 14, 2010.

For a complete list of fees and payment options, please see our signup page.

*Please contact Abby Youngblood at SunsetParkCSA@yahoo.com or by phone at 718-228-9567 if you need to establish an alternate payment plan.

Where and when do I pick up my vegetables?

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Members pick up their shares on Wednesdays between 5 PM and 7:30 PM at the distribution site @ St. Michael’s Church, 352 42nd St, Sunset Park, between 42nd and 43rd streets. If you are unable to pick up your share you may send someone to pick it up for you. Shares cannot be held past 7:30 PM. The season will begin the second or third week of June this year—members will be notified of the exact start date later this spring.

What is the time commitment for members, and what comprises a shift?

Because we are a member-run, volunteer organization we rely on members’ time. Members are required to work 2 shifts of 2 hours each for a total of four hours per season. Our work duties include unloading the delivery truck, organizing and itemizing produce, setting up scales, tables and chairs, etc. At the end of a shift, all equipment must be returned to storage, tables are put away, and plastic crates get stacked so they can be returned to the farm, ultimately leaving the site in its original state. These responsibilities may be changed and/or modified as our CSA’s needs evolve.