All About CSA
2012 CSA Sign Up Opening Soon!!
2012 CSA Season:
22 Weeks: June 7th - Nov 3rd
Returning Members Signing up Before March 1st:
$599 Full Share
$460 Half Share
All New Members & Returning Members after March 1st:
$650 Full Share
$499 Half Share
Get on the 2012 CSA Sign up List Now
A First Come First Serve - No Obligation - Notification for the 2012 CSA season
*There is no priority scale to the signup list. All emails on the signup list get a notification when the season opens and it's first come first serve. If your even the slightest bit interested we recommend getting on this list as it's no obligation and the sign up window can disapear quickly!!
To Get on the 2012 Signup list Click Here
***It is very important to us that you make a confident decision and feel good about your advanced purchase. You should feel great knowing where your food comes from and that our CSA works for your lifestyle. So please read this page thoroughly before contacting us with questions and before signing up. Also see other customer comments & experiences.
Any other questions not answered here - please don't hesitate to ask.
Attention Returning Members:
Your $50.00 discount will appear on the final page of the sign up process. You'll need to select the share size at the regular price - then upon completion you will see the discount reflected.
The Basics:
What's different this year?
A longer CSA season, weekday pickups open until 7p.m. & a weekend pickup day option!!
What Products Can I Expect?
We grow over 100 varieties of vegetables each year so you can expect to see many of your favorites along with some new items. The spring and fall offer a variety of greens and roots, while the summer sees more fruiting crops. There are, however, a lot of variables that are out of our control and crop failures do occur; so we can't guarantee you any specific veggies, yet we guarantee you a good value in your share each week. Since every year is different in terms of weather, bugs, & disease, and although we always aim high, we always have the variables of unpredictable events in our fields. Being a part of a CSA means accepting these risks along side the farmer.
See Crop Availabilty
We are a producer CSA.
We are a working vegetable farm, for CSA we grow over 100 varieties with in ~ 30 - 40 different types of crops per year. In fact CSA's are our main focus in the varieties selected for the growing season, as well as the timing and punctuality of our crop planting plan.
Who are CSA's good for and who not?
To take full advantage of the opportunity, CSA's are intended for individuals & families that eat at home, that enjoy cooking, trying new things, & have an interest in quality eating. If you eat out more than you eat in, this probably isn't for you. If you're only interested in a small variety of summertime crops like sweet corn, peaches, & tomatoes, & your desire for produce doesn't stem much beyond this, you are better off coming to the farm stand and purchasing these items which we will provide fresh daily.
CSA's take a commitment.
You need to be committed to picking up your share each week, as well as using it. You'll need a degree of adventure in the kitchen, and desire to cook while experimenting with some new vegetables. There may be weeks, during the peak of each season, when you'll get a surplus of vegetables. On occasion be prepared to share or make the most of this surplus by canning, freezing or drying it for use during the winter, when fresh vegetables are hard to come by. If you preserve food and use it outside the growing/csa season your value is stretched beyond the months you paid for.
How do I sign up & submit payment?
Easy, sign up right here on our websites sign-up page and send in your check. We do not offer online credit card processing for CSA's. Please make a confident decision and send your payment in promptly. We need to receive your payment within 10 business days in order to solidify your membership.
Make your check payable to Gorman Farm & send promptly to our office at:
Gorman Farm
10026 Gorman Rd.
Laurel, MD. 20723.
We will email you confirmation of your enrollment, your check received, and a reminder at the start of the season.
2012 CSA Season Dates
First pick up week starts Thursday June 7
Last pickup week ends on Saturday November 3
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a full & half share?
A full share is designed for a family of four or a vegetarian family of two.
A half share is designed more for 2 people.
Although a half share is a bit larger than actually half a full share. You'll notice that in the price as well as the share. We tend to give a bit more food than just 1/2 of a regular share, hence the price reflects this.
How much food is in a share?
A full share is designed to be approximately 8 items, give or take a bit, sometimes more in the peak of the growing season. Sometimes a bit less in the slow season, yet we aim hard to provide 8 items for full shares, & ~5 items for half shares each week.
What’s an item?
An item is an average usable/purchasable portion, i.e. a head of lettuce, a bag of spinach, a cabbage, a bunch of carrots, a portion of tomatoes, a bunch of beets, a bunch of chard, a portion of peppers, a portion of squash, eggplant, broccoli, a melon, a hard squash, a bunch of basil, collards, kale etc.
What If I want to add members names that I'm sharing with?
You will have an easy option to do so in the sign up process.
Where & When do we pick up our CSA share?
All 2012 CSA’s will be distributed at Gorman Farm located @ 10151 Gorman Rd. Laurel, MD. 20723. see map
Pickup days for the 2012 season will be thursday, friday, & saturday. Yes you can choose and will have the option to choose in the signup process. Although CSA is first come first serve we only have so many spots per day and your first choice may be taken so please choose another day.
Can I have someone else pick up my share if I’m not available?
Of Course, anyone can pick up on your behalf just let them know to sign off under your name.
Will pick up times be available after work hours?
Yes, weekday pick ups will be open until 7:00pm
Can I split a share with my friends, or can we go in on one? Yes. Please follow the instructions while signing up as it prompts you for shared members. Anyone can come to pick it up. You are responsible for dividing it up for your group. No special arrangements on pick ups for divided shares. Splitting between more than 2 groups is not recommended on a full share. Splitting a half share is not recommended. Please submit only one payment in full and work out your arrangements outside of our sign up process. Yet you may provide contact email info to all parties in your arranged group. Therefore all parties in your group can receive updates from us.
Is there still a pick up in rainy weather?
Yes CSA pick up days are rain or shine.
What if I have an emergency or an unusual circumstance, & can’t make it?
No problem, we understand the unexpected & want you to get your food! Please just come a different day. There is no need to notify us or ask permission. But please stick to your day on a regular basis. This priviledge is for those rare occasions, family plans, emergency's, or times when it all didn't work out the way you thought it would! Welcome to farming!!
This is not to be taken advantage of, you need to be responsible for your food each week.
Do your grow with organic practices? Yes, but we are not certified organic. We always grow everything in accordance with organic practices.
When picking up my share, will I have the option to purchase other items?
Yes, as your pick up will be at our produce stand & we will have other popular items available.
Can I trade my items for different produce from the stand? No. Your CSA is designated by the farm each week, you are the top priority and all produce is accounted for to satisfy all our members. Sometimes there's a trade table where you can add something and take something else.
What do you mean by partnering farms?
For the past several seasons we have grown almost 100% of the produce given to CSA members. As stated above farming is not a constant and variables outside of our control can result in crop loss. We like to reserve the right to still satisfy our CSA members by possibly supplementing the share with a partnering farm. This is not a likely event and not a part of our scheduled program. In this rare case those products will be clearly labeled and if the farm is organic and where it's from.
What's the administration fee at checkout in the signup process?
We have added a small one time $7.00 fee to all memberships which will appear at the end of the checkout in the sign up process. This one time fee helps us cover the costs of CSA administration, organization, and distribution. By charging this small one time fee it helps us keep the overall cost of our CSA down.
What if I don't use the internet or email all the time?
We will do most contacting via email. it's important that you check your emails occasionally to not miss out on any pertinent info. Contacts will be in the form of reminders, updates, specials, & newsletters, any missed emails on your part should not result in you missing out on your purchase, but possibly not maximizing all the benefits. We won't be contacting you a lot, but if there are any changes to be made or info we'd like you to have, understand we can't make hundreds of phone calls.