North Star Orchard

Veggie Share Details

Entering its 5th year, the Veggie Share is a very popular option for folks who are looking for very fresh and flavorful veggies. Members sign up and pay in winter/early spring, and then pick up a weekly share of produce at their chosen location during harvest season. Pickup locations for the Veggie Share include Eagle and our home farm in Cochranville. Please review all the information about the Veggie Share below before filling in the Membership Application.

The Veggie Share runs for 22 weeks, starting the first full week of June, and will include many favorites such as salad greens, beans and tomatoes, as well as some vegetable specialties such as kohlrabi, Japanese greens, and Romanesco. Pictures on this page show some of the selections from 2009 and the slideshow to the right shows a few of the items that have been in the Veggie Share each year.

Some background: Farmer Ike's experience growing veggies dates back to childhood when he used his mother's garden plot to grow for a local tailgate market. Since then he has kept a garden in various forms and was a Section Gardener at the Longwood Gardens 'Idea Garden', where he grew all sorts of new and heritage vegetable varieties. Our vegetables are grown using organic practices, although they are not certified organic. For more info about our growing practices, see our FAQs page.

Share Details

1. When will the share run? The share will start during the first full week of June and will run for 22 weeks, to finish at the end of October.

2. Where are the pickup locations? We have two pickup locations in 2012. Specific directions to the locations will be provided prior to the start of the share. You will need to choose the location that is most convenient for you:

Eagle on Tuesdays from 2 to 6 PM. In the Eagleview development located just around the corner from the Downingtown Exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Chester County Economic Development Council Building. Both Fruit and Veggie Shares are available at this location.

Additional Benefits for CSA Members picking up at Eagle:

Members can pre-order and pre-pay for baked goods made from North Star Orchard produce
Members can pre-order and pre-pay for extra vegetables and/or fruit from North Star Orchard. Items available for ordering will be posted in the weekly CSA Member Email.
A Swap Box is available at the pickup site. CSA members can 'swap' something they don't want from their CSA bag with something in the Swap Box which they'd rather have. This allows members to have some flexibility with what they receive each week.

Cochranville on Thursdays from 4 to 6:30 PM. Located at our farm located near the intersection of Rte. 10 and Rte. 41 in Highland Township, Chester County. Both Fruit and Veggie Shares are available at this location.

Additional Benefits for CSA Members picking up at Cochranville:

Members can pre-order and pre-pay for baked goods made from North Star Orchard produce
Members can pre-order sustainably and humanely-raised eggs and meats from Lindenhof Farm, which they can pick up and pay for on share day.
Members may join a Cheese CSA, available through Hillacres Pride Farm. The Cheese CSA will be available for pickup every other week during the regular season. More info about signing up for the cheese CSA will be provided in spring.
Members can select and purchase extra vegetables and/or fruit during the regular pickup time.
An Oddball Table is usually available each week. The table includes items which we don't have enough of for everyone that week. This is most common for crops which are just 'coming in' and for the more unique or trial varieties of various veggies. Members will be able to choose one or more items from the Oddball Table. This allows members to have some flexibility with what they receive each week.

3. What is the size of the share? The Veggie Share will suit a couple, a small family, or a single who really likes his/her veggies! The share will include a nice assortment of veggies each week, which will provide opportunities for great variety in the meals that are prepared and served. Those who have larger families or who wish to prepare special dishes or do some canning/freezing will be able to purchase additional items.

If you feel that a Veggie Share would be too much for you (this happens most often with some singles or those families which travel a lot), you might try to find a neighbor or friend to split a share with you. If you don't know of someone who'd like to split a share, please let us know. This year, we will keep a list of Potential Share Partners. We will not play match-maker, but will rather pass along the contact info of others who are also looking for a Share Partner. Then, it'll be up to you to make the connections and plan your pickup arrangement. If you are interested in being on the Potential Share Partner list, please email us your name and preferred contact info, as well as which location you would like to pick up your share (Eagle or Cochranville).

4. What will be in a share? What is in a share will vary over the season. Very early and very late shares will have more leafy greens and may have less variety in them than the 'main season' months. The chart below gives you some examples of what may be in the share at different times during the year. For a complete list of the vegetables we grow each year, please look here.

Please note that we do not grow sweet corn. Sweet corn not only takes up a lot of space, but there are also concerns that it would very likely become cross-pollinated with GMO field corn from neighboring large farms. We'd rather avoid GMO contamination if at all possible, so we ask that you please visit your local farmers' market if you need a supply of sweet corn.

We will have a selection of small specialty melons this year. From responses to a CSA Member survey, we will make these available as items to purchase, rather than being a built-in part of the share. More info to come during melon season!

Examples of what may be in a share at various times:
mid-June:	mid-July:	early September:	late October:
Arugula Beets Broccoli Chinese Cabbage Kohlrabi Leaf Lettuce Salad Mix Shell Peas Spinach Swiss Chard	Lettuce Salad Mix Carrots Summer Squash Tomatoes Heirloom Tomatoes Cherry Tomatoes Cucumbers Bush Beans Green Onions Eggplant New Potatoes Pole Beans Fresh Herbs	Lettuce Salad Mix Carrots Summer Squash Tomatoes Cucumbers Pole Beans Onions Potatoes Peppers Eggplant Edamame Sweet Potatoes Fresh Herbs	Cauliflower Spinach Salad Mix Carrots Onions Potatoes Yukina Savoy Kale Turnips Chinese Cabbage Fennel

5. What is the price of a share? A Veggie Share in 2012 costs $500.00. By signing on and paying for your share early, you'll lock-in your price for veggies for the season, regardless what happens to prices at the grocery store or farmers' market due to inflation or weather-related events.

We accept personal checks or you can use your bank's online bill pay system. We also accept credit card payments online via Paypal (you need not be a member of Paypal to use their service). A convenience fee will be added to the total if you use the Paypal option to cover the fees PayPal charges us to use their service. Please plan submit your membership fee within 30 days of signing up in order to guarantee your spot in the CSA this year. Details about submitting your payment will be provided after you fill in the Membership Application.