Garden Box Subscriptions

2024 Garden Box Subscriptions (read below)

We offer fresh, local produce that we grew on our farm. We use organic methods. If you would like to know more details on how we grow, visit our GROWING PRODUCE page.

We are continuing to grow our garden box side of marketing. Because we are still learning how to create a diverse offering of produce, we offer a slightly different approach to our produce boxes compared to established CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) models.

Please read below for more details on our Garden Boxes. We aim to fill 25 produce boxes each week.

9 Box Subscriptions Available

as of 02/09/2024

The half boxes available are not half boxes, but a half subscription (so the Bi-weekly box). For each full box available, it could also be converted to 2 Bi-weekly boxes.

Request to join our 2024 Garden Box Subscriptions

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

This year (2024) we will offer three different types of subscriptions.

SIGN UP: You will need to sign up to receive our garden boxes. Contact Melissa at 14acrefarm@gmail.com or text her at (641) 420-7533. Or fill out the form by clicking the button above. We will return a message to confirm and to answer any questions you have. (If you do not get a confirmation, please try to contact us again.)

Entire Season – @21 weeks of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. May through September.
Spring Season – 6-8 weeks of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. May through June. Expect items like: Asparagus, Rhubarb, Lettuce, Greens, Radishes, Snow Peas, Green Onions, Spring Onions, and Garlic Scapes. Perfect for those growing their own garden, but want some fresh produce before their garden is ready.
Summer Season – @14 weeks of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. End of June through the end of September. Tomatoes, Peppers, Greens, Herbs, Garlic, Onions, Beans, Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, and lots more. Summer brings the largest variety to our garden boxes.
Waiting List – Once our lists are full, we will create a waiting list. You will need to sign up to be on the waiting list. If you are on our waiting list, you will get notices when a box or two are available due to vacations of our regular subscribers. These boxes will be sold on a first come, first served basis. There may be several weeks you don’t get a message from us, but when we have extra boxes or extra produce above what our boxes can fill, you will get a message from us that a box is available. You have the option to claim a box (if you answer promptly) or refuse a box (by not responding). If someone drops mid-season from our Subscription box, we will contact you by order of how you signed up, to see if you would like to finish the season for them.

REQUEST TO JOIN OUR 2024 GARDEN BOX SUBSCRIPTION

We will have a soft start and a soft closing, just like last year. We aim to start offering boxes in early May, but we cannot always predict the weather. So we will keep you updated on the official start week.

SPRING / SUMMER BOXES

Our spring boxes will be from our soft start in early May through the middle of June. Produce you can expect in the spring is: Asparagus, Rhubarb, Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Mustard Greens, Beet Greens, Green Onions, Spring Onions, Radishes, Chives, Oregano, Dill, Garlic Scapes, Kohlrabi, Bok Choy, Snow Peas, Broccolini, and possibly some other items depending on how quickly the season progresses.

End of June or early July should begin our summer offerings. We will offer weekly produce end of September. We do have a soft ending for those that enjoy the fall offerings of winter squash, more fall greens and helping clean out the gardens with what is left.

WHAT IS IN THE BOXES?

What’s actually in each box? Why isn’t there a weekly list posted on the website?

Because of weather and unforeseen problems in our scheduling, we don’t guarantee what will be in your box each week. Instead, each week you will get a message explaining what is in your box. If you need to cancel your box, please let us know within 24 hours of receiving the weekly message.

THE OTHER DETAILS

Fill-it up! (not a subscription), but when we have extra produce, we will offer to our subscribers the option to add to their box. After they have chosen, we will offer the extra to the public via our Facebook page.

Canning Boxes – our canning boxes are not by subscription, but for those that use our produce box subscription, you can substitute a canning box of tomatoes, or other bulk items, if available, for your regular weekly box. You can also purchase a canning box in addition to your box. Ask for more details!

PICK-UP: You can pick-up your box at the farm with no fee. Hours are 2-8pm on Tuesdays, possibly one other day… to be announced soon.

PICK-UP at Drop Site or DELIVERY (Thursdays)- Drop Sites need a minimum of 5 customers per site. Drop site fees are $2 per box. Home Delivery costs are $5 each delivery. We deliver to: Manly, Kensett, Plymouth, Rock Falls, Nora Springs, Mason City, Clear Lake, and Hanlontown (if we do Clear Lake).

BOXES: Each customer will have two boxes. Please return the empty box when you pick up your new box. Replacement boxes will be $4.

PICKING/FRESHNESS: We aim to offer the freshest produce we can. Some items need to be picked during cool times of the day and may need to be picked a day or two before the box goes out, especially during hot spells. Rest assured, your produce will be chilled as soon as it is picked and placed into our cold room for optimal freshness.

WASHING: We will rinse/wash the produce (aside from fuzzy produce…like green beans). However, you will still need to wash it before eating, as we can’t always wash adequately without damaging your produce.

COSTS – Remember – these are your groceries! Not an extra expense! :) We try very hard to stay around an average cost for organic at the grocery store.

	Per Box	Full Season (estimate)	Spring Season (Estimate)	Summer Season (estimate)
Bi-weekly	$25	$250 (10)	$75 (3)	$175 (7)
Weekly	$25	$500 (21) free box	$150 (6) / $200 (8)	$350 (14)
Weekly, Large	$45	$900 (21) free box	$270 (6) / $360 (8)	$630 (14)

Our boxes are the same size whether weekly or Bi-weekly. If you have been with us, the box size has not changed. We are introducing a large box. A large box is “2” boxes. If you subscribe to the large box, you will get 2 boxes worth of produce for a discounted $45 instead of $50. The large box is only available to weekly subscribers.

DISCOUNTS

$1 off per year you have been with us. (A maximum of $3). If you have been with us 3 years, you will get $3 off the box price. ($22 instead of $25).

Pre-Pay discount, see below under payment.

BONUS – Buy 18 boxes and you will get a free Fall Harvest Box.

BONUS – 20% off Ala Carte pricing to add to your box.

Large Box Discount – Size of box is equal to two regular boxes ($50). Large box will sell for $45.

PAYMENT – We accept payment at pickup each week, preferably in cash. We also accept checks, PayPal and VENMO.

This year we will try pre-payment. If you want to pay the entire season at once (Entire, Spring, or Summer), you will get a $1 per box discount.

VACATIONS – We all need a vacation, once in a while and sometimes we just need a break! Our boxes will offer the same vacation/break option we have offered before. You can skip up to two weeks in a row. If you skip 3 weeks (in a row), you may get bumped off our list and your spot will be offered to someone on our waiting list. This skip allows for sick days, your regular vacations, and the times when you have too much produce and you need to skip a week to eat up what you have. We prefer a heads up with vacations and breaks… preferably the week before, but life events are understandable (a sudden funeral, sickness, etc.) and we just ask you let us know as soon as possible.

REQUEST TO JOIN OUR 2024 GARDEN BOX SUBSCRIPTIONS

If the form does not work for you, please, email us at 14acrefarm@gmail.com or text us at (641) 420-7533. We will return a message to confirm and to answer any questions you have.