how are you keeping customers safe during covid?

We have a certified CAPS Food Safety Plan and are following their updated guidelines from the CDC. Additionally, we practice physical distancing and masking and follow the governor’s current health recommendations.

Since COVID began, CSA pick-ups have transitioned to pre-bagged shares for winter & spring, and we’ve implemented new physical distancing requirements for summer and fall pick-ups. Hand sanitizer is provided at all pick-ups, and members must wear masks in the pick-up area.

how do i sign up?

Head over to our CSA Sign-up page. Once you fill out the form, we’ll email you a confirmation and an invoice within two business days.

what’s a share, exactly?

A share is a weekly harvest of seasonal veggies and herbs. If you think of it like the stock market, it’s like having a share of stock, but instead of wall street, you’re investing in a local farm. Also, the only hedges are actual plants, and the return on your investment is delicious and nourishing.

what is the pick-up style? pre-bagged or market?

The pick-up style varies by season. Winter and Spring Shares are bagged, so when you come to pick up we’ll hand you your veggies in a pre-packed bag for you.

Summer and Fall pick-up are market-style, meaning the crops are set out on a table as they would be at a farmers market, with signs telling you what items and how much to take.

do i get to pick out what i want each week in my share?

Yes and no. While some items will be pre-planned for you, we venture to add choice to most weekly shares. We’ll always let you know what choices are available in the weekly harvest list we email out before the Farm Share pick-up.

can i split a share with someone else?

Yes! It’s your responsibility to find someone to split with you.  If you are splitting a share, it is up to the two parties to divide the week’s harvest.

how many people will a share feed?

It depends. We have families of 4 that find a regular share meets their weekly needs, and some couples that find it to be perfect. Check the details on the seasons above to see how many veggies you can expect to receive each week.

what happens if i miss a pick-up?

If you know you’re going to miss pick-up, you have three options:
1. Have a friend pick-up for you
2. Contact us at least 1 day beforehand to switch your day.
3. Donate your share to the Worcester Food Shelf.

If you miss pick-up without notifying us ahead of time, we aren’t able to offer you another share, as we’ve already harvested for you that day.  We work closely with the Worcester Food Shelf and donate excess produce to them each week.

While we’ll gladly accommodate you if you need to change your pick-up once or twice, we do ask that you choose one location and stick to it. Logistically, we aren’t able to track multiple changes from week to week.  We commit to you and work hard to deliver your share as scheduled, and we ask that you in turn pick up at the scheduled time.

how do i pay?

You can pay with check, ACH, EBT/SNAP (food stamps), PayPal or credit card. There is a 3% processing fee added to PayPal and card transactions. 

You can pay in full, or opt for a monthly payment plan. We’ll email you an invoice with payment details when you sign up.

how do i qualify for a subsidized share?

Check the NOFA-VT Farm Share Program for eligibility.

To receive a subsidized share, sign up on our CSA Sign-up page and choose “NOFA-VT Farm Share Program” under the payment option. Then, head over to NOFA-VT and fill out their Farm Share Program application.

I already buy local food at the coop or a farmers market.  Why should I get a CSA?

First, thanks for supporting local food and farms!  Buying local supports your health and the local economy, and we believe that it is a critical aspect of thriving, sustainable communities.

We also buy food at the coop.  We grow vegetables, fruit, and herbs, but there are other staple foods we don’t produce (dairy products, meat, legumes, grains, nuts, chocolate). That said, if we didn’t already run a CSA, we would be members of one, and have been Farm Share members before running Good Heart.  We’ve also bought and sold food at farmers markets.

CSA Farm Shares are different.  

They’re built upon relationships, and though it’s called community supported agriculture, the CSA model truly supports you as a member by supporting your health, respecting your input, and offering a direct connection to the fields.

In this way, Farm Shares offer the highest quality assurance.  You can visit the farm each week, see how your food is grown, ask questions, and give feedback.

At Good Heart, we listen to our members.  We get to know what your favorite crops are, what you want more or less of, and we work all of this into our crop planning.  And, because we grow almost exclusively for our members (80% of our business is CSA), you receive the best of the harvest every week (no shipping the pretty produce off through wholesalers or to the farmers market).

This last reason is less tangible, but equally important.  

A connection to place feeds the spirit.  Each week at the on-farm Share pick-up, we have the honor of welcoming members to the land and seeing the shift as they get out of their cars and see the mountains beyond the fields.  We are deeply grateful to live in this beautiful place and to share it with so many people.  All we did was show up to the beauty and decide to grow food.  Part of what we give is the opportunity to connect with the land by offering pick-your-own flowers, hosting pizza nights, and holding a casual space for folks to chat while picking up their share.  But even when someone is in a hurry, we see the day’s weight lift a little when they come to the farm and the open space it provides.

At the end of each season, we survey our members.  Here’s what a few of them had to say:

“I really enjoyed getting to know Kate and Edge- they were friendly, always ready to answer questions, and very responsive to requests/inquiries.”

“Thank you so much for all the work!! We LOVED getting fresh vegetables from a local farm every week. Kids loved the tomatoes, pick your own flowers. You guys have a beautiful farm and I love we can communicate closely and you guys listen!!”

“Thank you for always being so welcoming. To arrive at your Beautiful farm and be greeted not only by a smiling adult but the cutest kid in town. It was the highlight of my Thursday being greeted by Waylon’s “HI” and his curiosity was always entertaining. Thanks for all the delicious veggies, keep up all the hard work and dedication to the farm. It truly shows.”