csa handbook
As your farmers, we commit to growing good, nourishing food and bringing you a weekly share of the harvest. We’re glad you’re here!
As members, you have committed to support our farms through the entire growing season with the understanding that farming is a natural process, yields and variety may vary season to season. We count on you to collect your shares and fulfill your financial agreement to the farms, regardless of what the growing season may bring.
Picking Up Your Share
thank you to our community partners for hosting us!
free choice, pack your own pickup
Stick and Stone / Wed 3-7
1605 Trumansburg Rd. (Rt. 96) - No dogs on farm.
Press Bay Alley / Th 3-7
Back end of Press Bay Alley - look for our truck!
Salt Point / Fri 4-6
6 Louise Belmet Ln. ~ in Lansing
Youth Farm / Sat 10-1
23 Nelson Rd. ~2 miles south of Ithaca College. No dogs.
THE SIZE OF YOUR SHARE IS APPROX. ONE GROCERY BAG FULL
feel free custom pack for you/your household in whatever bags you have, but keep this size in mind and be respectful of those who follow you.
TAKE ONLY WHAT YOU'LL USE THAT WEEK
DO NOT take for canning, preserving, or sharing outside of the CSA, this keeps things fair to your farmers and fellow members.
BRING YOUR OWN BAGS
You'll need a few bags for different types of produce. Trying bringing plastic bags or clamshells for carrying greens
farm-packed boxed shares
Your box will be delivered weekly on Thursdays by 3pm*
Call 607-379-2866 or email if there is a problem with your share on delivery day. We'll help sort it out!
group site delivery
Group sites are self serve - just check your name off the list & grab your box! Please return boxes to your location weekly.
Do not take a box if your name isn’t on the list. Call Molly 607-379-2866
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Veggie boxes are green and white and say "Fresh Vegetables"
Summer Fruit Boxes are smaller and white, winter are larger w/ green & red
All veggie shares are the same. All fruit shares are the same.
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Your share is packed in a waxed box - it is re-usable but not recyclable and WE WANT IT BACK!
Please gently unfold boxes with out ripping tabs and return them to your pick up site each week.
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Call (607-379-2866) or email Molly right away. We do pack just-in-case boxes.
(1) request a double share for the for next week (or a specified later date)
(2) see if we have a replacement & where. Replacements are donated after a few days, so please reach out ASAP
The honor system works pretty wonderfully in this community, but boxes are occasionally taken, particularly in high-traffic business spaces that host pickups. We cannot offer refunds for food that has been harvested, packed and delivered, but the options above are always available!
home delivery
We strongly recommend leaving a cooler out to keep your share as fresh as possible (and keep the squirrels away), we’ll place the whole box inside. Dimensions of the box are 13x11x10”
Please return your boxes by leaving them outside each week.
Special instructions where to leave your box? please email Molly.
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*Home deliveries are sometimes later than 3 but always on Thursday unless otherwise communicated! Thank you for your patience!
Missed Share Policy
If you forget and miss a week, you may not get a replacement share or double share.
We will hold up our end of the CSA by harvesting for you every week, it is your responsibility to collect your produce.
These options apply to Full Plate Veg Shares only, click here to see Missed Share Options for Side Dish CSAs
Switcheroo to another pickup*
*Stick and Stone, Press Bay, Salt Point, Youth Farm free choice pickup members only
no need to email Molly. Just sign the Switcheroo sheet on the check in table, then ask about limited crops. You must go to another pickup within the week of the share you miss.
Have a friend or house-sitter pick up your share
no need to email Molly - a great way to introduce the CSA to a friend!
Donate your share
free choice pickups: this is the default, all unclaimed food is donated
boxed shares: email Molly by Monday at 5pm
Hold your share and double up another week
you MUST email Molly by Monday of the week you will be away to do this
If you do not notify us not to harvest for you in advance, we cannot harvest double for you later
U-Pick Gardens
All Full Plate summer CSA members may harvest from u-picks!
Not open to the public.
how it works…
free & open Full Plate Members only. No public access
open 7 days a week during daylight hours
bring your own scissors, containers (and water/sunscreen :)
keep an eye on newsletters for in-season updates
u-pick rules
No dogs
Do not block farm roads
Stay off farm equipment and out of high tunnels/big fields
Stick and Stone Gardens
(1605 State Rt 96, Ithaca) Heidi & Peter the big white dogs are roaming free range—they are friendly to people, but they are working guardian dogs, so be sure to leave your pets at home. See map of u-pick inside barn.
Youth Farm Project Gardens
(23 Nelson Rd, Danby) Be sure you are in the Full Plate u-pick not the Youth Farm fields - if you are unsure look out for signs or just ask! Youth Farm crops are ready ~2 weeks after Stick and Stone due to colder, wetter soils in Danby. Learn more about YFP
Making Payments
when you join our CSA you make a commitment to pay your farms for the entire season
DO NOT just stop collecting your share without notice, we will still expect payment as long as we continue to harvest for you.
installment plans
After your deposit at sign up, your payments are due:
23 week summer-fall share (jun-nov) - 6/15, 7/15, 8/15 and 9/15
18 week summer-fall share (july-nov) - 7/15, 8/15 and 9/15
All payments are $125 / or $62 for HFFA members
We accept Cash, Check, EBT and Paypal
Please pay by check to keep funds in our community! Send to Full Plate Farms, PO 6898, Ithaca, NY 14851 or bring to your pack-your-own pickup
Tip: write & send all your checks at once! just post-date for 6/15, 7/15, 8/15 and 9/15
If paying by EBT you MUST send a copy of your receipt to us
Molly will send a reminder close to each due date
what if I am having trouble making my payments?
Reach out!! Life happens, we get it and we are here to help make a plan that works for you. Please call or email Molly. But DO NOT just stop paying and expect we will cancel your share. When you join, you commit to making all these payments. Unless you are in direct communication we will be counting on your monthly payment.
