Lake Superior CSA Membership Agreement pg Section 1. Introduction A. Lake Superior CSA Overview – Becoming a Part of Our Farm Family B. Important Share Information C. Our Growing Practices 2 Section 2. Sharing in the Risks and Rewards of Farming 3 Section 3. Picking Up Your Shares A. Substitutions 2 3 3-4 Section 4 Payments 4 Section 4. Cancellation Policy 5 Section 4. Communicating with Us 5 Lake Superior CSA Member Agreement Page 1 of 7 Lake Superior CSA Membership Agreement Welcome to the Lake Superior CSA! This Membership Agreement was prepared to provide clarity on the expectations and responsibilities of both farmers and members when joining our CSA. There is a lot of information contained in this little packet so please carefully read all enclosed policies and procedures. Section 1: Introduction to Membership A. Lake Superior CSA Overview – Becoming a Part of Our Farm Family The Lake Superior CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a unique food distribution system that weaves the farmer and community of eaters together in an intricate seasonal food web. By joining our CSA, you, the eater, essentially buy an annual share in our farm(s) and, in return, receive a selection of local and seasonal products from us, your family farmer(s). Your investment is returned to you in your weekly or monthly share deliveries. Each of your share deliveries is given a weekly or monthly box value and we strive to always deliver your box value regardless of any particular crop’s success. When you become a Lake Superior CSA member, you are choosing to feed yourself and your family better; you are choosing to invest in a stronger local economy; you are choosing cleaner water, healthier soils, cleaner air, and fewer toxins in the environment! Joining a CSA is also a bit of a leap of faith, and is definitely a seasonal cooking and eating adventure! With the Lake Superior CSA, you'll find an amazing selection of vegetables, fruit, meat and value added products. This CSA is unique because when you purchase a share, you are forming a relationship with not just one farmer, but all the producers of the Bayfield Regional Food Producers Cooperative. We like to think of it as a Community Supported Cooperative. B. Important Share Information The Lake Superior CSA offers a wide variety of share options designed to allow members to customize their shares based on time of the year, personal dietary preferences, and household size. Generally speaking, SUMMER shares are delivered weekly or every other week from May – October, and WINTER shares are delivered monthly from November to April. HALF shares are delivered every other week during the summer and monthly during the winter, while FULL shares are delivered weekly during the summer and monthly during the winter. The FULL shares are designed to provide a good selection of locally and seasonally available food for a family of four, while DUO shares provide an option for smaller households or those who prefer a less frequent delivery. If you are looking to get a share that will offer the widest variety of local and seasonal food products our Whole Diet shares are designed for just that! Lake Superior CSA Member Agreement Page 2 of 7 City or Neighborhood Location or business Address Phone # Day Time C. Our Growing Practices As farmers, our families and children eat the same food that we provide for you in the CSA shares. Needless to say, we care deeply about how our food is produced! Many of the family farms in our Cooperative are either USDA Certified Organic or follow organic production practices but are not certified due to certification fees. Whether certified organic or not, our livestock are always treated with respect, have access to pasture as long as the weather permits, and are never given sub-therapeutic antibiotics or hormones. The beef and lamb are always 100% grass fed, and never receive any grain. Grain fed to poultry is USDA Certified Organic. Our value-added producers work hard to source as many locally-produced ingredients as possible. Two of our producers are even integrating carbon-neutral draft horse power into their production. We are proud of how we raise and produce the food we eat, and want to extend a personal invitation to each of you to contact us at any time if you would like more information on our growing and production practices and philosophies. Section 2. Sharing in the Risks and Rewards of Farming By purchasing a share in a farm, the customer accepts the risk of crop failure. By sharing in the risks associated with farming, you are insuring the ability of the farmer to overcome those risks and continue providing quality products in subsequent years. The fact that Lake Superior CSA is a Cooperative of producers minimizes the risks by reducing the chances that any one crop failure would negatively affect your share. Individual weekly share contents, weights, and values will vary based on seasonal variability. It is our goal and intention to see that you have received the total share value that you paid for, ensuring a tasty return on your investment! A. Substitutions- In the event of crop failure, the CSA reserves the right to substitute with other products. Such products will be sourced from other BRFPC Members first and then outside the BRFPC second. Widespread crop failure may result in less product provided in the shares as originally planned or implied. Section 3. Picking up Shares You are responsible for tracking your share schedule and picking up your weekly or monthly boxes from your drop site! Again, SUMMER shares are delivered weekly or every other week from May – October, and WINTER shares are delivered monthly from November to April. HALF shares are delivered every other week during the summer and monthly during the winter, while FULL shares are delivered weekly during the summer and monthly during the winter. Lake Superior CSA Member Agreement Page 3 of 7 Ashland, WI TBA Iron River, WI White Winter Winery Superior, WI United Presbyterian Church Duluth, MN Trinity Lutheran Church Wednesdays 68323 Lea St 229 N 28th St 1108 East 8th St. 4:00pm 6:00 pm 2:00pm 5:00 pm (800) 697-2006 Wednesdays (715) 392-4751 Wednesdays 4:00pm 6:00 pm (218) 724-9369 Wednesdays 4:00pm 6:00 pm Each time you arrive to pick up your share, please: 1. Return your box(es) from the previous delivery 2. Check in with the CSA Manager to pick up your new box(es). She will check your name off the list 3. Pick up your share within the timeframe stated - We cannot hold missed boxes nor will we redeliver missed boxes! 4. Follow additional rules posted at your drop site regarding (parking, use of certain entrances, etc.) 5. Be respectful of our drop site hosts’ property and time, and let them know you appreciate their support of the Lake Superior CSA! If you cannot pick-up your share, you must arrange for someone else to pick it up for you. You are responsible for explaining the pick-up location and procedures to your substitute. Chronic failure to pick up or consistent late pickups may result in termination of membership. If you wish to change your drop site, please contact the CSA Manager Stefanie Korpela via the information provided under ‘communication’. Shares that are not retrieved within the pickup time will be donated. In the case of inclement weather, we will alert you in the morning if we cannot make it to any drop site. This will be communicated via email and Facebook so please check these if the weather looks bad. Section 4. Payments- Failure to keep current on payments may result in withholding of delivered product or cancellation of the share and loss of the downpayment. Whole Diet Shares, Vegetable Shares, and Meat Shares can be paid for with monthly payments as specified for each particular share. A non-refundable two-month downpayment is required at ordering, and covers the first and last payments. Lake Superior CSA Member Agreement Page 4 of 7 Section 5. Cancelation Policy Before you purchase a share, it is important for you to consider the commitment of a season-long share. As farmers, however, we do understand that unforeseen events can happen and you may need to cancel your share. Cancellations due to extenuating circumstances (death in the family, loss of job, etc.) will be reviewed on a case by case basis. However, the LSCSA makes no guarantee of a full refund. We would encourage you to reallocate your remaining share to another household. If a new customer is willing to take over that share, the two-month downpayment will be refunded in full upon receipt of the downpayment from the new customer. Cancellation made prior to the first delivery will result in a refund in full minus an amount equal to the two-month downpayment for that share. If you must cancel your share midseason, we ask that you send a written letter of cancelation to the CSA coordinator two weeks prior to last delivery. For Monthly Payments- For customers making monthly payments, cancellation any time after the first delivery will result in loss of the two-month downpayment regardless of whether a new customer is able to take over your share. Payment in full is required for the month which the cancelation took place. For Payments in Full- For customers paying in full, cancellation after the first delivery for the share will result in a refund pro-rated to the deliveries remaining for that share minus an amount equal to the two-month downpayment for that share. Payment in full is required for the month which the cancelation took place. *Payment in full at ordering is required for the Bread Shares, Fruit Shares, and A La Carte Boxes. Cancellation of Special Order Box prior to delivery will result in refund of 50% of the payment made for that Box. In the event the Lake Superior CSA is unable to fill an order for a Special Order Box after receiving payment from the customer, 100% of the payment made for that Box will be refunded Section 5. Communicating with Us If you have any questions, changes to your postal or email address, changes to your drop-site location, problems with your drop-site, questions about your balance, or dissatisfaction with your share, please let us know! Our CSA Manager, Stefanie Korpela is available weekdays Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will respond within 24 hours of your inquiry. Email csamanager@bayfieldfoodproducers.org Phone 715- 209-0362 Lake Superior CSA Member Agreement Page 5 of 7 Checks can be made payable to the Bayfield Regional Food Producer’s Cooperative (BRFPC) P.O. Box 412 Washburn, WI 54891 We will communicate with you primarily by email. When we receive your membership agreement, you will be added to our distribution list, so please read your email from us! We depend on being able to communicate important information such as necessary changes to your distribution schedule or to our farm events. Every week we will also email our newsletter giving you information about the share that week as well as recipe ideas and farm related news. Once again, we would like to thank you for your commitment to local, sustainable, and seasonal eating, and we look forward to providing you and your family with some of the finest food our region has to offer! Please take a moment to sign and return the last page of your CSA Membership Agreement. This confirms that you have read and understand the expectations and responsibilities of becoming a member of the Lake Superior CSA. Lake Superior CSA Member Agreement Page 6 of 7 Membership Agreement signature page: Please take a moment to sign our CSA Membership Agreement. This confirms that you have read and understand the expectations and responsibilities, outlined in your member agreement packet, of becoming a member of the Lake Superior CSA. Name (printed): ____________________________________ Signature:_________________________________________Date:___________ Lake Superior CSA Member Agreement Page 7 of 7