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SUBSCRIPTION POLICIES

We are so grateful that you're joining us this season and we want you to enjoy your vegetable subscription program experience to the fullest! This page outlines our policies to keep you informed about how participation works. If any changes to the policies are made mid-season, members will be emailed.

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How does the farm communicate with me?

Our method of communication is by email. You can reach Victoria and Randy at laurelglenfarm@gmail.com. All farm notifications and emails will be sent to the email address you provided in the online checkout process when you enrolled. We strongly suggest adding our email address to your list of contacts to ensure that messages appear in your inbox. The farm phone number is 203-305-9179, which is Randy’s cell phone and will only be used by us in case of emergency. Email is far more likely to be checked by Victoria throughout the week. If you are splitting the share with a partner or would like us to add someone else in your household to our email list, please send us their address.

 

Our social media accounts are found @laurelglenfarmllc where we post daily updates. Follow us and tag us for some additional fun!

We also duplicate important messages in our Facebook group (2024 Subscription Members) and we also post interactive polls there periodically, where you can weigh in on farm decision making.

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When do I receive my share of vegetables?

Check your email inbox for a confirmation email from when you first enrolled in the program. This will provide all of the information about your share: what program, pickup day, and size share you chose. Can't find it? Send us an email to check ahead of time! We’ll send a reminder email the week before the first pickup and we cannot provide compensation for a missed pickup.

On your scheduled pickup day, you can pick up your veggies during store hours. Just walk in, tell us the member's name on the subscription, and we'll bring the crate of vegetables out to you. Don't forget to bring a bag!

We do not leave shares outside the store when we are closed, but please see the section below about what to do if you need to pick up at an alternate time.

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What can I expect in my share?

Each weekly "share" consists of an assortment of fresh vegetables. Depending on the size you purchased, the assortment will vary, but the value will reflect slightly more than the amount you paid as a "thank you" for your upfront investment. Over the course of the season, the contents will change from week to week.

Click here to view a Harvest Calendar, which details the items given in shares across a previous Main Season program. This should only be interpreted as a sample for future programs as items will not be exact.

We publish the newsletter with a list of contents by Sunday night for the Extended and Main Season program and Wednesday for the Peak Season program. If you are someone who really likes to meal plan in advance, we recommend scheduling your Extended or Main Season pickup day for Saturdays so that you can see the newsletter as early as Sunday and plan accordingly. One of our All-Star members once said that this experience was "like opening a present every week." We encourage you to cook more whimsically by stocking your pantry and fridge with staples rather than setting a rigid menu for the week.

 

Farming can be unpredictable. One super cloudy week can mean that crops don't ripen as quickly as we anticipated, or falling behind on our planting schedule for one reason or another can lead to late germination. If we need to provide a substitution for an item listed in the newsletter, the value of the replacement item will be the same.

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What if I don't like something in my share?

Because this is a traditional CSA-style program, we do not customize share offerings. The beauty of this program is that all boxes are packed with the same items in order to create community around our meals. Conversation and growth tends to happen the most when our members share their success stories in our Facebook group and utilize the recipes in the weekly newsletter and Vegetable Library of Resources. To be honest, we're not the biggest kale fans around here... but we've found a way that we do love it: sautéed or in soup. Our first suggestion is to try cooking something in a brand new way: make a new dressing, change up the cuisine, do a search on Google until you find something that appeals to you.

You can also make use of our member swap table in our farm store, which is a place for you to swap one item that you don't like for something you might like better - anything left on the table at the end of the day will be donated. ("One item" is defined as one item on the list of box contents. For example, if the list says 1 lb. of beets, the member can swap 1 lb. of beets (not one single beet) for another similarly grouped item in the swap basket. Our one item swap policy is to preserve the spirit of the program, regulate inventory, and ensure enough variation in swap options for other members.

On certain weeks, we allow you to select an item of your choice. This may be an herb, a bunched green, a pinted item, or a free choice item. This choice is communicated in the newsletter ahead of time. Options may vary depending on the week and certain items cannot be guaranteed as options.

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What if I forget to pick up my share?

Life happens! If you forget to pick up, we always hold your share for 24 hours, so you can come to the store the next day to pick it up. The only exception to this is for Saturday pickup members. Since we are closed on Sundays, we can hold it for you through Monday. After this holding period, the share will be forfeited and donated and a replacement share or credit will not be given.

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I know I can't pick up my share on an upcoming date. What are my options?

If you know you'll be unavailable on a particular date, we can schedule your share to be packed for another day. You must email 48 hours in advance of the day of the change to be accommodated.

Some examples:

  • You are scheduled to pick up on Tuesdays, but would like to pick up on Saturday this week instead. Email the farm by SUNDAY (48 hours in advance of your pickup day) to be accommodated.

  • You will be on vacation for an entire week and won't be available at all. We can skip your pickup for that week and double up your share for your following scheduled pickup.

We always harvest and pack shares the day before they are scheduled to be picked up. Therefore, we can't accommodate any changes the day before your pickup. Once your share has been packed, there are no opportunities to reschedule.

We do not give refunds, cash, replacement shares, or store credit for missed pickups.

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Can I switch my pickup day permanently?

Extended Season or Main Season members can switch their pickup day permanently. Options are Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. You must email us 48 hours in advance of any change. Because Peak Season pickup only happens on Thursdays, there is no other pickup day option. You may be able to switch your program at a prorated cost depending on membership availability. Please email Victoria at laurelglenfarm@gmail.com to ask.

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When is payment due?

50% deposits are due within 7 days of enrolling or your spot will be forfeited. Your balance is due upon the first pickup. Not sure if you owe a balance? Feel free to email and ask.

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Why does it seem like the amount of items in my share fluctuates?

Small size shares typically include 5-7 items, and large shares include approximately 7-9. Every week, we sit down and make a list of all of the items going into your share. Our list is complete once we've budgeted for a dollar or so more than you originally paid into it as a thank you for your upfront investment. Some items can be a bit pricier than others: sweet bell peppers, beans, and bagged greens, to name a few. Squash, zucchini, and cucumbers are much less pricey but seem to take up more room in your box. We assure you that you're always getting more than you paid for. Here's a video that shows you a closer look.

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Oh no! This item is rotten! What now?

Every item that goes into your share is hand selected and examined for quality. Sometimes a thing or two slips by us. It's always possible that a melon, onion, or cabbage might be yucky inside; sometimes we can't tell until you cut into it. We apologize if that happens. Please know that it is never our intention to give you something unpleasant or inedible. If we wouldn't eat it, we wouldn't intentionally give it to you. Send us a private email explaining the situation. Oftentimes, enlightening us will prevent it from happening to another member. While we do not refund for individual items, we provide replacements in the event that you receive something inedible.

Similarly, in the event that we fail to place an item into your share that was included in the list of box contents in the weekly newsletter, please send us an email to explain our error. We apologize for oversights and are happy to coordinate providing you with the missing item(s) as soon as we can.

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Do you offer refunds?

In the event that you do not enjoy the vegetable subscription program after 5 weeks, we will refund you for the remaining shares in the season. We do not provide refunds for individual items in shares, but please see above for circumstances in which we provide replacement items. We do offer refunds in the event that a member moves away. You are also welcome to gift your share to someone else or to have us donate your share for the remainder of the season.

We think you'll love this experience, and we thank you for joining us!

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