What is a CSA? | How does the Summer CSA work? | Pick-up procedures | Frequent Questions

We now have Online Registration, so please sign up using the link below after reading the “How does the Summer CSA work?” section.  Throughout the CSA seasons you will be able to:

1. Update your contact information at anytime.
2. Check on your payment balance.
3. Check on your scheduled pick up location.
4. Pay with credit card or through your Pay Pal account, if you already have one
5. Most importantly, you will not have to fill out your contact information with a new CSA form every year or every different season; just enter information as a “Renewing Member” once you have entered your information initially in the system for the first time.

MAKE PAYMENTS:

1. Online credit card payments–If you are splitting a share, please make only one credit card payment, so decide which of you will do that.
2. Mail in check payments– If you would like to use a check, you will receive an invoice response in your email after registering. Then you can send a check (or checks, if you are splitting a share) written out to “Tantre Farm” to our mailing address for the balance due listed on the invoice. IF YOU ARE SPLITTING A SHARE, PLEASE INCLUDE BOTH CHECKS IN THE SAME ENVELOPE.

More information can be found about our CSA programs below. Please let us know if you have any questions after reviewing it. Thanks so much for your interest.

WHAT IS A CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a way for small farmers to directly market their produce to the community. The community, in turn, directly supports its local farmers by purchasing an annual share of the farm’s products. When you join Tantré Farm CSA, you are joining a farm community. There is a community among all the members, the farmers, and the local ecology. No labor is required of members, but you are encouraged to come out and visit the farm to help nurture your ties with the land.

HOW DOES THE SUMMER CSA WORK?
Members will receive weekly distributions of fresh, ecologically-grown produce for 18 weeks from the last week of May through the end of September for $650. The quantity and variety will vary with the time of year and the weather.

A “share” feeds 2 people generously or a family of 4 with small children. Weekly newsletters, which list produce, recipes, and other farm information, will be available too. We also offer u-pick opportunities for berries, flowers, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, beans, and other produce which members may want to buy in bulk and/or preserve. Many opportunities for community building exist with various farm events, kid days, cooking classes, and volunteer days.

Pick Up Procedures
You will receive your produce for your Summer CSA and your Extended Fall CSA each week in a 1/2 bushel box that will have been stored in a cooler as soon as it is packed in the mornings on Harvest Days (Tuesdays and Fridays). There will be about 8-10 items in your share during the first 4 weeks. You´ll continue to receive more items as the season continues, ranging from 8 to 16 items. A good estimate is to think of the amount you would be receiving as about 1 grocery bag of produce in June and as the season progresses in July and August about 2 grocery bags.  Then in September and October you may receive about 2 or 3 grocery bags worth of produce depending on the bounty of the harvest.

Each week our goal is to provide 1 to 4 salad greens (lettuce, arugula, etc.), 1 to 4 cooking greens (collards, Swiss chard, spinach, etc.), 1 to 4 root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.), 1 to 4 fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, corn, squash, etc.), 1 or 2 alliums (onions, garlic, etc.), 1 to 3 brassicas (broccoli/cabbage family), and 1 or 2 herbs. We grow a wide variety of crops, so you´ll be able to try new things and find out what it means to eat seasonally (i.e. asparagus is a spring/early summer crop, so it will not be available past June).

You will pick up your share once a week for 18 weeks on your chosen pick up day only during the hours that are listed below. At each of the Chelsea, Ann Arbor, and Plymouth distribution sites, there will be a Tantré Farm worker or a white board to remind you of Pick-Up procedures.  More specific details about the pick up locations can be found on the page under “CSA Info” labeled:
How does our Summer CSA work?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us.
When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.
-ALDO LEOPOLD

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Produce Do I Receive In A Whole Share Box?

You will receive your produce each week in a 1/2 bushel box that will have been stored in a cooler as soon as it is packed in the mornings on Packing Days (Tuesdays and Fridays).  As the season progresses there may also be some extra items that you can add to your share that don’t fit in your box.  These are not customized boxes, but we promise to provide you with a good amount of familiar produce and also expose you to new items that you otherwise may have never tried.

There will be about 8-10 items in your share during the first 4 weeks depending on what is seasonally available, which is about 1 or 2 grocery bags.  You’ll continue to receive more items as the season progresses, ranging from 8 to 16 items, which could be between 1 and 3 grocery bags.  Each week our goal is to provide 1 to 4 salad greens (lettuce, arugula, etc.), 1 to 4 cooking greens (collards, Swiss chard, kale, etc.), 1 to 4 root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.), 1 to 4 fruiting vegetables or fruits (tomatoes, corn, squash, strawberries, etc.), 1 or 2 alliums (onions, garlic, etc.), 1 to 3 brassicas (broccoli/cabbage family), and 1 or 2 herbs (basil, parsley, etc.).

Keep in mind, that being part of a CSA means sharing in the risks and bounties of farming. If we suffer crop failure due to weather or insects, then there may be less of some items. If it´s a bumper year, then there may be more, so consider preserving these items.  We have over 20 years of experience in providing a wide variety of produce to our members, so usually this has never been a noticeable problem.

How Do I Know What I Am Getting In My Box Each Week?

We communicate primarily via email, especially with a weekly newsletter that is sent by email on Tuesdays or early Wednesday mornings after we have harvested the first boxes of the week. This is a text-only version, so nothing fancy. Paper newsletters are no longer available at this time. Our newsletters are also archived on our website.

Included in each newsletter are a list of share items with descriptions, cooking or storage tips, important dates and reminders, u-pick opportunities, preserving information, helpful hints, recipes, and feature articles about the farm and its workers, interesting facts about produce, and topics related to CSA and the organic food movement. The newsletter is designed, written, and edited by Deb, Richard, and farm interns. Contributions from members are also possible, if we have space. Contact Deb.

 Is Your Produce Organically Grown?

We’ve been using exclusively organic production methods since we started the farm in 1993. In addition, we use holistic and ecological principles to guide our decisions and our relationship with our land, water, and soil including crop rotations, only organic approved pesticides and fertilizers such as kelp meal or manure, and constant observations of soil health, herbivore damage, water quality, etc.  Although we’ve been certified organic for almost 20 years, we have found the organic certification process has grown to be expensive and extremely cumbersome. At this point we have decided to use our energies to improve our farm in other ways, trusting that our members and customers can reach out to us for information on our practices.  We have not stopped consideration of going back to certification, but at this point we are promoting our produce as “ecologically grown”. We believe in sustainability and keeping our crops, our workers, our land, and our water healthy.  We will never change our views on keeping up our organic practices.

How Does Distribution Work for the Summer CSA and the Extended Fall CSA?

You will pick up your share box once a week for your chosen CSA program on your chosen pick up day during specific times. Basically there are two Distribution Harvests during the week. For the first distribution we harvest produce on Mondays and Tuesdays for the Wednesday Distribution. Then we harvest for the second distribution on Thursdays and Fridays for the Friday/Saturday Distribution. Our Packing Days (when we pack up your share box with produce) are on Tuesdays and Fridays. Other CSA’s have other CSA pick up days, locations, and times that can be referenced on our website. All Distribution Sites have specific descriptions and addresses on our website.

What Do I Do When I Pick Up My Share, Especially During the Pandemic?

Please wear a mask at each distribution site, if you exit your vehicle, but especially when entering any buildings. We appreciate your respect of wearing a mask despite any personal views on this matter.  Our policy is not about personal preferences and opinions.  It is about a respectful awareness of our community and understanding of putting vulnerable staff, volunteers, or members potentially at risk, and creating unnecessary anxiety. Thank you for your respectful understanding.

At most of the Distribution Sites, there will be a Tantré Farm worker, volunteer, or a white board to remind you of Pick-Up procedures, and a clipboard with a Pickup List, where your name will be checked off. Please ask for help at any location, if something is missing or confusing, or if you need help loading your vehicle.  If there are questions or problems, it is really helpful to send a text to Deb at 734-385-6748 or email info@tantrefarm.com as soon as possible, so we can address concerns more efficiently and promptly.

 Do I Have To Bring Back My Box From The Previous Week?

Yes, because we reuse the boxes.  If you forget it, just return it the following week. If you find that remembering to bring the box back is difficult, then just bring some reusable cloth grocery bags, a cooler, a box, or your own paper or plastic grocery bags to transfer your produce into, leaving the box behind. This is a great solution, especially so you don´t have to store the box for an entire week before the next distribution. Keep in mind, your produce will stay freshest and last longer if you transport it in a cooler, especially if you are not going directly home after picking up your box.

 Do You Provide Half Shares?

 No, we do not offer half shares, although we understand the concerns potential members, especially single people, might have about the size of the share. We encourage members to sign up with someone they can split the share with if they think it may be too much for them alone or consider preserving a lot of food for the winter.  Splitting shares has resulted in many positive impacts with share partners sharing recipes, getting to know your neighbors, and learning how to use vegetables in many new ways and trying new produce combinations, such as in smoothies, salads, roasting, stir fries, and soups/stews.

 What Is The Procedure, If I Am Splitting My Share With Someone Else?

• You and your share partner need to decide how this is done, since we don´t offer half shares. Please provide at least one email address for each household, so everyone receives any farm emails.You can come up with your own system or choose between these options that others have done:
  
  1. You can both arrive at the distribution site at the same time and negotiate splitting up the share. Please only do this at the farm where we have multiple picnic tables to spread out, since the markets and other distribution sites can get very crowded and this is a COVID safety concern.
     
  2. One of you picks up the share; then both meet at one of your houses, and split up the share.
     
  3. Some share partners pick up the full share every other week, so they don´t split it every week. They just alternate weeks, and just arrange who is going to pick up the first share. This is very popular and often the preferred option!
     

Also, if you or your share partner will be out of town, you need to work out what you want to do about pick-up with your share partner. It will NOT work for you to both pick up on separate days that same week, since we can´t keep track of your split share.

What Do I Do, If I Know I Am Going To Be Out Of Town On My Pick-Up Day?

• You have 3 options:
  
  1. Someone else picks up. This is the best option, since you don´t even need to let us know, just tell them to check the Primary Contact person´s name off the list.  It would be very helpful though to give them our phone number or e-mail, and strongly encourage them to contact us if they are not picking up at the last minute for some reason.
     
  2. Reschedule for a different Distribution Day. You can login to your CSA member account and reschedule on another regular Distribution Days unless picking up at the Farm, since if you schedule for a Friday, you can always pick up on a Saturday or Sunday when you return from your trip, if you just let us know, since the share will just stay in the cooler.  Please use our online rescheduling tool.  Deadline = Sunday midnight before delivery that week.
     
  3. Vacation Hold or Donate.  You can login to your CSA member account and put your box on “hold”, and then let us know if you want to donate it to a needy family or tell us not to harvest your share that week.  Deadline = Sunday midnight before delivery that week.
     

At the latest, we really need to know by Sunday at the beginning of each week to get an accurate harvest count for the farm crew on Monday mornings.  Unfortunately, it is not possible to give you extra share boxes on other weeks or to give you a refund for the weeks you miss.

 What If I´m Going To Be Late Or Find Suddenly That I Cannot Pick-Up My Share?

The shares need to be picked up by the designated times, especially at the Ann Arbor distribution sites, since we try to leave by noon so we can still use the rest of the daylight hours for farm work.  Also the produce is not refrigerated at some locations, and it will be in better shape if you retrieve it promptly. If at the last minute you can´t pick up (or you forget), please call us that day, so that we know what happened. You may try to reschedule for pick up at the Farm later that day or the next day, since we can put your shares into a cooler. Please DO NOT expect to pick up your box after the second day, since the share will have been taken apart by then or donated to a needy family.

 How Do You Communicate or Update Your Members? Do You Use Social Media?

We communicate almost exclusively by email, so it is very important to keep us updated with your new email address or phone number if it changes. We also send out a weekly online newsletter for all CSA’s as described above.

We will continue updating our Tantre Farm website (www.tantrefarm.com), Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as often as we can.  Even if you are no longer Tantre members every season, you may want to continue to check out what we’re up to at the Farm through our Events Calendar on our website, or if we have something special at the markets or the farm through our other social media. We are currently dabbling with these social media options throughout the season based on the whims and interests of our technology-savvy 2021 new interns!  We are open to your comments and suggestions of ways to make these sites more helpful and resourceful. 

 Do You Offer Recipes or Recipe Resources?

1. Cook Book for Sale: Yes, most seasons we have a cook book available for purchase from the farm that we highly recommend called FROM ASPARAGUS TO ZUCCHINI: A GUIDE TO COOKING FARM-FRESH SEASONAL PRODUCE by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (“The A to Z cookbook”). It has an easy-to-follow format with produce listed from A to Z, background information, cooking and storage tips, and recipes. It is available from us for $16 (normally $20) at each distribution site throughout June or until they run out. It is a very handy resource and also makes a great gift!
2. Preserving Book Suggestion: A resource we recommend is called “Saving the Seasons: How to Can, Freeze, or Dry Almost Anything” by the Mennonite Publishing Network.  This book was written by a mother-daughter farmer duo, and it includes beautiful photographs and easy to understand instructions for preserving fruits and vegetables. It runs about $20.
3. Recipe Site on Tantre Website:  You may refer to a variety of recipes (categorized alphabetically by produce name) that we have gathered over the years, which have been stored on our website, www.tantrefarm.com.
4. Other Recipe Websites: There are a number of websites that have recipes listed according to produce name and so are easy to use. Please let us know if you know of any other websites that you think others might find useful for recipes. Please note the following: www.cooks.com, www.epicurious.com, www.eatingwell.com, www.localharvest.org,
5. Produce Identification Site:  If you are unfamiliar with the identity of some of your produce, there will now be a page on our website under the RECIPES section called “Veggie ID/Storage Tips” with pictures, appearance, nutrition, taste, uses, storage, and season available organized by the part of the plant.

Do You Offer U-Pick Opportunities?

Sometimes we have u-pick bulk produce available for members, who would like to preserve or enjoy a surplus. U-pick produce this season might include: tomatoes, peas, green beans, basil, cucumbers, spinach, greens, raspberries, and strawberries. We will try to keep you informed on what is ready to be picked through the newsletter, but other produce might be available even though not listed, so just ask, and we´ll see if we have enough to spare.

Please call ahead, if you want to u-pick on a day besides Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri.) at the farm, so someone will be around to help you.

A specified amount of u-pick raspberries and fresh flowers in season will be part of your share at no extra cost. We are not be able to pick these items in large quantities for all CSA members, since they are labor-intensive and do not store well, so we may ask that you pick your own. If you want extra amounts of these items, just watch the newsletters for the cost and be aware of limited availability.

Do You Offer Other Types of Shares Besides The Traditional Summer CSA?

Yes, we offer an EXTENDED FALL SHARE for 4 extra weeks in October for around $140.  The share size is usually bountiful in the fall, so there could be 10 to 16 items, which may include a variety of Cooking Greens (kale, tatsoi, spinach), Salad Greens (baby lettuce, arugula, mizuna), Brassicas (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage), Roots (potatoes, carrots, radishes, beets), Fruiting Veggies (winter squash, tomatoes, beans), and Alliums (garlic, onions). Watch the newsletters for when registrations reminders begin. Non-members may contact us or check our website throughout the summer to check on availability.

We also offer our THANKSGIVING SHARE, which will be available on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in November for around $120.  This is a chance to stock up on vegetables before the holiday or for winter storage.  You will receive a newsletter with storage tips, recipes, and 60-80 pounds of produce. This share may include: Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, cauliflower, broccoli, greens, squash, leeks, garlic, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, parsnips, onions, celeraic, or beets.  A special addition to our share is a jar of locally-grown, lacto-fermented veggies (some from Tantré Farm) from a local business called “The Brinery” (www.thebrinery.com).

Finally, we offer a share called the IMMUNE BOOSTER SHARE. This weekly share is our collaborative CSA with several local farms and local food businesses that you may opt in or out of each week from January through December for between $60 to $75. We post a menu on our website every Monday – Wednesday, so you can sign up if it appeals to you anytime throughout the year. Pick up is from 9 AM to 12 PM every Saturday at the Washtenaw Food Hub in Ann Arbor all year, and currently at Agricole Farm Stop in Chelsea from now until the Summer CSA begins. Here is a quick link to registering each week: http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/.

Are Children Welcome On Your Farm?

Yes, there are many “kid-friendly” activities on our farm.   Children can play with the outside toys, swing, slide, and play in the sandbox or wading pools. They visit with our 2 dogs (Kalli & Ivy), cats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs, and the cows. We also have a Sunflower House and a Kid Garden that CSA member kids help plant throughout the first 2 to 3 weeks of our summer CSA season; then weed, water, and harvest throughout the rest of the summer season.

Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. Even though, we have many “kid-friendly” activities on the farm, there are also safety hazards to be aware of, so please keep an eye on your child. Children may not enter any of the farm buildings (barns, greenhouses, coolers, packing shed, garage, farmhouse, etc.) unless accompanied by an adult. Hazards include equipment, sharp tools, and supplies such as oil, gas and paint. Please do not allow your child to touch or climb on any farm vehicles (tractors, trucks, wagons, etc.).There are also several kid-friendly events including our Work Party/Open Houses, monthly Family Farm Hikes, and Kid Farm Days (more detailed descriptions on our website, and of course, COVID-dependent).  Keep an eye on the Events Calendar for when these are scheduled.

We also host FIELD TRIPS or EDIBLE FARM TOURS for schools or other organizations of all ages throughout the seasons, but mostly in the fall, winter, and spring.  We suggest a sliding scale of $1 to $5 per participant.  Please call well in advance to schedule these events, and see our website for more specific details.  During the pandemic, we are able to practice social distancing with masks if the group is small enough, since these are all outside activities.

 Do You Accept Visitors and Volunteers, Especially During the Pandemic?

Yes, we welcome visitors, and especially volunteers, most days of the week (except Sat. mornings, since we’re mostly at farmers´ markets). Please contact us by email ahead of time, so someone is around to show you what to do or where to go. We ask that you wear a mask in any buildings, but outside with social distancing you can do what is comfortable for you. Our Packing Days are Tuesdays and Fridays. Those are days when we are finalizing harvest and packing up boxes, so we can always use volunteers especially on those days anytime between 7 AM and 5 PM.

Do You Have Any Scheduled Farm Events?

As event dates are known this year, they can be found on our website in the “Events Calendar”, but we are not certain yet which of these will take place this summer and fall due to the Pandemic. Our newsletter will also remind members of these events as they unfold. Ideally a separate email reminder notice may also be sent about events to members. We have had the following events in the past with more specific details on our website: Farm Work Parties/Open Houses, Tomato Workshop, Kid Farm Days, Family Farm Hikes, Interactive Cooking Classes, Mushroom Talks, Herb Talks, Foraging Walks, etc.

 How Do I Get To the Farm?

FROM ANN ARBOR, take Interstate 94 West to Exit 157 (Old US12/Pierce Rd. Exit). Turn left off the exit ramp onto Old U.S. 12. Travel about 4.3 miles west on Old US 12 until you see the St. Louis Center on your left. Just past the Center, turn left onto Hayes Road. The main part of our farm is located on the right-hand side of the road about 1 mile down on the second curve. Look for Tantré Farm signs.

FROM JACKSON, take Interstate 94 East to Exit 153 (Clear Lake Rd. exit). It’s about 5 miles to Tantré Farm from here. Turn right at Clear Lake Rd. Clear Lake Rd. turns slightly right and becomes N. Francisco Rd. Turn left at E. Michigan Ave, which changes names and becomes W. Old US 12. Turn right at Hayes Rd. The main part of our farm is located on the right-hand side of the road about 1 mile down on the second curve. Look for Tantré Farm signs.

Where Do I Park At the Farm?

Please park on the north side of the road across from the main farm house at 2510 Hayes, or just a little west of the house on the south side of the road. Our farm is situated on a curve, so please do not park directly on the road or on the curve, since it’s difficult for oncoming cars to see what’s ahead.

How Can I Contact You? (This information is included on every newsletter.)

Richard Andres or Deb Lentz
Tantre Farm
2510 Hayes Road
Chelsea, MI 48118
Please use the form Below to contact us via Email.
734-475-4323

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