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FAQ'S

Frequently Asked Questions

Is your Farm Certified Organic?We are not certified organic, we
feel that the personal relationship that develops as a result of direct
marketing is more important than third party certification. We like
getting to know our customers and teaching them how we control
bugs and disease with natural products that are listed for certified
organic production. We use only products that meet the Organic
Materials Review Institute and incorporate organic production
methods. We do have concern that certification is being co-opted
by large corporate farms and loosing some of its meaning. We feel
that locally produced food that is grown in an ecologically sensitive
manner by someone the consumer can get to know is part of how
we can recapture the early goals of organic agriculture.

What makes the Sippel Family Farm CSA different? Here at the
Sippel Family Farm we take pride in providing the freshest local
produce from our family to yours. In the last several years, many
CSA's have been popping up around the area that have provided
products to their CSA members that are purchased from other
farms or auctions ( some advertise this and some don't). We do not
believe that purchasing items is a fair practice and is not in line
witht he original intention of what a CSA is.We grow everything
that is sold and distributed right here on our farm and on 7 rented
acres just down the road. We take pride in knowing that when we
hand you a tomato, it has been personally touched by us as a seed,
a transplant, a plant, and a fruit. We can tell you exactly what has
been fed to that plant and how the start to finish process works.
When farms are purchasing items, they cannot provide you with
this information. The CSA relationship is one of trust, and we
believe that our customers can fully trust in the way that we farm.

Where can we buy your produce? If you are not a CSA member,
you can buy produce from us at the Clintonville F armers M arket
from 9-12 Saturday mornings May-October.

How does the CSA Work? Families are asked to pay up front for
the CSA , either in Whole or in Half by specific dates set by the
CSA. Once your family is signed up you will be contacted 1 week
prior to the season deliveries beginning. Once the season begins
you come to your specified pick-up location at the specified time to
pick up your produce. We ask that you bring your own re-usable
bags to pick up your produce. It only takes a few minutes to pick
up your produce. Each family will get an even distribution of what
we have picked for the day, you do not have a choice what we offer,
it all depends on the season and the weather.

How much does the CSA cost and how do I pay? The price for the
2010 season is $620. Payments can be made in full at sign-up or
you can split payments over the season. $120 minimum is due at
sign-up time and the remaining $250 is split between April 30, 2010
and June 30, 2010.

How many people does a CSA share feed? There is no good answer
to this question. Every family’s eating habits are different. We
have just as many couples that eat the entire share as families of
four. The share size is geared toward the vegetable consumption of
the average family. The first few weeks of spring shares are on the
lighter side, as the season progresses the share increases to as many
as 3 or 4 bags of produce for summer and fall. In the fall you will
also recieve items that can be stored for winter ( potatoes, winter
squash, onions, garil, etc.) CSA memebrs alos have the ability to
purchase extra items in quantitiy for canning and can come out and
pick peas and green beans during the season at no cost.

Do you sell half shares? At this time, we do not sell half shares. We
ask that families that "share" their produce send one person to
pick-up and split the share on their own, we cannot be responsible
for splitting shares. Bi-weekly pick-ups seem to be the best solution
for families that are sharing with friends.

Will we know how to use the produce? Lisa works very hard at
including recipes and cooking ideas in the newsletter that comes
with the weekly share. The website also provides ideas and links to
recipe resources. Each year people seem to find a new favorite
vegetable.

How can I save and store my vegetables? Each vegetable has its
own way of being stored, please use the following storage chart to
find more information

What if we are going to miss a CSA pickup? You may let us know
ahead of time and we can schedule an alternative pick up at one of
our other pickup times. You may also arrange for a friend,
neighbor, or relative to pick up your share.

How can we get involved with the farm? Members are welcome to
visit the farm and attend potlucks on the farm. Children often
enjoy visiting the farm several times over the course of the season
to see how things change!

Why do people choose to join a CSA? There are many reasons
people participate. Some people join because they love fresh food
and like to try new things in the kitchen. Other people join to help
teach their kids about nature and where their food comes from.
Still other people join as a way of living out their social
convictions.

How does the CSA waiting list work? ( when applicable) We begin
renewing subscriptions in January of each year. Current members
have priority to re-join until January 31st. After January 31st we
begin filling unclaimed space ( or new spaces) from our waiting list.
We will contact families off of the waiting list in the order that we
have recieved them and based on the number of spaces availabe for
each pick-up location. We will contact only the number of people
we have space for and they will have 10 days to make their first
payment. After the 10 days are up, we will continue down the
waiting list in this fashion until all spaces are filled. Typically you
will hear from us between Jan 15th and April 15th. If you are not
contacted , your name will be left in its position on the list until the
following year.