A proud partner of Local Foods Mohawk Valley
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA producers grow a variety of produce for their community and provide a variety of items in a weekly box delivery service. It’s the best way to get the freshest, local sustenance for your household without growing it yourself! There’s no better, tastier produce, than that grown straight from the garden, and harvested within hours of being on your table.
Why support a CSA?
Eat fresh, tasty, nutrient-dense food.
Promote local business.
Reduce your environmental footprint: reduce carbon emissions, packaging, and food waste(at production level)
Enjoy varieties you can’t find in the store.
Become more involved in your community.
Promotes healthy eating habits.
No-hassle, stress-free, food in your fridge.
Low cost, high quality, that’s it.
How are your boxes priced?
While the initial price tag may seem daunting, our goal is to ensure each box has 5-10lbs of produce in it per week. At $25/box over 18 weeks, this value is equal, if not better, than what you can achieve when shopping in your local grocery store. Plus, you get a variety of produce throughout the entire season, meaning you aren’t experiencing surged prices on certain items over others. Since vegetable production on a hyper-local scale doesn’t require transportation costs, these savings are passed on to you! Check out the Shop tab to see the prices!
What are we providing?
We are providing a variety of locally produced vegetables and fruits delivered fresh to you within hours of harvesting. To see the produce we are providing along with their varieties, check out the Produce tab!
Do you offer delivery services?
Absolutely! For only $5/week, we can deliver directly to your front door. Other pick up options will also be available.
When should you expect your produce?
Before the season begins, we will assess where our customers are located in the region and determine an efficient plan for deliveries. We'll be in communication with you as the season begins and settle on an option that works for you.
What happens if you can’t provide enough produce for a box?
As with all farming, we are entirely dependent on the elements of the season as they are thrown at us. For this reason, it is possible we may experience crop failures at various times throughout the year. A late freeze in the spring or an early freeze in the fall can spell disaster! However, we are ensuring that we have the proper materials on hand to mitigate issues from surprise freezes.
Since we do not use harsh chemical herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides, it is also possible we could experience a disaster in the form of pests or diseases. Although, there are many different natural remedies that can be used to control these issues if they arise. We know that by providing a habitat that all animals can experience, natural pest predators can be at home in our garden to keep pests at bay.
Lastly, by keeping a close eye on all of our plants, we hope to mitigate any issues before they get out of control!
Part of being a member of a CSA is acknowledging that crop failures can happen and you assume that risk with us. This may get passed on in the form of smaller boxes. However, very few failures last an entire season, so a small box one week does not indicate a small box every week. Additionally, should we have a bounty, you will see that in your boxes as well!
How much can we expect and when?
Our aim is to provide you with an average of 5-10 lbs of produce every week. Since we are producing seasonably, this means that the initial boxes of the season may be on the lighter side as the vegetable season gets into full swing. At the height of the season, you can expect heavier boxes!
What’s the value of what we are getting compared to what we can get in the store?
We aim to provide 5-10lbs of produce per box per week. Over 18-weeks this equates to $25/box. The produce we are providing will be the freshest you can get anywhere because it is all produced in our backyard, meaning it’s practically produced in your backyard!
We are also sourcing seeds from a variety of seed producers, some of which are producing regionally grown varieties. Other seed companies we are using provide exceptional seed quality that produce top quality vegetables.
We are also offering cultivars that you will not be able to find in your local stores, picked for their tastiness!
Where do you grow?
Hardscrabble Hill Farm is located in the Cassville/Bridgewater, NY area off of Route 8. Our farm is a small, 10 acre plot of land on a hillside along Hardscrabble Road. Approximately half of the land is wooded and the other half we are slowly converting through regenerative practices to Hardscrabble Hill Farm!
Are you organic?
We are not certified organic, however we do utilize organic practices. We are too small of an operation to afford the cost of becoming certified organic. By utilizing organic practices, we are not using synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. We are only using natural inputs in our garden spaces and stay far away from any toxic chemicals.