CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture,” which has become a popular way for people to buy local and fresh food directly from the farmers who produce it.
I my Honey CSA, I usually open registration for the upcoming season around April (2022 update: the CSA registration was pushed to May and will open at 8am on 5/11/2022), first to existing members who wish to renew and then to new members. You can order as much honey as you’d like, but there’s a minimum of two pounds for a CSA share. You are not asked to pay in advance, only to make a commitment to purchasing the honey. At times I offer some unique products that I only offer to CSA members and not to regular customers. Additionally the CSA rates are discounted from my normal rates. I limit the amount of honey in CSA shares in order to be certain that I can deliver it all. When I just started, the CSA registration remained open for many months, but last year it sold out within about two hours.
Once the CSA shares were all sold, I keep a waiting list – you can put your name there and you’ll be informed when honey is available.
During the honey harvest season (late June to early September), I initially give each CSA member roughly half their order after the first honey harvest, and then go down the waiting list and give each of those people half of their orders. Once everyone had half their order fulfilled and enough honey is available, I go down the list again and give everyone the second half of their order.
If there is enough honey available and I am all caught up both on CSA shares and waiting list, if I still have more honey available, I make it available for anyone to purchase (including CSA members and those who were on the waiting list but now wish to purchase more honey – or just about anyone else who’s interested). As each year I get more and more pre-orders (CSA or waiting list), the point where I am all caught up tends to come later in the season.
When it’s time to pick up your honey, you’ll get a note from me indicating your honey is ready and asking you when you’d like to pick it up. Honey is pick-up only – I generally do not ship or deliver it. You choose a pick-up date online, at that date your honey will await for you at a cabinet placed ourside a Davis Square home, so you can pick up your honey at any time at the day or your choosing (or within 2-3 days thereafter). You can pay for your honey as you pick it up, using cash, check or Venmo.
If you wish to be notified when the CSA registration opens, the best way to do so is to sign up for my mailing list.