Barnswallow's CSA Program, FAQ's & Terms
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Since 2018 Barnswallow continues to offer CSA programming for Mahaska & Marion Counties, where generations of farming gave birth to this unique offering. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a farm-business model where local folks invest in a farm's early season expenses to counter the cost of seeds, potting soil, tools, labor, etc. We are offering a program unlike a transactional subscription service. Rather, it's an investment in our family farm. The current programming for 2024, is expanding into experiences and educational opportunities. Please check out the farm store for a complete list of 2024 offerings and closing dates.
CSA FAQ's
has flexible hours.
What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. A CSA consists of a group of members who come together to support a farm by purchasing "shares" in advance, usually in the winter and early spring, before the growing season gets underway. Every year we plan and purchase the amount of seed it takes to serve those committed to the program. We then germinate, grow, transplant, harvest and package bouquets for the allotted amount of shares. This economizes our finances and fair-wage, labor costs to reduce waste top to bottom.
Share members also share the risks associated with farming and poor harvests due to unpredictable weather conditions, pests, natural disasters, etc. In return for their commitment, members receive beautiful shares of what we harvest throughout the growing season and gain knowledge and satisfaction of being able to participate in local agricultural production.
By purchasing direct from our farm, members support their local economy, foster community support, join us in becoming stewards of the land, and help local family farmers like us continue to operate, To maintain our farm's eco-philosophy, we grow chemical free above and below grown to keep all our products clean while protecting our precious land and water sources. There is no regulation on internationally shipped florals regarding that abuse the use of chemicals and poverty stricken labor. So, we are very proud to have a small part in sustainable environmentalism and economic opportunity rurally.
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What does being a CSA member entail?
As a part of our CSA, members pay upfront for flower shares, commit to picking up their flowers on an assigned day at a partner location, and share the risks and rewards that we, farmers, face each season.
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Where/when do I pickup my share?
*Oskaloosa Location: Barnswallow, The Little Blue Barn, 2560 Highway 23, Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577
*Timing/Date TBD
Can I preview what will be in each month's share?
Yes! Please give us a follow on facebook or instagram @barnswallowflowers. On instagram we do more stories and reels about what's going on at the farm. Come along for the visual fun!
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I signed up for the CSA. When will my CSA begin?
Currently, all dates are approximate start dates. Because weather plays a crucial role in harvest times, we cannot guarantee an exact start. As we get closer to the spring and summer, you will receive an email notification with the exact start date of your share. Please make sure to add our email (barnswallowflowers@gmail.com) to your contacts list to prevent our newsletter from being caught in your SPAM folder. Note that aol, yahoo, hotmail and company emails are notorious for auto spamming emails.
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I'm going on vacation. Can I move my pickups to a later week?
If you will be out of town, we encourage you to send a friend or neighbor to pick up your share in your place. Unfortunately we cannot extend CSA share pick up dates and timing to accommodate missed pick-ups since our seeding and planting schedules are finalized months in advance in order to plan our CSA distributions accordingly.
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Can I order extra flowers to pick up with my share?
Yes! If you have a party coming up or would like to have additional flowers, you are welcome to send us an email and we'd be happy to add an additional flower order to your CSA share. Please check out our DIY buckets, you pick dates and other special offerings in our online farm store.
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Will my share be held over the next day if I cannot make my day's pickup?
We understand that emergencies occur. In the event that you cannot make your pick-up, it is up to each of our partner locations' discretion as to whether your share can be held overnight. Please keep in mind that our location partners have volunteered their spaces to host our CSA pick-ups and they will not be responsible for keeping shares overnight.
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If my pick-up falls on a holiday, should I still go to pick up?
In most cases, there will be no pick-ups on major holidays. The pick up will be the week before or after that major holiday event. We will communicate with shareholders if there are any changes to the CSA schedule.
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How do I sign up?
Simply head to our online farm store to register and make sure to choose your desired location for pick up.
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I'm not receiving CSA newsletters. What should I do?
All of our CSA newsletters are sent through MailChimp and Shopify subscribers. First check your SPAM folders (and "Promotions" tab if you are using gmail) for our emails. To ensure that our emails get to your inbox, please add barnswallowflowers@gmail.com to your address book.
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What happens to my share if a natural disaster occurs that wipes out the flowers?
We are entirely at the mercy of Mother Nature because we finish the growing of our seedlings outside without hoop house support. While we make every effort possible to mitigate crop losses, extreme weather (drought, flood, hail, etc.) can significantly impact our crops and availability of flowers for the CSA. By signing up for a CSA, you share in both the risk and rewards of farming with us. We promise to work tirelessly to make sure we're prepared for whatever nature has in store!
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Will you be opening more pick-up locations later?
We're always looking for more CSA partners. If you know of know of a potential site (office, business, home, etc.) that would like to host a CSA pick-ups, please email us. *Please know we need 10 or more people to open a new pick-up location.
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When will all the pick-up times and locations be released?
We are working with a number of partners to provide the most convenient pick-up locations and times for members. Pick-up locations and times are updated on a rolling basis as final confirmations are made.
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Have other questions? We'd love to answer them for you. Just email us at barnswallowflowers@gmail.com.
2024 CSA TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By purchasing a Barnswallow Flowers CSA share, either for yourself or as a gift, you agree to the following terms and conditions as the recipient.
PAYMENT
I understand that once I sign up and pay for my membership in full, I have secured my place in the CSA for the respective season.
There are no refunds, either full or partial, for cancellation of my CSA once purchased. Members may choose to find an alternate person to buy out the rest of the season’s share, and the share ownership will be transferred to the alternate person. The alternate person will pay the original shareholder directly.
SHARE DATES
I understand that the start of each CSA share is flexible and based on seasonal conditions and product availability. I am aware that Barnswallow Flowers will communicate via email to inform all shareholders of updates and start dates, and that it is my responsibility to contact the farm via email if I am not receiving notifications near the specified CSA start dates shared in the product details.
PICKING UP YOUR SHARE
I understand that my share will be delivered to the pick up location I select upon purchasing my CSA. If I am out of town or unable to pick up my CSA for any reason, I understand that it is my responsibility to find a substitute to take my share. If I am unable to pick up my share or find a substitute to pick up my share, I will not receive credit or a refund for any shares that I do not pickup.
Pickup time parameters are specific to each host location. It is my responsibility to pick up my share during the designated time period on the designated day. If I am unable to pick it up I will entitle a friend to do so. I understand that if my share is not picked up on the designated day, within the designated time, I forfeit that share and it will be donated at the discretion of the host pickup location.
CHANGES TO MY SHARE
I understand that once I have purchased a CSA, I am not able to change the pickup location, request an alternate pickup date for my share(s), or extend my share due to a missed pick up for any reason. I may coordinate transfer of my share to another individual. I understand that Barnswallow Flowers does not facilitate such transfers, and that I will make all arrangements for the new shareholder to pay me directly for the remainder of the share.
PICKUP LOCATIONS
I understand that all new locations must have at least 10 shareholder signups to host CSA pickup. If I sign up for a share at a new location and it does not meet the minimum number of shareholders, I understand that Barnswallow Flowers may, at their discretion, cancel the location as a pickup site and I will have the option to either choose another pickup location for my share, or cancel my share for a full refund.
SHARING OUR SEASON
I understand that as a member, I share in both the bounty and the risks of farming. I understand that the risks include poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests, or the total loss of all crops due to a natural disaster such as fire, flood, drought, tropical storm or hurricane.
FLOWER CARE
I understand that flowers are a perishable product, with a variable vase life of 3-5 days and/or the effort I put into fresh-flower care. Each CSA email is sent with care instructions for my flowers. I understand that all flowers in my share are delivered within 24-36 hours of harvest in peak condition, and that all varieties have a different vase life, dependent on care. Barnswallow Flowers will not be held responsible for shortened vase life or poor flower quality once I receive my share from the pickup location.
Should there be any issue with my flowers upon pickup from the host location, I will contact Barnswallow Flowers via email within 12 hours to alert them of the issue, and when possible will include photographs to document the problem.
COMMUNICATION
EMAIL
By signing up for the CSA, I understand that I will be added to the email list, and I agree to add barnswallowflowers@gmail.com to my email contacts. This is how Barnswallow Flowers communicates updates and changes, as well as what will be in shares each week. Barnswallow Flowers will not be held responsible for miscommunications due to our e-mails going to your spam folder. I will notify the farm immediately if I do not receive an e-mail receipt of my payment or my weekly CSA emails.
PHONE
I understand that Barnswallow Flowers may need to contact me via phone regarding my share if the information is time-sensitive (i.e. alerting me of a same-day change to my CSA pickup), or if I am not responsive to attempts to contact me via email.
All of our customer information is kept strictly confidential. We do not release any information to anyone regarding our customers. We do not sell or make our email addresses or mailing list available to any other parties or companies. The registration through our Shopify website is a secure site where your personal and payment information will be safe. Barnswallow Flowers pays for Shopify to maintain these terms in their service provisions.