VEGBOX CSA – The fine print

Core Philosophy:

Our VegBox CSA program is based on a very popular model called community-supported agriculture. At its core, CSA is a Partnership between the Members (that’s you!) and the Farmers (that’s us!). Members support their farmer by purchasing a summer/fall “share” in advance therefore sharing in the inherent risks of agriculture, and its rewards. And, the farmers commit to producing the highest quality food following organic growing practices. As a CSA member you’re saving 5-10% on what you’d pay just coming in to purchase from the store. 

BeetBox Responsibilities

As your farmers, we pledge to provide our members with a unique food experience by creating a community of eaters who value good food and healthy soils. Let’s get into the weeds, shall we?

Growing Practices

Our focus is on growing beautiful produce for our CSA members by meeting or exceeding the Canadian Organic Standards. This is achieved by:

• Rotating crop families from field to field, year after year
• Sowing cover crops to build soil, break pest cycles, and suppress weeds
• Using specialized insect netting to reduce pest pressure
• Using row covers as protection from early/late frosts
• Growing crops in-soil, in greenhouses, to extend the season and improve yields
• Fertilizing with organic certified amendments only
• Spraying select crops with organic insecticides; as a last resort only 

Growing Season

Our CSA harvest season runs from mid June to November We offer a 20-week “summer share” and a 4-week “fall extension”. We will contact you early June to confirm the start date of the program as it will depend on the weather.

BeetBox will act in good faith to provide fresh organic produce for the season but we cannot guarantee quantities or box contents on a given week.

Risk Mitigation + Rewards

Mother Nature can sometimes throw curve balls such as poor weather, drought, disease, early frost, crop failure and other natural challenges. We plan and produce a wide variety of crops to ensure a steady supply and limit the impact of natural challenges. However, we can never eliminate the risk of growing in a natural climate.

It’s not all bad news! Sometimes we are rewarded with great weather which yields a bumper crop. As a member of the CSA program, you will reap those benefits.

Communication

We are committed to sharing news and upcoming box contents through our weekly email newsletter. Add hello-bonjour@beetbox.ca and csa-asc@beetbox.ca to your address book to ensure you receive all our emails.

Privacy

BeetBox will never sell or share your information. We employ the best practices in cyber security to keep your information safe. We will only send you information that relates to farming, the farm, and our products and services.

Member Responsibilities

Pick up Your Box

As a CSA member, you must pick up your vegetables on your chosen pickup day, and during the pickup window, at the farm. We actually harvest your share prior to your designated pickup day. It’s as fresh as it gets.

How it Works

At the farm store there will be a special line for CSA members where your vegetables will be laid out in bins. There will be a list showing what to take from each bin depending on the size of your VegBox. As the summer progresses, so does the harvest. Expect a smaller box and more greens in the spring and a larger box and more storage crops in the fall. Sometimes there will be choices between items. We encourage you to try new things! 

Exchanging Items

We want you to try everything we’ve got, so feel free to swap items in and out, just so long as it stays within the original value of your box. If you go over, no problem, you just pay the difference. 

Be an Active Participant

We encourage you to become active participants in the CSA Program.
– Join the BeetBox VegBox Members Only Facebook Group.
– Read our Veg of the Week email during the box program.
– Visit the farm during CSA pickup times or during pre-planned farm tours and events.
– Share your comments, suggestions and concerns by email or in person.
This is one of the great perks of CSA. You can talk with and get to know the farm team!

Payment Options

We want to make sustainable farming as sustainable and affordable as possible, so we encourage our members to keep their money circulating in the local economy by paying cash, cheque, or e-transfer. Keep your hard earned money out of the credit card company’s pockets! We really appreciate when you pay in full at the time you sign up, but we also offer payment plan options if you email us.

We accept the following payment methods:

• Cash (2% discount): In person at the farm store or dropped off at the farm as long as arrangements have been made prior.
  
• Cheque (2% discount): Made out to “BeetBox Co-op Farm” with your order number on the “memo” line. Mail it to 230 Davidson’s Side Rd, Nepean, ON K2K 2Z4.
• Interac e-Transfer (2% discount): Sent to csa-asc@beetbox.ca with your order number in the message section.
• Credit Card & PayPal: Pay when you sign up on our web store.
  

The full amount, or the deposit in the case of a pre-arranged payment plan, must be paid to reserve your spot in the program.  

Cancellation Policy

Program cancellations before June 1st, 2025 will be eligible for a full refund minus a 5% cancellation fee.

Program cancellations after June 1st, 2025 cannot be refunded. BeetBox will have spent a majority of the funds to pay wages and buy supplies and for crops started as early as March. Members are encouraged to find a replacement and collect payment from that person. We cannot guarantee assistance in finding a replacement as we are very busy with the production and harvest at this time of year, though you are welcome to ask us if we’ve got a waitlist already started.

BeetBox has the right to cancel a membership with a full refund minus a 5% administrative fee if the member goes against the farm’s code of conduct as written in this agreement.

Code of Conduct

The BeetBox Code of Conduct is one of the ways we put our values into practice. We encourage all of our members, farmers, staff, and volunteers to know and follow the Code. 

Integrity

Our reputation as a farm that our members can trust is our most valuable asset, and it is up to all farmers to make sure that we continually earn that trust.

Suspend Judgment

Let’s celebrate our differences. Live and let live.

Respect Others

Be courteous and polite towards one another. We never know how others are feeling or what they are going through on a given day. Maintain a space where folks can pick up their vegetables in peace, chat with their neighbours, or relax on the farm.

Questions?

Give us a ring at (sixonethree) eight three four-ten twelve to chat with someone from the farm team. You can also email us at csa-asc@beetbox.ca. Please remember we are very busy during high season so we might not get right back to you. 

To sum it up:

• You want to join the CSA program. Yay!
• On top of all the benefits of eating local and organic, you save between 5-10% 
• Understand that organic farming can mean unpredictable supply sometimes, but we’re going to do our best to make sure you always leave happy.  
• You are picking up your CSA share during farm store hours. If you miss it you can get credit, but only twice. After that, you can just take multiple shares or pass them on to a friend.
• We’re grateful for you. Thank you so much for making our dream of a better tomorrow sustainable.