WHAT SETS
US APPART?
We've got a Ma & Pa shop personality with professionalism fit for the big city.
SPECIALIZATION
We are the only CSA farm out there that can say we harvest 95% of our produce specifically for our CSA Shares.
We do not attend ANY farmer's markets. Our happy CSA Members can attest that we are always prioritizing them!
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We do have 1 farm stand that is open during the weekends in Zimmerman at Hudson Hardware Hank. Farmer Ben runs it himself and enjoys getting to know some local families that we have the opportunity to grow for!
VALUE
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We gauge the value of each CSA Share delivered, confirming the value we provide to our CSA Share Members.
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CSA Shares are a balance of what varieties of produce and what quantity of those varieties. We provide portions that are adequate for meals, but not too much. For melons, it’s always one melon for the Single & Family Shares and two for the Jumbo Shares. Green Beans are always a 1/2 pound for the Single Share, 1 pound for the Family Share and 2 pounds for the Jumbo Share. We are conscious of how our members are using our produce, and it’s reflected in the quantity we provide.
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One thing you won’t see anywhere else, our watermelons are always on the side of CSA Shares, instead of being packed into the box. Including the watermelon in the CSA box would decrease your overall value (by a LOT). They would take up most of the box!!
We want to make every effort to provide a great amount of variety, and putting a watermelon in the CSA Share box would prevent that because it would take up all the space. Watermelons are bagged on the side, with signs at the pick-up sites during the season to make sure you don’t miss it.
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The only time we have ever included a watermelon in a CSA box was 2021 with the yellow melons because the extreme drought caused them to ripen when they were very small (but they were sweet!). Over a decade of offering CSA Shares, and multiple melon weeks every season, this is the single occurrence of including a watermelon INSIDE of the box.
SMALL FAMILY FARM
Calling us to ask a question or give feedback is easy, it’s just us.
We don’t have the corporate hierarchy to travel through, it’s just Ben & I. Calling and asking questions, or coordinating a new delivery site couldn’t get any easier. There's only one number to call and we'll actually answer.
It's the Minnesota Nice way.
THE SHARE SIZES
We put all of our information on the front line, honesty is the best way to connect with other families.
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When looking at our share prices and costs, we offer the 1 1/9th bushel box as our Jumbo Share ($850), a 5/9th bushel box as our Family Share ($575) & about a quarter bushel for the Single Share ($395). If you are comparing CSA farms, keep in mind that most all other local farms call their 3/4 bushel box a “Whole Share”, and a bi-weekly delivery is their half share option. Some other CSA Farms don’t even disclose what the sizes of their boxes actually are, & sometimes the box size changes throughout the season with harvest quantity. We don't change the box sizes, and the sizes of each are posted in every product we sell!!
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With our family farm, we are putting it all out there for you to look over.
Our transparent relationship is at the heart of a CSA; know your farmer, and your food.
MORE FRUITS
We have been listening to your feedback!
We provide our Members with Red Watermelon, Yellow Watermelon, Muskmelon and Honey Crisp Apples at no additional charge.
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All of the fruits listed above will be included in your CSA Share this season. There are options to add bulk quantities of some of these fruits if you'd like.
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Check out the Apple Share if you'd like to get an extra large portion of apples in addition to what comes with your CSA!
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*New for 2024 we are adding a second variety of apples to our line up! We'll share more details as it approaches.
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+More apples = better CSA. Pretty simple math! ;)
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COMMUNITY
We offer a “Give and Take” box at each residential CSA Share site. This is for members who know they don’t like something or won’t have time to use something. There is no obligation to give produce if you take something from the box, and there is no obligation to take something if you put something in. The whole idea is to work together to prevent waste, being conscious consumers.
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FOOD SHELF
We donate CSA Shares to the food shelf at request, in addition to the produce we donate there on a regular basis. If you are out of town for a week and don’t have anyone in mind you want to give your produce share to, just send me an email and I will deliver your produce to the food shelf on Thursday with our normally scheduled delivery.
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We donate to them every week all summer long and then at the end of the season we send whatever surplus we have leftover which is generally a lot of squash!
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In 2021 we donated 4,281 pounds
In 2022 we donated 5,848 pounds
In 2023 we donated 8,279 pounds
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So in the last 3 years alone we have donated 18,408 pounds of fresh produce to the food shelf!
All of our produce donations are to Community Aid Elk River (CAER).
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