CSA Shareholder Agreement

1. Planning and planting are very important to our farm and prepayment is necessary to ensure your vegetables are ready for you.
2. We realize people have a variety of cooking and eating customs. The types of fruits, vegetables and herbs we grow are selected by our growing region, seasonality, diversity, nutritional value and popularity. Members report that with the help of recipes in our "Fresh Page", seasonal challenges were their favorite part.
3. Our farm provides a list of vegetables we plan to produce each year. This means we buy the seed, prepare the field and plant the crop. Please familiarize yourself with our Harvest Calendar. Occasionally Mother Nature dictates a different outcome than we predict, and we must reserve the right to remove produce items from our list as applicable. While NHO is tending the Earth on behalf of others, the members share the costs of supporting the farm. The consumers also share the risk of variable harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests, but most often share the over-abundance of particularly fruitful seasons. This versatility and diversity is what makes CSA’s strong and able to withstand variable losses from year to year.
4. There will be variation in the box weight across the season. The early and late season boxes tend to be lighter and “fuller” while the mid season boxes tend to be heavier. This is highly dependent on the year and the weather.
5. We recommend supplementing our CSA share with other items such as fruits or other favorites may still need purchased from the store or at farmer’s market.
6. If Nature’s Harvest Organics feels that on a particular week it may be too difficult to provide full shares, we reserve the right to cancel that week and make that week up to you at the end of your season (Full season).
7. If your share is not available for you upon arrival at the site for whatever reason, please contact Nature’s harvest Organics at 317-709-8319, so we may remedy the situation.
8. Customizing shares to member's individual preferences is not possible due to labor constraints. This would drive the cost of our shares much too high. Generally only services that purchase from national and international distributors are able to perform such a service.
9. There are many insects and animals that want to eat our produce before it gets to you. We use no chemical sprays of any kind - rather we depend on growing techniques, botanical methods, taking certain losses, and keeping a keen eye out. Our quality is quite good, however sometimes when packing we miss a reject. If you ever have any problems, concerns or suggestions, please let us know. We grow for you.
10. We have listed our proposed sites; however we reserve the right to change sites or remove one if complications occur, even after the season starts. If you have paid your membership fees and your preferred site is not available, you will be eligible for a full refund.
11. Members are responsible with being familiar with our "2010 Pick-up Protocol". This includes when and where to pick-up, where to leave empty containers, and will be available prior to picking up your first share.
12. Our pick-up times will be on Wednesdays between 4:00 and 8:00 PM.
13. It is the member's responsibility to remember to pick-up the share on the correct day and during the allocated time. If you forget, we cannot refund, replace, or give you credit for your missed share.
14. Your empty share container from the previous week MUST be returned when you pick-up the following week. If you realize you have forgotten your container, you MUST return home and retrieve this container before picking-up.
15. If you ever have someone else pick up your share for you (this includes spouses, friends, people you split your share with, neighbors), the member is responsible for informing this person of our 2010 Pick-up Protocol. Uninformed spousal pick-up is generally one of the most common pick-up problems.
16. Due to uncontrollable forces in nature, our proposed start dates may vary up to 1-3 weeks.
17. Although infrequently necessary, a $20 fee will be charged for all returned checks.
18. Nature’s Harvest Organics Refund Policy:
    We will be offering Full refunds until May 1st. After May 1st we will not be offering refunds since we have already ordered the seed, planted it, weeded it and watched over it. This is the nature of CSA; to provide a steady income for the farmer and local food through the season for the member. If you need to move or find you would rather shop at the store, we ask that you find a person to replace your membership.
19. Any week's share that you are unable to pick-up can be donated to Second Helpings to help families in need. We will tally the total volume of shares donated by members and then supply Second Helpings with this volume of produce, making several large donations per year. Please see our Donate My Share page.