MEMBERSHIP

How it works:

We grow and distribute FUN (Food Uncommonly Natural).  Every week the Happy Farmer and available

crew harvest seasonal FUN and divide it among CSA members, placing it in share tote bins.  (Obviously,

the amount of FUN you get varies with the season, yield, and the vagaries of nature.)  Each member has

two bins with name labels on them and these are exchanged each week, empty for full.  We encourage

members to pick up their shares at the farm, but a delivery program is also available.  Happy Farms

serves members primarily in central Contra Costa County but we have members in Antioch, Benicia, and

Oakland. We have pickup locations in Clayton, Concord, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, and

Walnut Creek, as well as at the farm.

Happy Farms truly desires that our growing/distributing activity is a meaningful "joint venture" with

CSA members.   Happy Farms' mission is set but how it is actualized is flexible.  Abundant opportunities

to be involved in planning what and how much we grow, in volunteering to help manage the growing

(planting, weeding, watering, maintaining, harvesting, etc.) as well as helping with distribution, are all

part of the package and are encouraged, and are vital to a healthy CSA.  We hope members will embrace

Happy Farms as "your farm" because at the heart-of-the-matter, it is!  To fully appreciate and connect

with Happy Farms, it is necessary to physically visit us at the beginning of our relationship. We love to

have visitors and share the extraordinary beauty and bounty of our location.  It is simply a matter of

calling us and setting a mutually convenient time to come out and experience Happy Farms.

What to Expect:
-  Quality Happy Farms FUN (Food Uncommonly Natural)! 

-  Some amount of uncertainty.  We have a unique micro-climate at Happy Farms and are still learning

   what grows when, and will aggressively extend the season for crops whenever possible.  We cannot yet

   indicate with any great precision what members will get and when.  In addition you are sharing

   whatever risks are inherent in farming due to crop failure, weather influenced variation, etc.
-  Healthy growing conditions and tender loving care.
-  Produce delivered as fresh as possible.
-  Totally organic practices.  Our commitment is to respect the naturally occurring organisms that our

   activities attract and to co-exist with them, taking measures to exclude or eliminate them only when

   crop loss is excessive or somehow unbearable.  At such time, only acceptable/certified organic methods

   and preparations will be used.  We simply want to plant, water, feed, weed, let 'em grow, and harvest

   and share the bounty.
-  Occasional blemishes that do not affect nutrition or flavor.
-  Occasional creepy-crawlers.  Healthy plants tend to ward off pests, however they are a natural part of

   the growing environment and typically are present.  As a result, some may find their way into harvested

   produce.  Do not be alarmed, they are well fed organically, in most cases eating the same thing you do.
-  Minimal processing/washing.  In many crops it is believed that added water after harvest depletes

   nutrients so we endeavor to get them to you "as is" , which means that it is your responsibility to cull,

   clean, and wash.

What Not to Expect:
-  Boring FUN.
-  Toxic or chemical residue on FUN.
-  FUN grown with appearance or ease of handling as primary considerations.
-  Fortified or artificially enhanced/stimulated FUN.

Cost and Responsibilities:

COST (per month)
 A.  Full share with 4 hours of volunteering per month $75.00
 B.  Full share without volunteering $100.00
 C.  Half share with 3 hours of volunteering per month $45.00
 D.  Half share without volunteering $60.00
 - Container deposit (one time) $20.00

(Please note:  Trade and Barter is always a possibility.  Also, for members with really tight cash flow

it is possible to help for additional hours at the farm and reduce the required cash payment by up to

one half [currently @ $7.00/hr].)

Because one cannot get an accurate sense of what we do in a "snapshot" we request that our members

commit for a year, experiencing an entire cycle, and pay as many months in advance as is comfortable. 

A contract is not signed as we realize that things change and we are flexible.  It is all about working

together and caring about and respecting each other and our magnificent universe. 

To fully appreciate and connect with Happy Farms, it is necessary to physically visit us at the

beginning of our relationship. We love to have visitors and share the extraordinary beauty and bounty

of our location. It is simply a matter of calling us and setting a mutually convenient time to come out

and experience Happy Farms.

The Next Step:
1. Commit to enjoying FUN for a year
2. Fill out the CSA application below and e-mail it to us (or copy it and bring it with you when you visit).
3. Come out and see your farm and give Happy Farms some money.  (For Map: Click Here)

4. Begin a rewarding, inspiring, worthwhile experience
5. Volunteer
6. Embrace and be embraced by your new "community"

 Application: