Enroll for 2012

Welcome to our Produce CSA. You can join now, or send an email if you are interested in hosting at one of our unconfirmed locations. Confirmed pick up locations now are LAKEVIEW (Chicago, Near Ashland and Belmont, Private Residence, Tuesdays) NORTHBROOK (near downtown NB) and BELOIT , (Bushel & Peck’s Local Market, Friday/Saturday.) OAK PARK, (Oak Park Arms, Tuesdays) MONROE , (at the farm, Tuesdays) We are looking for additional hosts in Chicago (north side) & Evanston. Shares begin the first week of June and go through the third week of October.

There are several ways to receive a discount on your share. Enrollment and full payment before March 1, 2012 receive a 15% discount. Those of you enrolling before March 1 are our “seed sponsors,” allowing us to purchase large quantities of seed with your share dollars. (Early discounts apply to the base produce share only.) We thank you!

All Beloit customers picking up at Bushel & Peck’s Local Market or Our Farm receive a 10% discount. (If you are enrolling before March 1, your total discount will be 15%.)

About A CSA: Community Supported Agriculture is a term that has real meaning. When you subscribe to a CSA you support the efforts of a specific farm, or a specific group of farms. Your support, in turn, supports the movement toward real and local foods, which supports sustainable and local economies. In comparison to the big world in which we live, it might seem that this joint effort is small. But it is not, it makes real impact to each of our lives.

We have a CSA because we truly enjoy the personal connection we make with our customers. Whether we meet you one time at a single drop off point, or you visit our farm or we become friends, we have a CSA because we want to connect with our customers. We hope that you want to connect with your food source as well.

With that we each make a commitment to this idea. We commit that we will do our very best to deliver everything we promise. We face potential failure with every plant and seed that goes into the ground. You commit to take on some risk with us and have patience. We commit to show up with food every week. You commit to remember to pick up your food. We communicate our doings through our blog & you read it and give us feedback. It’s cool.

We appreciate that you’re considering us as one of your main food sources.

Produce Share – From the first week of June to the 3rd week of October, receive produce that will feed two or four, depending on how much you cook and eat at home. $320sm/$490lg

Base Produce Share Sizes and Types All shares are delivered weekly. There are two sizes, small and large. A small share assumes you are either feeding just one or two, or don’t cook at home more than a couple of times weekly. A small share would include 6 to 8 varieties per week and fill about 3/4 of a milk crate. A large share assumes you have more than two, like to cook a lot, or want to have a bit of extra food to freeze or can. A large share would include 8 to 12 varieties per week and fill a milk crate. For most people interested in getting their produce from a single source, without having to supplement, we encourage a large share.

Storage Share – Delivered one time at the end of the growing season, winter squash, potatoes, carrots, beets, onions and more that will store through the first of the year. Expect the equivalent of about 5 milk crates.) $120

Jam Share – 1/2 pint of our own homemade jam delivered once monthly. Strawberry, raspberry, apple, currant, grape & more. $30

Pickle Share – 1 quart of pickly-things each month including beets, cucumbers, relishes, tomatoes & more.$50

Egg Share – A dozen farm fresh eggs. From happy hens. One dozen weekly with your produce share. $80 (per one dozen each week)

Payment terms:

Payment may be made in full or in thirds. All subscriptions prior to March1, 2012 require a $75 non-refundable deposit. At least 1/3 of the total share amount is due by May 1, 2012. All members that elect to pay in thirds must send post-dated checks for July 1st and September 1st for the total amount.

Payment Options:
Payment in full by credit card
Payment in full or in thirds by check(s)

Your Risk:
Weather. Crop Failure. Etcetera. All though it is rare in our climate, total crop failure could occur. We believe this is entirely unlikely, but it is possible that flood, fire or other high drama events could cause a complete loss of crops. You are taking this risk with us.

Sometimes, small portions of crops fail and we substitute other varieties of foods. For example, early blight consumed tomato crops two years ago and we had significantly less tomatoes than planned. We had plenty of other produce, so there was more than enough to go around. But sometimes, certain crops fall to mother nature and we substitute what we had originally planned.

Refunds:
We do not offer refunds. If you move, you may give/sell your share to another family.

Here is a representation of what we grow. There are many varieties of each item: Apples, Asparagus, Beans, Beets , Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Chard, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Fresh Herbs, Garlic, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce & Greens, Melon, Okra, Onions, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radish, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Shallots, Spinach, Squash, Strawberries, Summer & Winter Squash, Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Turnips

2012 Locations:

Lakeview – Tuesdays, Private Residence Near Ashland/Belmont (confirmed)
Oak Park – Tuesdays, 408 S Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park Arms. Confirmed for 2012.
Beloit – Bushel & Peck’s Local Market, 328 State Street (confirmed)
Monroe – On our farm (confirmed)
Chicago Green City Market, Saturday Pick Up (confirmed)
Northbrook, Private Residence (confirmed)

Evanston – (seeking a host)
Oak Park – Tuesdays 408 S Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park Arms. Confirmed for 2012.
Pilsen/Near South – Private Residence Near Cullerton/Western (pending confirmation. A straight shot down Western for Wicker Park too!)
About GIGG and Our Producers:
Grass Is Greener Gardens is a farm located in Southwestern Wisconsin. It is owned and operated by two people: Rich & Jackie. We employ students and graduates in the summer. We are certified organic for produce, wild crops and greenhouse stock. Our meat & eggs are not certified, but we follow organic standards. (We have chosen not to certify our livestock operations for various, practical reasons.)

We produce about 80% of the produce that will go into our CSA boxes. Again, for practical reasons, we partner with three additional farms in our CSA. They have chosen not to go through the certification process, but their products are grown according to organic standards. We have added their products because they are better at growing them than we are. Crops that come from these farms include berries, apples, shallots, sweet corn, watermelon & some winter squash.

(Please note our meat & poultry shares are offering separately, but we will work with you to arrange coordinated pick up days.)

We hope you will join us in 2012.