Clagett Farm CSA Terms of Service

SECTION 1 – Our Farm 

A. Becoming a Part of Our Farm 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relationship between our Farm and you, our customer. Rather than simply purchasing food, our customers become “shareholders” of this CSA, who receive a portion of the Farm’s harvest. 

B. Our Growing Practices 

This 283-acre working Farm uses regenerative agriculture practices that improve soil health and increase food and water quality. We understand the importance of growing practices that nourish the soil and promote the health and biodiversity of the land we farm, and the watershed. 

We grow our produce using USDA Certified Organic methods and Integrated Pest Management systems. 

C. The Produce We Expect for this Season 

The CSA program at Clagett Farm is a vegetable CSA. While it is possible to receive fruit from the Farm, it will be limited.  

Here is a chart displaying the different varieties that we have chosen

Here is a chart displaying the different varieties that we have chosen in past seasons

*Please note that this is an estimation of what will be grown, there are no guarantees for specific varieties or yields until crops are harvested. 

D. Amount of Food Included in Share.

Amounts and weights will vary week to week, but we will aim for each item to be a serving for a family of 2-4 with approximately six to ten vegetable options to choose from. 

We will have weeks where we try to give bumper crops of items like cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. Perfect for preserving.  

E. U-Pick Benefits at Clagett Farm 

U-pick benefits are included for all shareholders, as items become available on our official list. Details about items quantities and when you can u-pick will be updated each week on our blog/emails.  

We allow our shareholders to pick select items from our Farm and bring them home in addition to their regular share. This will include all the herbs and flowers, while they are in season. As well as strawberries and tomatoes as allowed by the season. 

 See our CSA FAQ for more details on U-pick.

SECTION 2 - Membership/Share Options: 

A. Share Options 

There are two ways you can enjoy the bounty of our Farm—as a: 

Regular shareholders can purchase a full, 26-week share or a 13-week share.  

With a 13-week share, you receive the same amount of vegetables per week, but you decide which weeks you want to pick up between May and November. 
 
We offer a few payment options! See below in Section B Payment options.  

B. Payment Options 

  • Pay in full: You are welcome to pay for your full 26 or 13-week share upfront at the beginning of the season.  

  • Installment plan: We offer an installment-based payment plan that allows you to pay for your CSA in four installments. These installments will be charged monthly for four consecutive months. There is a 3% additional service fee for installment-based plans. 

  • Reduced price : A reduced-price* share is the same size as the full price 26-week or 13-week share and includes the same “U-pick” privileges as full-price membership. 
     
    *Anyone who qualifies for government assistance (WIC, EBT, disability) is welcome to purchase a CSA share at a reduced price. You are also eligible for a reduced-price share if your household income is equal to or below the amount indicated in the chart below (185% of the 2019 Federal Poverty Guideline). "Household" is defined as the person living with you with whom you share your food budget. 

  • Types of Payment accepted: All major credit cards, mobile pay, Apple Pay. Currently we do not accept SNAP benefits.  

C.  Additional Charges 

If a subscription payment is missed, we allow 5 days before the card will be tried again for a declined payment. Past that it will try again in 10 days, after which your subscription will be cancelled. But never fear, we are very understanding. You may give us a call/email to discuss arrangements if needed. 

You will be charged a 5 percent late fee for any payment that is 5 days late. Your subscription will be cancelled if your payment reaches 10 days late. If you need assistance or know your payment will be late, please call us prior to the payment date. (We will re-run your credit card at 5 days late before we apply the late fee) 

Beef, Lamb, Honey, and Trees from our Farm are not included in weekly shares but will be for sale in our Farm Store each week when available during the year, and can be pre-ordered at Clagettcsasales.com/meat-sales or purchased in person at the Farm pick-up. Goods from other local partners may also become available. 

Additional Bulk Garlic by the pound is typically available starting in June and running through the end of the
season. 

SECTION 3 - Receiving the Share: 

A. Pickup Locations 

We provide a few locations for picking up shares:  

Clagett Farm (11904 Old Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772) 
Wednesdays, 3:00-6:00 p.m.  
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 p.m. 

Enter Clagett Farm CSA into your GPS or follow signs from the Old Marlboro Pike entrance and you will find yourself right at the pickup site on the Farm! Please enter from our front Old Marlboro Pike entrance. 

CBF's Philip Merrill Environmental Center (6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403) 
Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 p.m. 

To find the pickup site, pass the main front parking lot and continue to find us underneath the building in the parking garage. We will have our tables set up right by the entrance—you should see our sign! Please call 301-627-4662 and dial 2, if there is ever an issue with a closed gate or need to request a prebagged share. 

The Vineyards at Dodon (391 Dodon Road, Davidsonville, MD 21035)
Fridays, 4:00-6:00 p.m. 
To find pick-up site, once you enter the main drive continue straight until you find our sign located most days at the first pavilion you come across to the right. Please call 301-627-4662 and dial 2, if there is ever an issue with a closed gate or need to request a prebagged share. 

B. Pickup Information 

Our CSA is “market-style” meaning you bag up your share like you would at a farmer’s market. This gives you more flexibility in gathering your share each week, or even skipping a week if necessary. We can offer this flexibility because we partner with food pantries to donate our remaining harvest each week. We can harvest more knowing it will go to a family in need of fresh produce. 

We will list what products you can take on a board adjacent to each pickup table. We try to portion out each item and indicate how much you may take. If an item needs to be weighed, we will provide a scale in that area. Please weigh carefully, as we often have just enough for everyone.  

If you do not recognize something or are unsure how to cook it, we would love to give you general advice about how we prepare it and we provide recipes in our weekly email/blog post. If you know you do not like something or cannot use it, do not feel obliged to take it. We will donate anything you do not take. 

C. Food Safety and Handling 

We take the safety of your food seriously. While we do wash much of the CSA produce, for your added protection, we strongly encourage you to wash all produce before eating. 

D. What if you missed a week or will miss a week? 

Shareholders who purchase a full, 26-week season may double their share on any pick-up. 
You can come to two different pick-ups in one week but may not pick up more than 2 shares per week, so we have enough for every shareholder per harvest. 

Shareholders who purchase a 13-week season are expected to skip half of the 26 weeks of their choice. You may take any 13 of the 26—no need to alternate, and we do not need to know in advance which weeks you plan to come. If you wish to take two shares in one day, we cannot guarantee it for 13 week shareholders, but you are welcome to ask when you arrive. The pickup staff will accommodate the request if there is enough produce on hand. 

No food will be wasted from shares that you miss during the season. We donate all food remaining at the end of the pickup times to a local food pantry each week.

E. Bags 

We encourage you to bring your own bags, boxes, or cooler to carry your vegetables home to reduce waste.

F. What if you would like to send a friend? 

It is easy! You may allow anyone to pick up your vegetables for you. All they will need to do is tell us the name used to purchase the share, and we will tell them how to pick it up. 

G. What if you arrive late at your pickup? 

If you know you are going to be late, you can call 301-627-4662 and dial 2 before the end of pickup time and receive confirmation to order a pre-bagged share to be left out on the bench for you. Otherwise, please see us for our next pickup day. 

H. What if you need a pre-bagged share? 

Are you or someone close to you feeling sick, just happen to be running late, or would like the convenience of not bagging up your share that week? Call 301-627-4662 and dial 2 before the end of pick-up time and we can arrange to have it ready for you!  

If you are at Clagett Farm, we will have a designated spot for your car right beside the CSA pickup area. The area will be marked for curbside only.  
 
at our Annapolis and Davidsonville, you can simply pull close to the pickup table and staff members should notice your car. If they don’t, call 301-627-4662 and dial 2. After hours pick-up need to be arranged prior to end of pick-up and be sure to receive confirmation details before arrival

I. Compost 

At Clagett Farm, you will see a bin somewhere on the ground near the pickup area. If you brought something for our compost pile, you could empty your bag into that bin.  
 
We do prefer that you take your smellier compost straight to the pile to reduce flies and bad smells around the main pick-up area. We do not compost items such as bones, paper cups/bowls or compostable utensils and bags but will take plant material, egg shells, coffee grounds. 
 
Due to smell issues during travel, we cannot accept compost at our Annapolis or Davidsonville pickup location.

We also have a shell recycling bin located at the Old Marlboro Pike Farm entrance and the Phillip Merrill Environmental Center entrance for oyster shell to be used in our Shell Recycling Program. 

 

SECTION 4 – OUR SHARED COMMITMENTS  

A. Our Commitment to You 

As farmers of a certified organic farm, we promise to grow your produce using only organic methods. We will listen to your feedback each week at the pickup and consider it as we continue to perfect the art of running a CSA! Just as you agree to share our risks with us, we agree to share the benefits of a successful season with you. 

B. Your Commitment to Us 

We promise to do our best to provide you with a bountiful share each week. The quantity of produce, however, may vary from week to week and season to season due to extreme weather, insects, or other production factors, despite our best efforts. By joining our CSA, you agree to share the risk of crop failure with us and other shareholders. In the unlikely event of a crop failure, our procedure is as follows: 

If only a small portion of crops fail, we compensate for the failed crops by filling your share with other crops grown on the Farm that are ready for harvest at that time. We may cover for a much larger crop loss by buying from other local farmers that are growing with regenerative, Bay-friendly practices. This may not be a feasible option for all crops because of cost or widespread failure. 

C. Refund/Cancellation Policy 

We will offer full refunds/cancellation up until the first week of distribution, after which no refunds will be given, as by that time we have already invested in our supplies for the season. 

If for some reason our shared commitments and/or general guidelines for being on the Farm cannot be met, we reserve the right to revoke your share and access to the Farm for the benefit of Farm staff and other shareholders. 

D. What if we cannot finish the season? 

While we always hope and plan for a successful season, there are always circumstances that may arise outside of our control.   

E. Food Bank 

Through our long standing partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank, CBF we have committed to distributing approximately 35 percent of our harvest to local food pantries and people in areas with limited access to fresh food. We donate food twice a week the day after each pickup. It is important to us that every member of our community has access to fresh, nutritious food, and we know it is important to you as well. Thank you for helping us make this possible. 

Our donations go to: 

SHABACH: an emergency food pantry in Landover, Maryland.

Prince Georges Food Equity Council: Their food rescue network connects us directly to several different pantries and volunteers for transport of the produce throughout our growing season. 

 
SECTION 5 - Farm Visits: 

A. Visiting the Farm: 

You are welcome to come to visit the Farm during our normal business hours:

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Wednesday
Closed Sundays

We ask all guests to remain along the main corridor and around the CSA pickup area.
 
For your safety and the safety of others on the Farm, be sure to drive only on paved or gravel roads and observe the speed limit signs. We will indicate the best place to park if the area for U-pick is not next to the pickup site. Never drive in the vegetable fields or pastures and do not open any gates or fences that are not already open. 

You are welcome to bring guests with you to visit the Farm during our normal business hours (see above), but we ask that they not take part in shareholder benefits (e.g. U-pick). They will be able to purchase goods from the Farm Store as they are available.  
 
Anyone visiting the Farm that is under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a legal adult.  

B. Farm Hazards: 

We do our best to minimize risks to you and your family when you are visiting.  However, we are a working farm, and it is impossible to eliminate all hazards. 

  • Uneven ground: Please exercise caution when walking around the Farm as there may be groundhog holes, slippery grass, or other tripping hazards. 

  • Electric fence: We use electric fences to care for our animals and protect certain areas of the Farm. We try to turn off sections that are not being actively used before CSA pickup; however, to avoid an unpleasant jolt you should assume that all fences are “hot” and not touch. 

  • Farm animals: We raise cows and sheep year-round. They are fascinating to watch, and we encourage you to do so. However, we ask that you do not feed them, pet them, or enter their enclosures unless accompanied by Farm Staff. 

  • Farm equipment: Please do not approach or touch any farm equipment or tools. 

  • Barns: Please do not enter any of the buildings on the Farm other than the CSA Distribution area and the bathroom facilities.  

  • Harmful Plants and Pests: Keep your eyes open for poison ivy, stinging nettles, and other harmful plants that tend to grow at the edge of the woods and near some of the vegetable fields. We also strongly encourage you to do a tick check if you are visiting other areas of the Farm beyond the CSA Distribution area. 

C. NO Dogs: 

Due to our livestock and many guests/volunteers, no dogs (unless service animals) are allowed to be walked on the farm.

D. Bathrooms: 

We have a pair of composting toilets across the driveway from the washing station. The building is painted red, so you cannot miss it. There is a sink for handwashing on the right side of the building and sanitizer in each bathroom. 
 

SECTION 6 – Communication: 

We will never share your personal information with any third party for any purpose other than managing your CSA share. 

A. Email: 

By signing up for the CSA, I understand that I will be added to the weekly email list where Farm Staff will share information about what is being distributed, recipes, and notes from the Farm.   

Your purchase includes periodic email updates from CBF. You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking "Unsubscribe" at the bottom of any email you receive from us. 

B. Phone: 

We may need to contact you via phone regarding your share if the information is time-sensitive (e.g. alerting you of a same-day change to your CSA pickup, or if you are not responsive to email attempts). 

C. Blog/Website: 

We update our blog regularly with information regarding the CSA and general information about the Farm. You may also visit our website to learn more. 

D. Contact Us: 

Send general CSA questions/concerns to clagettfarm@cbf.org with subject labeled CSA. 
You can reach the general Farm phone line (301-627-4662) at any time. For pre-bagged requests or urgent pickup issues, call 301-627-4662 and dial 2.