The FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
- General Information
- Picking Up Your Share
- Pick Your Own Policies
- Work Hours
- Children's Garden
- What to Expect in the First Year
- Volunteering
- Administrative Information
- Safety Guidelines
General Information
Farm Hours:
- Tuesday and Friday 8-7 PM
- Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday 8-5 PM
- The farm is closed Sunday and Monday.
Pickup season: Begins in early June
Work hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 9:45-12 AM
Saturday 1:45-4 PM
Picking Up Your Share
On pickup day the produce will be arranged under the tent, market style. The quantities of each type of vegetable will be indicated on chalk boards.
Please be mindful that pick-ups begin at 2PM and end at 7PM. Please plan to leave the fields (PYO) by 6:50 or so because the farmer who stays to close up wants to head home shortly after 7.
We do not provide any bags, baskets or containers for transporting your produce home. We recommend that you bring:
- Plastic bags to put individual vegetables in (reuse your produce bags from the supermarket).
- Shopping bags, baskets, or boxes in which to put the individually bagged produce.
- Pint and quart containers for picking the Pick-Your-Own crops into. Quantities of each crop will be designated in terms of pints and quarts. Save containers from supermarket produce and bring them with you to the farm.
- A travel cup or other container that holds water to put your cut flowers into (beginning in July, when the flower garden opens for picking).
- Scissors or small shears for cutting flowers (there are some scissors at the farm, but they can be in high demand).
When you come to the farm, plan to spend at least an hour gathering your share of vegetables. You may need more time during the height of the pick-your-own season—July-September. Back to FAQ
What happens if I am unable to pick-up on my assigned day?
- For a one time schedule change (vacation, travel, etc.), speak to Trish or Rachael at the farm. You may only pick up your share once in a calendar week.
- For a permanent change to your pickup day contact Cathy Briasco at stearnsfarm
briasco.org or call her at 508-358-4167. Keep in mind that we may not be able to accommodate switch requests because we have to keep the number of sharers picking up on each day balanced so we can ensure sufficient produce for everyone.
Can a friend pickup my share if I am going to be away?
Yes. It would be helpful if your friend accompanied you the week before so that he/she will understand the procedures for picking up at Stearns Farm.
All produce that is left over at the end of the pickup day is taken to a food shelter.
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Pick Your Own Policies
- You may do the pick-your-own (PYO) on your pick up day and/or the following day (Wednesday for Tuesday sharers; Saturday for Friday sharers).
- PYO can be done any time during hours that the farm is open (Tuesday & Friday 8-7; Wednesday & Saturday 8-5). Flowers and herbs, which are located outside the deer fence can be picked any time.
- In case of severe weather, communication about PYO will come from the farm staff.
This policy assures us that PYO crops will have adequate growth time and be available for both Tuesday and Friday sharers.
Why can't I pick certain crops when they are wet?
Picking tomatoes, beans and strawberries when they are wet spreads diseases that are in the soil. They splash up onto leaves and are spread by our picking. It can be inconvenient to come back another day to pick a crop because it is wet, yet it is necessary to protect the health of our crops. You will be informed if it is too wet to pick these crops. Back to FAQ
Work Hours
When can I complete my work hours?
Work hours are Tuesday-Saturday 9:45-12AM and Saturday 1:45-4PM.
The work hours season begins on April 17 and ends on November 2.
How do I sign up to work my hours?
Please use the online work signup sheet to schedule your work hours. If you have any problems using the signup sheet, please contact Tom Yelton at webmaster
stearnsfarmcsa.org. If you forgot your username or password click here Forgot your Userid / Password? to have them mailed to you.Do I need to sign up in advance for a work shift or can I drop by?
We prefer that you sign up but you can drop by as long as you come Tuesday-Saturday during the work hours. The work shift is from 9:45AM to 12:00. Instructions for the day's tasks are given at 9:45, so please be on time.
What should I bring when I show up for my work shift?
- Wear loose and old clothing, a hat if sunny and sunscreen.
- Bring durable gloves and plenty of water for yourself.
- Bring some pocket snacks to get you through the morning.
- On very hot days, bring a drink with electrolytes.
We break for lunch around noon. You are welcome to bring your lunch and something to share and eat with the farm crew and other sharers.
Back to FAQ
Rainy days
The farm crew works in the rain, but we ask that you not come when it is raining unless you have full rain gear AND want to work in the rain. Otherwise reschedule. Wet people are grumpy people Back to FAQ.
How do I keep track of my work hours?
At the end of every work day, record your hours on the sharer work shift clip board that is kept at the farm (usually in the office). Recording your hours on the clipboard is very important as this is the only way to keep track of how many hours you have worked. Back to FAQ.
I am unable to work my hours at the farm. What should I do?
If you are unable to work, you may buy out your work hours by paying $10.00 per hour. Full shares are required to contribute 12 hours and half shares contribute 6 hours. Please send your check to Stearns Farm.
Half your work hours must be completed or paid for by July 15th. This is very important because the bulk of the farm work is done early in the season.
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Children's Garden
The Children's garden is a place for kids to play while their parents pick up produce and to learn about farming on a smaller scale.
To help parents fulfill their work requirement, we offer Children's Garden Work Days on selected Saturdays during the growing season. The programs are run by Aliya Ewing, the Children's Garden coordinator, who will work with the children to plant crops such as carrots and beans, tend them throughout the season, and eventually harvest the crops and eat them! The Children's Garden Work Days are listed here The Event Calendar
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What to Expect in the First Year
If this is your first year, you are in for a wonderful experience at Stearns Farm! The vegetables are fresh, delicious, diverse, and abundant. The amount of vegetables will increase as the season progresses. It is possible to feel overwhelmed by the quantity of produce the first year unless you come up with a system. Here are some tips:
- Schedule some time to plan how you will use the vegetables that week. Plan to use the most perishable produce first. Check here for information on how long you can expect various produce to stay fresh Vegetable Storage Tips.
- Freeze, dry, can, or give away any vegetables that you won't eat during the week. (See Freezing Tips).
- Invest in a good vegetarian cookbook so you will have a resource to turn to when you receive a vegetable you've never cooked before. There are many delicious recipes on the website Recipes. We also sell a cookbook for this purpose which is available at pick-up. Keep an open mind to all the varieties of produce, and try the vegetables that you are unfamiliar with.
- Be sure not to leave your produce sitting in a hot car.
- Dunking greens in cold water before you put them in the refrigerator will extend their lives.
- In general, don't wash or cut up anything until you are ready to use it. Everything will stay fresh much longer if it is left whole and dirty. Putting veggies in a ventilated plastic bag is a good idea.
- When you pick up your share if there are items you do not want, please don't make any spontaneous substitutions, as this will result in someone missing items later in the day. You may leave unwanted items on the PUT AND TAKE TABLE, and you may take anything you will use that is on that table.
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Volunteering
There are many opportunities to volunteer on the farm. We can use volunteers to help with everything from skilled work (carpenters, electricians), to general help organizing and running celebrations and other events (opening day celebration, children's activities, fund raising, photography, writing, marketing, etc). Contact Volunteer Coordinator Sara Abramovitz (978 443 9747 saralarry
verizon.net). Back to FAQAdministrative Information
Contact Cathy Briasco, Administrative Assistant at 508-358-4167 or stearnsfarm
briasco.org for help with any of the following:- Changes to your contact information (email, phone, mailing address)
- Questions about money (balance due, refunds, work hours payment, etc.)
- Requests to switch pickup days permanently
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Safety Guidelines
Farm Machinery. Please be mindful when farm machinery is being used. Driving tractors around people can be difficult. Please keep children away from the machinery, and step far away from tractors should they be driven where you are picking in the fields.
Dogs. We love dogs at Stearns!!! However, please keep your dogs out of the fields where food is grown. This is a GAP (good agricultural practice) policy. Please keep your dogs leashed, and keep them out of pickup tent because it gets very crowded under there—we don’t want them to get stepped on!
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Revision 45. Last edited Mon 7 May 2012 8:33am by NaomiSofer