Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a CSA?
• What sorts of foods do you grow?
• What does the membership include?
• How much food does a member get each week?
• How long is your season?
• Can I pick which items I receive?
• Why isn't there more fruit in the shares?
• Can members visit the farm?
• Where are the pickup sites?
• How do I pick up my produce?
• What happens if I cannot pick up my box?
• What happens if I cannot give you 48 hours notice to suspend my subscription?
• What happens if I forget to pick-up my box?
• What is your cancellation policy?
• What happens if your crops fail?
• How much does it cost to become a member?
• Can I try this out for a short time to see if I like it?
• I want to join! How do I sign up?

What is CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct partnership between the consumer and the farmer. The CSA member buys a share of the farm at the beginning of a growing season. In exchange, we work to grow the highest quality vegetables, herbs, and fruits we can. Every week, the produce is picked and immediately delivered to local drop off sites, where members pick up their shares. This arrangement is ecologically sound because it reduces the long-distance trucking involved in much of today's produce delivery. In addition, all the produce is organically grown. This method of growing food is healthier and more environmentally sustainable for the consumer, agricultural worker, and the land itself.
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What sort of foods do you grow?
Johnson's Backyard Garden is a certified organic, diversified vegetable operation. We grow over 50 different types of vegetables, flowers, and herbs and nearly 300 different varieties. Take a look at the "What's Growing" side bar for a current list. Our harvest schedule lists produce availability throughout the year. While almost all of the vegetables in our CSA shares come from Johnson's Backyard Garden directly, we do occasionally add specialty items from other trusted local farms that use organic growing practices. For example, when in season, we offer our members organic oranges and grapefruits from South Tex Organics as well as specialty crops such as asparagus and peaches from other local farms.
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What does the membership include?
Your membership payment purchases a "share" of our season's harvest. You receive your choice of a weekly or bi-weekly box of our Austin-grown seasonal organic produce. As a member, you also receive a weekly newsletter with a description of that week's harvest, recipes and advice on how to prepare vegetables. In the spring and fall of each year we also have an open house at our home and farm so you can see where your food is grown and meet the people who produce it. We periodically have u-pick items available to CSA members. Our CSA does not have a work requirement, but members are always welcome to contact us if they would like to volunteer to work on the farm.
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How much food does a member get each week?
Vegetable boxes are a half-bushel, and are usually enough for a family of 2-4 for a week depending on eating habits. Each week the vegetable boxes are filled with a variety of 8-12 seasonal, organically grown vegetables, fruits and herbs.
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How long is your season?
We grow year-round, and provide CSA boxes 50 weeks out of the year. Our family takes a week off in August and another in December.
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Can I pick which items I receive?
We select box contents each week based on what is freshest on the farm on harvest day. In our weekly newsletter and on our website we notify members in advance about the contents of their box so that they can plan accordingly. Our members tell us they love getting surprised each week, and they enjoy trying things they wouldn't otherwise have tried. We also leave a 'trade box' at each pick-up site where members can exchange box items, leaving something they don't like in exchange for more of a favorite vegetable.
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Why isn't there more fruit in the shares?
We are primarily a vegetable and pecan farm. The fruit we obtain by cooperating with local organic fruit growers, and is only available in certain seasons.
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Can members visit the farm?
Yes! We love showing off our farm, but it is also our home and we must balance tours with a very busy work schedule. We have an open house/potluck in the spring and fall of each year which is open to members and the general public. Members and non-members are also welcome to participate on the farm by volunteering on a harvest day; just email us if you're interested. If you'd just like to schedule a visit, please contact us and we may be able to accommodate you.
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Where are the pickup sites?
We currently deliver to nine neighborhood locations in Austin. For specific pickup sites and schedules, click here.
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How do I pick up my produce?
On delivery day, members go to their pick-up sites and get their shares for the week. Many of our sites are at members' homes, so pick-ups must be made before 7:00 PM. When you arrive at your site for the first time, you'll see a green instruction sheet. We ask that you take your vegetables and put them in your own bags or boxes, then break down the farm's wax box, and leave it at the site. This way we can reuse the wax boxes and keep costs down.
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What happens if I cannot pick up my box?
Through our member login system you can shift your box dates and pickup location at anytime to accommodate your schedule. Or let us know by phone or email at least 48 hours in advance and we can suspend your delivery and start it up again on the date you request. You will still receive all of the vegetable boxes in your subscription. We can also arrange for a pick-up at an alternate site on another distribution day.
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What happens if I cannot give you 48 hours notice to suspend my subscription?
If you miss the 48 hour deadline for suspension notice, we can take it to our local soup kitchen (Salvation Army Social Services in Austin) and give you a receipt for tax purposes. Please email us if you would like to use this option.
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What happens if I forget to pick-up my box?
Unfortunately, we do not give replacement boxes if you miss a pickup. We ask the CSA site host to donate any leftover vegetable boxes to a neighbor or to a family in need.
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What is your cancellation policy?
In the CSA model, members are seen as active farm partners, sharing the risks and rewards of the harvest. Should you choose to cancel your subscription, we cannot offer a refund. The CSA partnership sustains our farm, individual members, and the community at large. Given this no-refund policy, we advise that new members initially sign up for a trial 4-week membership before committing to a longer subscription.
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What happens if your crops fail?
Because weather always affects the rates of plant growth or maturation, and insects or diseases can always interrupt production or damage quality, farming is a risky business. Each week we plan to harvest a minimum of around 15 different vegetable crops. This way if a few fail, we are still almost always able to provide a full CSA share.
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How much does it cost to become a member?
For members paying ten weeks at a time, the share cost is $30 per box. For members paying four weeks at a time, the share cost is $32 per box.
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Can I try this out for a short time to see if I like it?
Yes! For those new to our farm, try a four-week membership to see if you like it.
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I want to join! How do I sign up?
Visit our Join page to sign up.
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