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About CSA

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

If you are interested in being added to our Contact List for 2012, please visit http://tantrefarm.com/csa-interest and fill out our inquiry form.   We plan to send our flyers and registration forms through postal mail sometime during the last week of January of 2012.  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 CSA work?
Members will receive weekly distributions of fresh, organic produce from early June through the middle of October. The quantity and variety will vary with the time of year and the weather. We will distribute these boxes from our Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market stall on both Wednesdays and Saturdays. We also distribute at the Chelsea Farmers Market stall on Saturdays. These shares will cost $600. Shares picked up on the farm will be available for $575 on Wednesdays and Fridays. 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.

Pick-Up Procedures
You will receive your produce each week in a 3/4 bushel or 1 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. 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), 1 or 2 herbs. We grow a large 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 20 weeks on your chosen pick up day only during the hours that are listed below. At each of the four distribution sites, there will be a Tantré Farm worker or a white board to remind you of Pick-Up procedures. Here is a general overview:

  • Ann Arbor Farmers’ MarketWe will try to be in the same location every week but are not always able because we are Daily Vendors, not Annual Vendors (who have permanent stalls). There is a map on the outside wall of the market office where our stall is listed. Please always look for the large, canvas Tantré Farm sign as you walk around the market. Then follow instructions on the white board, and especially remember to check off contact person’s name and take a newsletter if you need it. It can get very crowded at the market, so for those of you who split shares, it might work better if you split your share at one of your houses, instead of at the stall where a lot of people are coming and going. Please remember to ask a Tantré Farm worker for help, if needed. DISTRIBUTION at Ann Arbor Market: Wed. 7 a.m. until Noon.
  • Community High School (west side lawn)
    Saturday CSA members will be picking up their shares across the street from the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market on the east side of 5th Ave. in the middle of the horseshoe lawn. You can look for a sign that reads “TANTRE FARM” and follow instructions on the white board. Please check off the contact person’s name and take a newsletter if you need it. There also will be someone available at the Community High distribution site to help you. You can still find us at our Tantré Farm market stall somewhere at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market, especially if you need to purchase extra produce or have specific questions.

    DISTRIBUTION at Community High: Sat. 7 a.m. until Noon.

  • Chelsea Farmers’ Market
    Look for Tantré Farm sign. Introduce yourself to us at the stall, and you will be helped. DISTRIBUTION for Chelsea: Sat. 8 a.m.-Noon.
  • Tantré Farm
    Go behind house on 2510 Hayes Road to “Distribution Center.” Follow the instructions on the white boards inside. Get share box from walk-in cooler and get any extra items in Distribution Center. Leave your box from previous week in stack inside Distribution Center. Please remember to check off contact person’s name and take a newsletter from clipboard, if necessary. Also, please feel free to knock on house door if you have any questions.

    DISTRIBUTION for Farm: Wed. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Fri. 2 p.m.-7 p.m.

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

Membership
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.

Membership in a CSA is about sharing the risks, rewards, and responsibilities of growing delicious, sustainably-grown produce. In terms of risks, we never know what Mother Nature will do. We plant over 100 varieties of vegetables, fruits, and herbs, so that we can have a back up if a crop doesn´t produce as well as you or we would have liked. We also plant some crops successively (carrots, beans, corn, lettuce, greens, etc.) when possible, so that throughout the growing season, even if a crop fails due to some natural disaster, you may receive that crop a few weeks later or later in the season, although sometimes you just may not receive it at all. We also cultivate plant diversity and practice companion plantings, crop rotation, mulching, etc. We use row covers and encourage beneficial insects and pollinators, such as yellow-antennaed wasps, which feed on cabbage lupers.

The rewards of your membership may be in the taste, nutrition, and freshness of your weekly box of produce available for 20 weeks in the summer months. Not only does a membership teach one to eat seasonally, it also might challenge someone to try eating a new vegetable, find a new way to cook an “old favorite”, or learn to like a “least favorite” by trying a new way of preparing it. Somewhat less obviously, we are rewarded intrinsically by participating in a movement of supporting small family farms, eating locally and seasonally, and developing a relationship with the farmer, the land, and the local community that supports it.

As a member, you basically have 3 responsibilities:
1. You agree to make a financial contribution to the farm in the spring or the previous fall/winter for that season´s share of vegetables.
Cost for Farm Pick ups–$575
Cost for Ann Arbor & Chelsea Farmers Markets & Community High School Pick ups–$600. Final payments are due by May 1, unless alternative payment plan has been prearranged.

2.You agree to pick up your share each week at the location, day, and times specified, unless prior arrangements have been made. (See “Distribution”)

3.You agree to return your clean box from the previous week. We have a limited number of boxes, and we like to reuse them, so it is important that we get them back each week. (See “Distribution”)

Share Box Amount
You will receive your produce each week in a ¾ bushel or 1 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). 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. 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 (tomatoes, corn, squash, etc.), 1 or 2 alliums (onions, garlic, etc.), 1 to 3 brassicas (broccoli/cabbage family), 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.

Also, we don´t intentionally put worms or insects in your produce. Sometimes though these creatures may slip by our volunteer´s or intern´s discriminating eye. Please don´t throw the produce away! There are many good parts to an ear of corn, even if you have to break off the tip to remove a corn earworm. You may need to soak something like broccoli in salt water to encourage the caterpillars to float to the top, and remove them. Cut off offensive parts, if needed, and keep in mind this produce is still edible, tasty, and nutritious even if it is not aesthetically appealing.

Distribution – How It Works
You will pick up your share once a week for 20 weeks on your chosen pick up day only during the hours that are listed below. 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) are on Tuesdays and Fridays.

What Do I Do When I Pick Up My Share? When Do I Pick Up My Share?
At each of the four distribution sites, there will be a Tantré Farm worker or a white board to remind you of Pick-Up procedures. Here is a general overview:

Ann Arbor Farmers´ Market

We will try to be in the same location every week, but are not always able, because we are Daily Vendors, not Annual Vendors (who have permanent stalls). There is a map on the outside wall of the market office, where our stall is listed. Please always look for the large, canvas Tantré Farm sign as you walk around the market. Then follow instructions on the white board, and especially remember to check off contact person´s name and take a newsletter, if you need it. It can get very crowded at the market, so for those of you who split shares, it might work better if you split your share at one of your houses, instead of at the stall where a lot of people are coming and going. Please remember to ask a Tantré Farm worker for help, if needed.

DISTRIBUTION at Ann Arbor Market: Wed. 7 a.m. until Noon.

Community High School (west side lawn)
Saturday CSA members will be picking up their shares across the street from the Ann Arbor Farmers´ Market on the east side of 5th Ave. in the middle of the horseshoe lawn. You can look for a sign that reads “TANTRé FARM” and follow instructions on the white board. Please check off the contact person’s name, and take a newsletter if you need it. There also will be someone available at the Community High distribution site to help you. You can still find us at our Tantré Farm market stall somewhere at the Ann Arbor Farmers´ Market, especially if you need to purchase extra produce or have specific questions.

DISTRIBUTION at Community High: Sat. 7 a.m. until Noon.

Chelsea Farmers´ Market
Look for Tantré Farm sign. Introduce yourself to us at the stall, and you will be helped.

DISTRIBUTION at Chelsea: Sat. 8 a.m. until Noon.

Tantré Farm
Go behind house on 2510 Hayes Road to “Distribution Center”. Follow the instructions on the white boards inside. Get share box from walk-in cooler and get any extra items in Distribution Center. Leave your box from previous week in stack inside Distribution Center. Please remember to check off contact person´s name and take a newsletter from clipboard, if necessary. Also, please feel free to knock on house door, if you have any questions.

DISTRIBUTION for Farm: Tues. 2 p.m.-7p.m, Wed. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri. 2 p.m.-7 p.m.


You and your share partner need to decide how this is done, since we don´t offer half shares. 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, since the markets get very crowded with farm workers, market customers, and members trying to negotiate space for each other.

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. They just alternate weeks.

4. One of you can arrive whenever you want during designated times, and the first person there splits the share by placing the share partner´s produce in a separate grocery bag (bring one with, if you can). Then label the bag with the name of the share partner, who hasn´t arrived yet, and put in designated area.
This will NOT work if you leave your share partner´s produce in the half-empty share box, since this can get mixed up with the other full share boxes and causes lots of confusion.
Please remember to check off the share under the contact person´s name. The share partner who comes later can check to make sure that the share was checked off, but does not need to check off again. We´ll know if the split share was not picked up, because the absent person´s name will be on the grocery bag.

5. 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 week, since we can´t keep track of your split share.

6. Keep in mind, that all correspondence and check payments should have your contact person´s name listed, so that we can more easily refer to your account.

Do I Have To Bring Back My Box From The Previous Week?
Yes, because we reuse the boxes. 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.

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. If someone else is picking up your share, you don´t need to let us know, just tell them to check the contact person´s name off the list.
It would be very helpful though to give them our phone number or e-mail, so that they may contact us if they are not picking up for some reason.

2.Reschedule for a different Distribution Day. Please reschedule only on regular Distribution Days. Please give us a week´s advance notice.

3.Tell us not to harvest your share, but please give us a week´s advance notice.

At the latest, we really need to know by Sunday at the beginning of each week to get an accurate harvest count for the week.

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. If at the last minute you can´t pick up (or you forget) on your scheduled day, please call us sometime during 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. 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.

Weekly Newsletter
We have a weekly newsletter that is automatically sent online on Mondays or Tuesdays for those who have given us e-mail addresses. This is a text-only version, but a 2-page formatted copy can be picked up at each distribution site for those without e-mail or others who would prefer the printed copy every week. These newsletters also will be available on our new website (see below).

Included in each newsletter are a list of share items with descriptions, cooking or storage tips, important dates, 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.

We suggest that you keep all of your newsletters in a binder or folder, so you can refer back to recipes, nutritional information, and cooking or storage tips throughout the season, or refer to them online. We also try to keep the formatted newsletter to a 2-page minimum, which means that we don´t list all the share items´ descriptions every week, but refer you to previous newsletters for information on items that have already appeared in your shares.

New Tantré Farm Website
We have spruced up the Tantré Farm website for 2009. It is a work in progress, so please be patient with us, since it may go through several changes as we continue to design, enhance, and improve it. We are open to your comments and suggestions of ways to make it more helpful and resourceful.

Recipe Resources
Cook book available for purchase from the farm: We highly recommend an inexpensive cookbook 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 $15 (normally $19.95) at each distribution site throughout June or until they run out. It is a very handy resource and also makes a great gift!

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.recipes.com

Produce Identification Websites: If you are unfamiliar with the identity of some of your produce, there are also some websites that are useful with pictures, descriptions, and nutritional information. Here a few: www.foodsubs.com, www.localharvest.org (go to Tantré Farm listing and scroll down to Products/Crops, then click on icons for descriptions)

Summer U-Pick
Sometimes we have u-pick bulk produce available for a discounted rate 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. Watch the weekly newsletter for details on what is available, when to pick, and prices.

Please call ahead, if you want to u-pick on a day besides distribution days at the farm, so someone will be around to help you.

A specified amount of u-pick strawberries, raspberries, and flowers will be part of your share at no extra cost. We may 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.

Fall/Winter U-Pick
We offer an opportunity for special bulk orders and u-pick greens in the late fall and winter. These items might include u-pick spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, and other items kept in cool storage such as, potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, winter squash, onions, or garlic. More information will be included in the Sept. and Oct. newsletters.

Extended Fall/Winter Share
In 2008 we were able to offer an “Extended Fall Share” for three extra weeks in October for $90. Depending on members´ interest and availability of fall produce, we may offer this again. 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). If this share becomes an option again, our members will receive notice of it in September. Non-members may contact us in September to check on availability.

Thanksgiving Share
After the summer CSA season is over, we offer signup for a Thanksgiving share. 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 40 to 60 pounds of produce. The share may include: Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, cauliflower, broccoli, greens, squash, leeks, garlic, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, parsnips, onions, celeraic, or beets. This share will be available for pick up on Nov. 20, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, at the Ann Arbor Farmers´ Market or at Tantré Farm. A Thanksgiving Share may cost between $80 and $100 this year. Sign up will begin sometime in September and October and will be mentioned in our newsletter. Non-members are also eligible for a share and may contact us in September or October.

Children Are Welcome
There are many “kid-friendly” activities on our farm. Children can play with the outside toys, swing, play in the sandbox or wading pools. They like to pet our dog, Dingo, and our cats. They feed the chickens, our goats, our dairy cows – Nutbrown, Peaches, Che-Che, and Big Betty. Some children also like to take “edible farm walks” by following a farm worker around to various parts of the farm to sample produce, wild plants, or edible flowers.

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, golf cart, trucks, wagons, etc.).

Visitors and Volunteers
We welcome visitors, and especially volunteers, most days of the week (except Sat. mornings, since we’re mostly at farmers´ markets). Please contact us ahead of time, so someone is around to show you what to do or where to go.

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 tentatively anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

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 $1 to $5 donation per participant. Please call well in advance to schedule these events.

Scheduled Farm Events
As event dates are known they can be found on our website in the “Events” section. Our newsletter will also remind members of these events. Ideally a separate reminder notice may be sent also about the work parties to members.

Farm Work Parties
These are scheduled workdays that are completely voluntary. Usually these include some optional farm work, snacks, refreshments, tours of the farm, networking with other CSA members, and having fun. Family and friends are welcome to come too. Also starting this season, we would like to encourage some volunteer members to sign up for “Set up” and “Clean up” chores for work parties, if possible, so less of the burden falls to our hard-working farm workers on their days off.

Preserving Workshops
(The actual dates will be announced in the Aug. or Sept. newsletter.)

Tomato Workshop
Hands-on demonstration of how to can, freeze, and dehydrate tomatoes and some other produce. Helpful resources will be available for your review. (usually in Sept.)

Kimchi Workshop
You will learn how to make Kimchi, a spicy-hot, pungent condiment served at almost every Korean meal. (usually in Oct.)

Kid Farm Days
Activities may include an edible farm walk, making butter and cheese, and learning about farm animals and vegetables through a variety of games, songs, & arts/crafts. There may be two or three of these scheduled throughout the summer. Keep an eye on newsletters for more information. Space will be limited, so sign up early.

Interactive Cooking Days
Great tips for cutting, storing, and using the produce from that week’s share are offered in an interactive class for members. Our culminating activity is a meal created by participants out of produce from the share box, which we consume with great pleasure.

Other Possible Events
Cider Press/Apple Juice Day, Herb Talks, and Soap Workshops, Pumpkin Day, etc. Please let us know if you’d like to help out with ideas, can coordinate activities, or know someone who can lead an event. Watch newsletters and new website for details.

Directions to the Farm and Parking
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.

PARKING: 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.

Tantré Farm Contact Information
You may call Richard Andres or Deb Lentz at 734-475-4323. You can reach us by e-mail at tantrefarm@hotmail.com. Our address is 2510 Hayes Road, Chelsea, MI 48118. Our website is www.tantrefarm.com, and certain website sections (such as “newsletters”, “upcoming events”, and “recipes”) will continue to be updated throughout the season. The above information is included on every newsletter.

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