Tarleton Tavern Farm

Questions about Visiting to the Farm:

What are my options for visiting the farm?

What are the Farm Open Houses?

Is the farm dangerous? Is it a safe place for children?

Do you sell produce directly off the farm? Can I stop by to purchase some vegetables?

Common Questions of Shareholders:

I haven't heard from the farm since I sent in my check, how will I know that I'm signed up?

How do I go about permanently changing my delivery site?

Who should I notify if my contact information needs to be updated?

I'm moving out of  your delivery area, can the farm help me find another CSA in the area where I'm headed?  

What is a CSA?

We only offer our harvest to households like yours. Working directly with you, without the intermediary of stores or wholesalers, gives us the opportunity to provide the freshest quality vegetables and competitive organic prices. This system is known as Subscription Farming, Community Supported Agriculture, or, most simply, a CSA. The way a CSA works is very straight-forward. With a preseason payment, you purchase a "share" of our season's harvest. You then receive a weekly box of our fresh produce during the course of our 20-week harvest season, from May to October. 

How do I contact the farm?

Tarleton Tavern Farm is a thoroughly modern farm. You can reach us via mail, phone, fax, email, or through our web page. However, our preferred form of communication is email.

Email: TarletonTavern@aol.com

Phone: 502-682-3750

Street Address: Tarleton Tavern Farm

Georgetown, KY  40324

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Questions about Becoming a Shareholder:

What is a shareholder?

When you sign up, you dedicate yourself to being our customer - i.e. a shareholder - for the season, 20 weeks. This provides us with a secure market, which is a welcome measure of certainty in the unstable world of farming! We, in turn, dedicate ourselves to being your farmers and providing you with a varied, nutritious vegetable diet for the season.

What does it mean to be a shareholder?

We strive to bring you a beautiful and bountiful box each week, but since our boss, Nature, provides no guarantees, we can't offer any either. One of the premises of a Community Supported Agriculture program is that the shareholder shares, through the veggies, the farmer's experiences of Nature's mischief and blessings (although our years of farming have taught us to minimize as many risks as possible --from drought to floods.

Is it possible that I would pay for a share and then not receive a full season's worth of produce due to bad weather?

The weather woes would probably never rob you of all your veggies.  Recently, increases in soil fertility and advances in our growing expertise have consistently produced stellar boxes.

What types of shares are there?

We  have a regular 20-week share, which starts in May, runs until October and is offered every year. These shares come in three different sizes. For a listing of share prices, refer to the Tarleton Tavern Farm Signup Page.

How much do these shares cost?

For a listing of share prices, see our Tarleton Tavern Farm Signup Page.

Is there a deadline for signing up?

There is no deadline for signing up for a given season. Shares are sold on a first come, first serve basis and are available until we are sold out. Our 20-week shares are often sold out before Spring even arrives. It is always best not to delay too long before signing up in order to make sure that you do not miss out. Check our Tarleton Tavern Farm Signup Page.

Do you offer any special payment plans?

Discounts are offered for shares paid in full prior to March 1.

Aside from the most common method where people pay everything up front, we do have one other payment plan. The alternate payment plan is described as follows:

If you wish to spread the cost of the share out over a period of time, please write out two checks, each covering half of the total. Date one check for the day that you are signing up and sending in your checks; postdate the second check for any date up to three months from the date of your first check. Send both checks in with your sign-up. We won't deposit the second check until its date.

Do you accept credit cards?

Currently, we only accept credit cards through the web at the Tarleton Tavern Farm Signup Page.  After you complete your signup information and electronically submit it, you are given the option of paying for your share by credit card. If you choose the credit card option, you are charged an additional fee -- detailed at the time of charging. This fee helps cover the cost of the web page and credit card processing. People who pay by check are not charged this additional fee. We do not take credit card payments over the phone or via the mail at the present time.

Can I try out a membership with a sample share, maybe for a month or so?

No, we are unable to offer sample shares. Unfortunately, the logistics are too complicated for us to manage this amongst everything else.

I'm interested in your CSA, but I live outside of your delivery range. Can you still help me?

Unfortunately we cannot offer our services to those who live far outside of our delivery range. This is a symptom of our belief in providing healthy, fresh and local produce to our community.

For those who are still too far away to receive our vegetables or if we are sold out and you would like to try another CSA in the area, we recommend you visit the following web sites that focus on matching people to CSAs in their immediate area:

How do I sign up?

The easiest way to sign up is through our web site. We offer a sign up form that will take you step-by-step through the process. We then automatically receive your sign up and will contact you with further information about your share. To sign up now, go to our Tarleton Tavern Farm Signup Page.  Many shareholders choose to sign up with us through the mail. To sign up via the U.S. Mail, we ask that you send in the sign up form that is included on our website.

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Questions about the Vegetables:

What is in a box?

Depending on the size share you have purchase, our goal is to send you a bushel box with about 8 to 14 items each week, which includes 1 or 2 herbs, 1 to 3 leafy greens, 1 or 2 alliums (onion family), 1 to 4 fruiting vegetables, 1 to 4 root vegetables, and, in spring and fall, 1 or 2 brassicas (cabbage family). We always try to find a substitute vegetable if one is available and if there is room in the box.

How consistent can the boxes be with so many shareholders?

We try to distribute all of our produce as evenly as possible to our shareholders. As we harvest or wash, we often separate by size. This allows us to balance the net quantity of each vegetable or all of the vegetables combined.

How much is in a Large Share (3/4 bushel)? How many people will it feed?

We do our best to fill your weekly 3/4 bushel produce box to the brim, equivalent to about 1 1/2 regular paper grocery sacks. The first boxes of the season offer mainly leafy greens and herbs; they weigh 7 to 12 lbs. From late summer through fall, the boxes may bulge with over 20 lbs. of produce. One share generally satisfies the needs of two people with a vegetarian diet, or four people with a mixed diet.  You can use this guide to figure the amounts in the Small (1/4 bushel) and Medium (1/2 bushel) Shares.

When are specific crops harvested? When can I expect to receive corn, tomatoes, spinach, etc.?

Due to the seasonality of raising vegetables in the Midwest, the types of vegetables you receive will vary over the deliveries. Early boxes are dominated by greens, mid-season boxes by fruiting vegetables, and late season boxes by root vegetables. It's natural to be excited about the first ripe tomato of summer, but don't expect to receive it in your first box. We work hard to provide variety throughout the entire season, within the limits that Mother Nature allows. There will also be variation in the box weight across the season. The early season boxes tend to be lighter while the end of the season boxes tend to be heavier. This is highly dependent on the year and the weather. Some boxes will be more "full" than others. If you receive a box which is not as full as you were expecting, we hope that you look at it as only one box of the 20 week season. Hopefully, it will be averaged out with a very stuffed box later in the season. To see a chart of everything we grow and when we anticipate harvesting it visit our Vegetable Calendar.

Can I choose what goes in my box?

Due to the system we use of pre-packed boxes, all of our shareholders receive the same variety of vegetables. Shareholders who dislike beets will receive the same amount of beets as the shareholders who love beets. (Though you can always leave your beets in the  Swap Box.)  We design our field plans based on shareholder surveys and feedback. Hopefully the result is a box that makes the majority of shareholders very happy.

How can I be assured that the vegetables will be of good quality?

The quality of your vegetables is determined by a variety of factors. At the farm, we go to great lengths to optimize the variables that are controllable. Almost everything delivered in the boxes is harvested within 24 hours of its arrival at the drop sites. We harvest as early in the day as possible, often starting before the sun comes up, and immediately transport the vegetables into our shaded washing area. Most vegetables are then washed with cold water and moved into the coolers for storage. We have separate coolers for the vegetables which require temperatures near freezing and high humidity and for those which require slightly warmer and drier temperatures.

Once we deliver your vegetables, it's up to you to continue preserving their quality. To keep your produce as fresh as possible, pick up as early as you can on your delivery day. Your vegetables are delivered in corrugated boxes, but most delivery sites are in open garages or porches and have no refrigeration; so, the sooner you pick up the better. Freshness and quality can quickly wither on a hot summer day. It's also important to properly store your vegetables once you get them home.

In no way do we feel that it is acceptable to put vegetables of poor quality into the boxes. Try as hard as we may, sometimes things slip by our quality control. If you are not satisfied with the quality of the produce that you have received, please contact the farm and we will try to rectify the situation.

How long will the produce keep?

Crops vary in how long they will keep, even under ideal growing and storage conditions. There can be a significant difference between the storage life of fresh organic produce and that of conventional produce treated with waxes and preservatives.

Relative produce perishability:

• Very high (use within 3-4 days): broccoli, cauliflower, cantaloupe, scallions, mesclun, leaf lettuce, spinach, sweet corn, fully ripe tomatoes

• High: honeydew and other melons, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, eggplant, head lettuce, peppers, summer squash

• Moderate: beets, carrots, radishes, potatoes (immature)

• Low: potato (mature), dry onion, garlic, pumpkin, winter squash

Please keep in mind that vegetables that look imperfect or dirty will usually clean up just fine and definitely taste better than those which are bred only for uniformity or pest resistance. Click here for Vegetable Storage information.

What if I don't know how to prepare, or even recognize, the vegetables that I receive?

No anonymous veggies here -- the boxes talk! With each delivery our shareholders receive a weekly newsletter acquainting you with your food and its interesting upbringing. The newsletter assists with the kitchen end of the food chain.  Current and archived newsletters are available here!  Some of our Favorite Recipes are available here.

How is the produce prepared? Is there much cleaning or washing on my part?

We usually pre-rinse all of the vegetables that go into the boxes. However, we firmly recommend that you always wash the vegetables before preparing them at home. For more details about the how the vegetables are prepared,  click here.

What is in the Swap Box?

At least one Swap Box is dropped off each week at each delivery site. This box serves as a trading place: You leave items in the Swap Box that you don't care for and then help yourself to stuff you like. Also, occasionally, this box will contain surplus and second (not as high quality) items for those interested to add to their own boxes. Shareholders should keep in mind to share Swap Box contents with other shareholders.

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Questions about Box Deliveries:

Where do you deliver?

In Frankfort and Lexington, our delivery sites are porches or garages at a shareholder's home.  On one day per week, we also offer pick up at the farm.

How often do you deliver?

Shareholders receive a weekly box of our fresh vegetable produce during the course of their share.

Can I pay extra to have the farm deliver directly to my house?

At this point in time, we do not have the means, nor the time or staff, to deliver our boxes directly to shareholders' homes. While this delivery approach is something that we are considering for the distant future, as of now we cannot accommodate any special requests for home deliveries.

How will I know which specific delivery site to go to?

When prospective shareholders sign-up and commit to a season of vegetables from our farm, they select, on the sign up form, the delivery site that would be the closest or most convenient for them. We take these preferences into consideration and then assign everyone a specific delivery site. Shareholders nearly always receive their preferred delivery site.

Approximately two weeks prior to the first delivery, we send out a confirmation by email which states the delivery site with which the shareholder has been paired. If the shareholder has any problems with the delivery site, we will do our best to rectify the situation.

When do the deliveries begin and end for the season?

20-week shares are delivered from mid-May to October.

What time can I pick up my box?

Boxes can be picked up at the delivery sites from 9am to 7pm each delivery day.

What if I can't make the scheduled delivery times?

We ask that the vegetable boxes be retrieved within a sites' pickup window and, preferably, as close to delivery time as possible. This ensures that shareholders will be able to get their vegetables home and into their refrigerators in time to maintain the peak freshness that results from buying local. Additionally, prompt pickup mitigates the detrimental effects of warming or freezing on the produce.

Can I pick up my box at the farm? Is it any cheaper?

Yes, each week we have one pick up day at the farm. If you live close enough, it can be a rewarding opportunity to interact with the farm more, as well as come to know and recognize the farmers who grow your food. However, there are no discounts for shareholders that opt to collect their boxes at the farm.

Where do I pick up a newsletter?

Newsletters are kept in a Rubbermaid box at each delivery site. Please take one (or more if you're sharing a box) from the folder inside and close the box tightly. Be sure to read your newsletter every week! It is our main way of communicating to the shareholders what happens at the farm throughout the growing and harvest season. If you miss a week, you can find the previous issue in one of the brown craft envelopes at the bottom of the newsletter box. We suggest that you collect all of your newsletters in a folder or binder. We may publish new recipes, cooking tips, and essays every week, and you'll probably want to refer back to them at some point.  PDF's of past and present newsletters are also maintained on our web site at this link:  Current and archived newsletters are available here!

What happens if I know I will be unable to pick up a box?

You may wish to share some of the harvest with family, friends or neighbors; let them pick up your box. When you have someone else pick up your box, share the pickup instructions with them! It's possible that without this info, your stand-in might cause a lot of confusion for your host, fellow shareholders, and the farm.

Food Bank Program: For those weeks when you don't get around to having a friend pick up your box, don't despair! Your box will not go to waste. The Farm and your pick up hosts continue to steer the majority of unclaimed boxes to families in need.

What happens if there aren't any boxes left at the delivery site?

If you arrive at your site one day to find that all the boxes are gone, first ask yourself if you are picking up during the correct time frame, and on the right day. Some hosts remove extra boxes promptly at the end of the day, and you will have to contact them to get your box if you are going to be even 15 minutes late. People have also been known to get confused about their delivery day over the course of the season. When you are sure that your box is truly missing, please contact us as soon as possible.

You have three options to make up for your missed box:

• An extra box can be delivered to you later in the season (let us know at least a week in advance).

• A box credit can be given towards your next year's share.

• A refund for the amount of the box can be administered (this may take a while to process and so is our last choice).

If you have any other problems with your box, delivery site, or anything else, please call and discuss it with us. We will do our best to explain and/or rectify the situation.

Can I change my delivery site temporarily?

Attempting to keep track of all of our shareholders' weekly comings and goings is a task too complicated for us to manage. For this reason, we are not able to accommodate temporary delivery site switches at any point throughout the season.

Can I permanently change my delivery site partway through the season? How do I do that?

Yes. If you need to permanently change your delivery site, notify us at least two weeks before the week you want the change to take effect. This is to ensure that we have enough time to mail you directions to your new site, and so that the field manager can plan for harvest. We ask that you only change your site if you plan to continue picking up at the new site for the rest of the season. It is too difficult on us to change your site for only a week or two.

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Questions about Sharing a Box:

How does sharing a box work?

For those shareholders that feel a full share of produce is too much food for them, they are welcome to initiate splitting a box with their friends, family or neighbors. We leave this responsibility almost entirely up to the shareholders and their box mates. How and when they split the produce is their individual decision. However, we require that we are informed who is sharing with whom. We record the complete contact information (mailing address, phone numbers and email address) for all persons involved in splitting a box. This is to ensure that all parties are informed about general farm news, as well as any specific changes or notices that are necessary to communicate to shareholders.

While the actual process of splitting a box is up to the shareholders involved, we do have the following guidelines which solely serve to make the process move smoothly:

• First, we strongly encourage shareholders to take their whole box home and then split it with box mates; this is by far the easiest way.

• However, for shareholders where this is not a possibility, there is a specific procedure. At the delivery sites, there are Rubbermaid box labeled "For Shared Boxes" which contain grocery bags and markers. On this box is a set of instructions for you to follow on how to split your box right at the site. Please follow these instructions. Be sure to read your pickup instructions too.

Should I let the farm know if I decide to share a box?

Yes, we keep track of those who are sharing a box. If you provide us with the name of your box-mate, we will list them in your confirmation letter. We will mail any farm correspondence to all those sharing a box. Also, if you provide us with the email addresses of everyone sharing, we will keep everyone updated via that avenue as well. Sharing-a-box means that you have to be extra-vigilant that your group only picks up one box each week. Please coordinate this amongst yourselves in advance, especially if you have more than one box-mate.


I don't know of anyone who is able to share a box with me, can the farm help me locate someone to share a box with?
Please contact the farm if you are interested in researching this option, or send an email with "Box-mate Wanted" in the subject line. If you request this service, be aware that your name, email and related information will be shared with prospective box mates. We recommend that you first think over specifically how much of the box you are looking to share, in order to prepare yourself for a discussion with a prospective box mate. Include as many details as possible in your email.  We will do what we can to help.  However, we cannot make any guarantees that we can help you find a box mate.

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Questions about Meat and Egg Shares:

How are the animals kept?

All of our animals are kept naturally, free ranging on pasture as soon as they are old enough to safely roam the farm.   Our chickens forage through the grass pecking for bugs daily.  Our pigs and cattle wander the fields eating grass as is intended. 

What are the animals fed?

Our chickens and pigs are free ranged on pasture and are supplemented with garden trimmings and minimal organic grains.  Our cattle are completely grass fed and finished.  None of our animals are ever fed animal by-products and are not given growth hormones, steroids or antibiotics.

Are the animals ever given antibiotics or growth hormones?

None of our animals are ever given antibiotics, growth hormones or steroids

Why does that matter?

For more information about the health hazards of antibiotics, steroids, and growth hormones, click here.

What is the difference between buying by the cut, buying share meat and buying bulk meats?

As a CSA Member, you have several options for purchasing meats.  

You can purchase meat by the specific cut based on our Pricelist, which is called Cuts Meat.  Cuts Meat can be picked up at the farm or delivered in your CSA basket each week.  To Order, click here.

You can also order meats weekly, bi-weekly or monthly in 10 lb increments, which is called Share meat. You can choose Chicken, Beef, Pork or Mixed.  Share Meat is also delivered in your CSA Basket each week.  Share Meat is sold at $3.00 per lb, farm choice.  We choose the cuts you receive in each delivery.  The cuts vary each week.  To Order, click here.

You can also order meat in Bulk at certain times of the year.  You can purchase beef in whole, half or quarter portions.  You can purchase pork in whole or half portions.   Beef and Pork are sold at $2.75 per lb, hanging weight.  To Order, click here.

What do you mean by hanging weight?

When an animal is processed, the hanging weight is somewhat less than the weight of the whole live animal.  The hanging weight varies for each type of animal.

When buying whole chickens, what is the approximate yield of actual meat for your chickens?

Our chickens typically dress out at about 5 - 6 lbs each and are sold whole.

When buying pork in bulk, what is the approximate yield of actual meat for your pork?

Typically, our pigs yield approximately 150 lbs of meat per whole pig. 

When buying beef in bulk, what is the approximate yield of actual meat for your beef?

Our beef typically yield approximately 550 lbs of beef per steer.

 

Questions about Visiting the Farm:

What are my options for visiting the farm, Tarleton Tavern?

We offer Farm Open Houses once during each growing season.

 
What are the Farm Open Houses?

Farm Open Houses are a big event on the farm and usually take place on a Sunday in July.  CSA Shareholders only -- those who have signed up to receive a weekly delivery of our vegetables for the season -- are invited to come celebrate the harvest, meet us farmers and other fellow shareholders, and enjoy a day on the farm. There is always good food, music, hayrides, farm updates, and more. We ask that shareholders bring a dish to share as well as pack something to drink and table settings for their party. For more information refer to the weekly newsletter that comes with your box of vegetables. 

Do you sell produce directly of the farm? Can I stop by to purchase some vegetables?

No to both questions. Unfortunately, we do not sell any produce directly off of our farm at any time. Our farm focuses on selling and delivering entire, season long shares of produce directly to local families and individuals (who we refer to as  shareholders).

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Common Questions of Shareholders:

I haven't heard from the farm since I sent in my check, how will I know that I'm signed up?

We send confirmations out to those who have signed up approximately two prior to the first delivery. With the amount of work that needs to be tended to here at the farm, we do our best to respond briefly to sign ups as soon as possible.

How do I go about permanently changing my delivery site?

To permanently change your delivery site, contact the farm at least two weeks before you would like the change to take effect. Please include your name, address, current delivery site and the delivery site that you wish to change to. By allowing us two weeks notice, we then have time to update our records in the office and send you a new confirmation that includes the specific pickup instruction and directions to the new site.

Who should I notify if my contact information needs to be updated?

Our preferred method of communication with shareholders is email. Please send all changes in contact information to TareltonTavern@aol.com. However, if this is not an option, please contact us at the farm by phone (502-682-3750).

I'm moving out of Tarleton Tavern's delivery range, can the farm help me find another CSA in the area where I'm headed?

If you are looking for a CSA farm outside of our area, we recommend that you check out the following websites:

http://www.LocalHarvest.org

http://www.csacenter.org/