Hader Farm Community Supported Agriculture Member Agreement

Please read this CSA Member Agreement in its entirety.

Thank you for joining the Hader Farm CSA… we sure are excited and thankful that you have chosen us to be YOUR farmers! Please remember that, as a CSA member purchasing a SHARE, you have chosen to SHARE both the losses and the bounties of the CSA season with us and our other CSA members.

Section 1. Introducing Our CSA Farm

Becoming a Part of Our Farm

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relationship between Hader Farm and you as our customer. Rather than simply purchasing food, our customers become “members” of our CSA farm. We harvest a wide variety of produce at its peak of readiness and divide the food into member shares, which are generous weekly (or biweekly) portions of the farm’s yield. Memberships are sold in advance.

We view our CSA program as not only a way of securing fresh, healthy, and local food, but also as an experience and a means of learning a little more about where your food comes from. Please understand that your food is guaranteed to be FRESH and local. In most cases, it will be harvested the same day you receive it.

Although program start and end dates will depend upon the weather, it is our hope to start the program in late April when our crops are becoming bountifully ready for harvest. The Hader Farm CSA will run for 30 weeks. Members can select home delivery or collect their weekly box from the farm or at a designated pick-up location each week.

Our Growing Practices

While not certified, Hader Farm operates using exclusively organic farming practices. We pledge to never use conventional pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.

Our plants are strong and resilient, which increases their nutritional value and flavor profile. We brew compost teas, farm worms, use compost and biochar, apply companion plantings, cover crops, solarization and mulching gardens to retain moisture in our soils and encourage the evolution of micro life to feed healthy root systems.

We take the safety of your food seriously. For your added protection, wash all produce again before eating and put any cold products in the fridge and frozen products in the freezer as soon as possible.

Section 2. Our Shared Commitments

Sharing in the Reward of Crop Surplus

Our farm operates primarily as a CSA farm and most of our production is planned for CSA Members. When crops are especially abundant, we pack even more into your weekly box. However, we do not want to overwhelm our members or deliver so much produce that it goes to waste. When we observe that members have received enough of certain crops, we will oversee the surplus by supporting members of our community in other ways.
We love to experiment with new varieties of vegetables, fruits, and herbs so that we can increase diversity. These crops will be distributed as equitably as possible, and all CSA members will receive a sample of these new varieties.

Sharing in the Risk of Crop Failure

We promise to do our best to provide you with a bountiful share each week. The quantity of produce however, may vary from season-to-season due to extreme weather, insects, or other production factors, despite our best efforts. By joining our CSA, you are agreeing to share the risk of crop failure with us and other members. In the unlikely event of a crop failure, we typically compensate for the failed crops by filling our CSA shares with other crops grown on the farm that are ready for harvest at that time. Although our CSA shares do not always include what we had originally planned, we do incorporate risk management into our crop production to ensure we are able to supply our CSA members with a variety of crops throughout the entire season.

Section 3. Recipe Samples

We like to grow some uncommon produce, and from time to time, we may surprise you with a sample of a prepared food item along with a recipe to introduce you to new veggies. All such items will be prepared in our home kitchen and not a commercial establishment. They should be considered a free gift, in addition to your regular share.

Some free surprises from last year included: roasted pumpkin with a recipe for pumpkin pie, spongy green nettle cake with cream cheese icing, and sauerkraut fermented according to our traditional Polish recipe.

Section 4. Designated Pick Up Locations, Times & Operating Procedure

We offer home delivery, or you may pick up your share each week at the farm, or at a designated pick up location in Rogers or in North Fayetteville.
You may use up to three vacation holds to reschedule CSA delivery if you are away. All share rescheduling must be done at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled share pick up. If away, you may also arrange for friends or family to pick up your share or trade credits for any of our other products.
You are responsible for picking up your CSA share from your chosen pickup site each week. Unless prior notification is given and alternate arrangements are made with the farm, all CSA shares not picked up on your regularly scheduled pick up will be considered forfeited.

Section 5. Payment Methods

Membership fee for the entire season is due upfront. All deposits are non-refundable.

Section 6. Communicating with Us

The best way to communicate with us is via the following channels.

Email: kathy@haderfarm.com

Kathy’s Mobile: (479) 899-5121

Peter’s Mobile: (479) 899-5122

Section 6. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the contents of the box?

Prior to every delivery, you will be texted a link to an online form on which you can specify 1-3 available veggies you especially want in your CSA and/or which specific veggies you want us to omit. We then complete your box with other crops we harvest that week. The good news is that, as the seasons change, the variety and diversity in the box will also naturally change. Our objective is to always provide a diverse range of products. We welcome any feedback related to quantities, foods you particularly like, or foods that you prefer less of. This feedback will inform future direction and box contents. This highlights the benefit of having a direct relationship with your farmer: we really do listen and cater to you.

What happens to my share of the harvest when I go on vacation?

We understand that everyone needs a break sometimes. You may use up to three vacation holds to reschedule CSA shares if you are away. All share rescheduling must be done at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled share pick up. If away, you may also arrange for friends or family to pick up your share, or receive a credit that may be used towards any of our other products.