flower csa faqs
What is a Flower CSA and how does it support Raven Hill Farm?
CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture” and it’s a way for community members to form a partnership with local farms. By joining a CSA, you are ‘pre-buying’ a share of farm produce, in this case flowers, before the growing season. This early investment in our flowers helps us have the funds to purchase supplies and materials that will go into your bouquets. It’s a win-win for everyone, you will receive beautiful flowers during their peak season, and our farm receives much needed cash flow during our quieter months.
Why should I join a Flower CSA?
Your purchase of a Flower CSA goes directly to supporting a local farm. We grow flowers because we believe that flowers spread joy. Each week you will be getting a little joy from our farm as you pick up your thoughtfully designed bouquet of flowers grown from seed right here at our farm. We are truly grateful to be able to grow and share these beautiful flowers and we hope you love them as much as we do!
Can I get a refund on my CSA if I decide I don’t want it?
We are able to provide a full refund within 10 days of purchase date. After that time, Flower CSA purchases are non-refundable.
What happens if there are crop failures?
Farming is risky business and we constantly contend with nature, including weather events, pest pressure, and the occasional crop loss. We say this to be totally transparent in that you, as a CSA member, are taking on this risk with us. While we make detailed plans for our growing season, some things can still go wrong that are completely out of our control. We desperately hope this is never the case and can assuredly tell you we work hard everyday to bring you the most beautiful flowers! We also grow a variety of flowers to ensure that if something happens with one crop, we’ll be able to replace it with another.
What will be included in my Flower CSA?
Each bouquet contains a variety of seasonal blooms and may even include blooms only available to CSA members. You will receive newly blooming flowers before they are available to our farm stand customers. Additionally, our CSA bouquets are modeled after our “Deluxe Market Bouquets” which retail for $30 in the farm stand so you’re getting them for a bargain at $25 per week!
Can I give a Flower CSA as a gift?
Yes! A CSA share makes a great gift for the flower lover in your life. However, there are a few things to consider before purchasing it for someone.
Make sure they can pick up the CSA at the selected location weekly. We do not provide delivery to locations other than specific CSA pickup locations.
Make sure they are around during the times you select for their CSA (6 week CSA Mid-June-July; 8 week CSA August-September; 14 week CSA Mid-June-September).
Make sure we have all their information, including email, as this is how we send weekly reminders and updates for CSA pickups.
If you want to give a flower gift but aren’t sure if a CSA will work for your recipient, consider gifting Flower Cash which are coupons good towards bouquets in our Farm Stand (open Mid-June through October). Learn more about Flower Cash here.
What do I need to do at the pick up site?
We will have your bouquet waiting for you at your pick up site during the designated times. Please be sure to “check out” your bouquet on the clipboard by the flowers. If you are not going straight home after pick up you may want to bring a cup of water to keep your flowers hydrated until you can get them home into a vase. Please do not leave your flowers in a hot car for a prolonged period, this will make them droop and shorten their vase life.
What if I can’t pick up my CSA bouquet in a given week?
If you are unable to pick up your CSA you can always send someone else in your place to pick it up. Please share the pick up time and location with them directly. If possible, please send me an email to let me know that someone else will be picking up and “checking out” your bouquet. CSAs that are not picked up on the designated date will be donated to area businesses and community spaces.
How do I care for my bouquet?
While many of the flowers we grow have a vase life of 7-10 days, there are some factors that can shorten vase life. We also sometimes include flowers that generally have a shorter vase life but are far too pretty not to include (looking at you, peonies and dahlias). To give your flowers the best chance in the vase, we recommend retrimming the ends before placing them in a clean vase. Keep them away from direct sunlight and change the water every few days or if it’s looking cloudy. If there are any stems that look past their best, you can simply remove these and keep enjoying the rest.
Do you have other questions about our CSA? Send us an email here!