WHAT HAPPENS IF WE FORGET TO PICKUP OUR ORDER?
Please notify us in advance, on Monday or earlier, if you can’t make it to the pickup location. If you don’t notify us to arrange for alternative plans and don’t show up to pickup your order, because these are perishable items you will lose your order without receiving a credit. SO PLEASE, MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
HOW WILL THE PRODUCE AND PRODUCTS BE HANDLED?
The produce will be boxed on the farms, transported to Bend, and handed out all within 36 hours of harvesting to gaurantee freshness. CSA members will bring their own bag to the pickup location to be filled with the week’s produce and any side items that were ordered.
CAN BOXES BE CUSTOMIZED?
In efforts to accommodate member concerns Agricultural Connections will have a community box to trade unwanted produce for more desirable produce during pickup. Also, AC attempts to give members as many choices as possible during the pickup of the produce.
ARE MUSHROOMS AVAILABLE?
Yes. Mycological Natural Products of Eugene, OR will be providing us with mushrooms of many different varities. Please check out our “Order Now” tab for what is available organically and wild for the given week.
HOW ARE GOODS TRANSPORTED IN THE SUMMERTIME?
Anything that needs freezing or refrigeration during the warmer months of the year will be transported in coolers and packed with ice.
HOW FAR ARE THE FARMS LOCATED FROM BEND?
All farmers working in conjunction with Agricultural Connections are located within a 100 mile radius of Central Oregon by the way the crow flies. The only exception are the seasonal wild mushrooms. Though many of these are foraged in and around the forests of Eugene, some may still come from the coastal range of Oregon which is not within a 100 mile radius.
CAN THE FARMS SUSTAIN A WEEK TO WEEK CSA MODEL?
All of the farms that we will be working with are able to take orders on a week to week basis because they continue to grow and harvest produce regardless of Central Oregon local demand since there is a demand for produce year round in the valley as well as the city to buy any and all remaining produce that CSA members do not purchase.
ARE GREENHOUSES A POSSIBILITY FOR CENTRAL OREGON?
Possibly, and this is not our field of work. What we do know is that assembling, maintaining, and most importantly efficiently heating numerous greenhouses throughout the Central Oregon area during the winter months to feed 80+ families would require a tremendous amount of resources. Regulation of temperatures would no doubt be the largest obstacles to success and perhaps the technology has not yet arrived or is still much too expensive – and once again, this is not our field of expertise. Thus, to feed Central Oregon residents TODAY with fresh, quality, local, organic produce year round, Agricultural Connections decided to turn to our state’s very own fertile crescent, namely, the Willamette Valley.
WHAT TYPE OF PAYMENT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHEN ARE PAYMENTS DUE?
All ordering and payments are handled via the “Order Now” form on the website OR in person at our pickup location ONE WEEK BEFORE you pickup your order. Paypal or credit cards can be used to pay for your order online and all orders / payments are due by 10 am on Sunday prior to the Tuesday pickup in Bend or the Wednesday pickup in Terrebonne.
ARE THERE ANY WAYS TO HELP OUT IN ORDER TO GET A DISCOUNTED BOX?
We will keep interested members aware of opportunities to receive discounted boxes by helping out during pickup or by being in charge of a pickup in another location – like Sunriver or Sisters.
WHAT DOES A MEMBERSHIP ENTAIL?
By filling out a membership using the “Membership” tab at the top of the website, you are joining our email list to receive updates about logistics, pricing, etc. There is no fee to become a member and you only need to fill out the membership form once.
