FAQ

Do you still have shares for sale?
When does the harvest start?
How many weeks does the season last?
How do I know which share size to choose?
Do you really deliver to my home?
What if I live outside of your delivery area?
Which days do you deliver?
What time do you deliver?
Can I choose my delivery day?
Can I change my delivery day?
Do I have to be home for the delivery?
Can you leave my vegetables in a cooler?
What vegetables will I get in my share?
How will I know what all of the vegetables are?
What if I don’t like a particular vegetable?
What if I am going to be away for a week?
How many people do you employ?
Why do you hide your email address?
Why do you never answer the phone?

Do you still have shares for sale?

Yes, we do. 2024 Shares are available now.

When does the harvest start?

We are very much at the mercy of the weather, but our 2024 Spring harvest is planned to begin on May 14th for Tuesday shares and May 18th for Saturday shares.

How many weeks does the season last?

Again, the weather makes this determination as much as we do, but we aim for a 20-week spring/summer season and an 8-week fall season.

How do I know which share size to choose?

This is the most difficult question for us to answer as the number of vegetables people eat varies greatly. We recommend a full share for a family of 2-4 while a half share is ideal for 1-2 people who eat together. Some weeks it is difficult to get the boxes closed, other weeks the box is much heavier but closes with ease.
Photo showing a half-share and full share

Do you really deliver to my home?

Yes, we really do, as long as you live within our delivery area.
Click here for a list and map of our main delivery areas.

What if I live outside of your delivery area?

If you live outside of our delivery area, please do not sign up for a share without asking us first. Sometimes we are able to change our delivery routes, but most of the time we cannot. If you sign up for delivery to an area where we do not deliver, we will charge you a fee for processing your refund.

Which days do you deliver?

We currently deliver on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

What time do you deliver?

Deliveries are made as soon as the harvest is packed. This is usually in the morning to early afternoon depending on where you are on our delivery route(s).

Can I choose my delivery day?

Sorry, no. We do try to take into account which day you would prefer when we design our delivery routes, but we cannot guarantee your day of choice.

Can I change my delivery day?

Sorry, no. Delivery days are determined by where you live and cannot be changed unless you move to a different delivery area.

Do I have to be home for the delivery?

Not really, just let us know where you would like us to place your share (we recommend the shadiest spot you have) and leave the empty box from the prior week out for us to collect.

Can you leave my vegetables in a cooler?

Yes, we would be happy to do that if you label it for us and you will need to leave ice blocks in the cooler to prevent it from becoming a cooker. For a half share you would need a cooler with inside dimensions of at least 14″ x 12″ x 9″ plus room for the ice block(s). If you have a choice of coolers, pick one that can fit the box flat ie is more than 9″ high/deep on the inside. For a full share, you would need inside dimensions of at least 16″ x” 12″ x 14″ plus room for the ice block(s). The best fit would be more than 14″ high/deep on the inside.

What vegetables will I get in my share?

This varies as the season progresses but we usually begin with lettuce, radishes, green onions, kohlrabi, swiss chard, and cabbage. Later on, there should be carrots, beets, peas, beans, cucumbers, and zucchini. Around July we get tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant, and okra added to the mix. Full planting lists for each season can be found on the page for that specific season.

How will I know what all of the vegetables are?

Each week we send a newsletter that lists what is in the shares for that week. We also offer preparation tips, recipes, and descriptions of the less well-recognized vegetables. Sometimes it helps to google each item on the list if you still aren’t sure, or you can email us.

What if I don’t like a particular vegetable?

I’m sure someone dislikes at least one vegetable we grow, but unfortunately, it is not possible to pack custom boxes. Sometimes you might find that although you do not like the vegetable cooked it is delicious raw or vice versa. If you absolutely cannot stand the vegetable at all, consider gifting it to your neighbors – most people do not eat enough vegetables!

What if I am going to be away for a week?

Your share will be divided equally among the other subscribers for that day, or you could have your neighbor pick it up. We cannot hold your share, give you extra the following week or deliver it the next day.

How many people do you employ?

We have no employees. All the work at Karl’s Farm is done by myself (Paula) and Karl with occasional help from our three sons.

Why do you hide your email address?

Our email address is on our newsletters and business cards, but due to the huge amount of spam, we were receiving we have decided to try to make life a little harder for the robots to send us emails. Because we are such a small farm, I try to spend as little time in the office as possible (so I can spend more time in the field growing vegetables). If this method does not save me time, I will gladly switch back to tweaking spam filters.

Why do you never answer the phone?

I do answer the phone when I can, but it isn’t always possible when I am on the tractor or mucking out chickens or on my hands and knees transplanting vegetables. I do have Bluetooth in the delivery van so I can take your calls then and I try to return all calls and texts, but email is usually better for anything that isn’t urgent.

10 Comments

  1. Bryan and Kathy Coleman

    Hi – it looks like you don’t deliver to us but we just want to make sure. We are right off the beltway at exit 20 (Princess Garden Parkway, Lanham MD). We would like to sign up for the year but we don’t think we can make the trip down to Pisgah every week to pick up our produce. But we want to confirm that you do not deliver before we move on to another possible source. My wife and i would prefer to go with you all if you can deliver. Sincerely, Bryan and Kathy

    • Sorry, but you are outside of our delivery area. If you are still in the area next year and would be interested in signing up for the 2017 season, please contact us in December when the shares are first offered – our delivery areas can be tweaked a little then and we should be able to fit you in.

  2. Hello –

    Are you using pesticides or other synthetic chemicals/fertilzers on your farm? I am interested in joining the CSA but would like to know more about your growing practices.

    • Hi Monique, we do not use any pesticides or herbicides at all and do not use any synthetic fertilizers. The fertilizers we do use are natural and OMRI listed as being allowed under the National Organic Program. Paula

  3. How much does a half share cost?

  4. Hi, Paula – what are the dimensions of the half-share delivery boxes? Thanks.

    Mary

    • That is a fantastic question! I just ordered some new ones and they are very differently sized than our current ones. The new ones are 13″ x 9 1/4″ x 9″, the current ones are 14″ x 12″ x 7″. We also have a couple that are very similar to the current ones but a little less than 12″ wide (I cannot find one to measure right not, but the length and height of it do not seem to be very different as far as I remember). If you were thinking about sizing a cooler that would fit, I would suggest inside dimensions of at least 14″ x 12″ x 9″ to fit either box, plus room for ice blocks as a closed cooler can quickly become an oven without them.

  5. Do you deliver to Virginia (Falls Church specifically)? I could not find the delivery area on the website. Thank you!

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