FAQ

You need to be committed to picking up your share each week, as well as using it. You’ll need a degree of adventure in the kitchen and the desire to cook while experimenting with some new vegetables. There may be weeks, during the peak of each season, when we offer a surplus of vegetables. You will have the option to use large quantities of vegetables in your day-to-day meals and snacks. This surplus can be canned, frozen, or dried for use during the winter when fresh vegetables are hard to come by. If you preserve food and use it outside the CSA harvest season, your value is stretched beyond the months you paid for. (Preserving your shares is not necessary to maximize the benefits of the program. It is one option that many members enjoy.) See Gorman giving back

CSA is intended for individuals and families who eat at home, enjoy cooking, trying new things, and have an interest in quality eating. If you eat out more than you eat in, this probably isn’t for you. If you passionately object to eating several varieties of common vegetables, this is not for you.

As a member of the Gorman Farms CSA you will receive an assortment of vegetables throughout the season starting in June and ending in October. By selecting the Early Winter CSA extension, you will continue collecting into early December.

Each week, you will come to the farm on your selected pickup day. Available produce is set up like a farmer’s market inside our beautiful old barn. There are share boards posted on the wall and labels at each display guiding you through your selections. This is called a “market style” pickup. Your CSA share will not be boxed. You get to choose your items from the displays like at a market. Displays are set up for efficient selection and movement through the barn. Pending the weather and the crop selection each week, we may offer some items like large heavy watermelons outside near the parking area for easier collection.

We also have a pick-your-own flower and herb garden available exclusively to our CSA members. You may walk the gardens, pick some herbs and/or a bouquet of flowers, and enjoy the sites and smells each week. There are picnic tables outside on the lawn, and a small playground for young kids.

A common compliment we receive annually is that pickup is the highlight of many people’s day or week. We aim for aesthetics and a bucolic environment. We are only open for CSA members, not the general public. The CSA environment is set up for quick and easy, in and out for those on a tight schedule, with the gardens and lawns available for those who want to relax and interact.

You can interact at your own pace. We have long pickup windows and stay open until 7pm for those with commutes after work.

Pick up days are Wednesday, Thursday or Friday from 2:00pm – 7:00pm at the farm.

Yes, you will have the option to choose during the signup process. We only have so many spots per day and your first choice may be taken. If this happens please choose another day.

Yes, each pickup day will be open from 2:00pm – 7:00pm

Many other CSAs buy in from multiple sources and redistribute, we do not. We grow 30 – 40 different types of crops per year, between ourselves and our partnering farm, One Straw Farm. This yields over 100 varieties of produce. Gorman Farms focuses on these crops specifically selected for our CSA growing season. You are buying the freshest produce. Produce comes right from our fields and the fields of our partnering farms direct to the CSA display. Much of your produce will be harvested within days of your pick up. You will notice this in the flavor, quality, and often extended shelf life.

Our shares are filled with the common and popular staples and sometimes varieties you have not tried before or even heard of. We do our best to provide info and ideas of recipes, storage, and cooking for the “not so common” veggies in our weekly newsletter.

Our CSA pickups are maintained and staffed by a member of our Farm Crew who keeps track of quality control. A staffed CSA distribution is different than many CSAs, as we can maintain quality control on a much higher level than others. We do our best to make sure, whether or not you are the first person or last person picking up for that day, that you have the same options and quality available. This is hard for many CSAs to match.

We offer flexibility in pickups. Schedules change, you may get stuck in traffic or work longer than expected, etc. Life happens, we know that, and we want you to receive your food. You may pick up on any regular CSA pick up day, when needed. You do not need permission to change your day.

We have convenient long pickup windows – three days per week with 5 hour windows from 2:00pm – 7:00pm.

All of our CSA pickups are located on our farm.

For more info see the Gorman Difference

We all consume produce at different rates. For some, a CSA share is more than enough food. Others will choose to supplement their weekly consumption with other produce. It is impossible to tell anyone how much of a share their household needs. We can only recommend from our extensive experience and customer feedback. Our CSA membership is designed for people who value vegetables in their diet and eat at home on a regular basis.

The Full Share consists of approximately 8 – 12 items per week and commonly accommodates:

• A 2+ member family who consumes vegetables on a regular basis or with most meals.
• Vegetarian families.

The Medium Share consists of approximately 6 – 9 items per week and commonly accommodates:

• 1 to 2 people who consume vegetables on a regular basis or with most of their meals.
• Vegetarian individuals or couples.
• A 2+ member family that uses vegetables but only part time in their meal plans.

A Medium Share is about 75% quantity of a Full Share. Full Share will always be larger in quantity and diversity.

If you are a large family of 4+ members who consumes vegetables in most meals, you may purchase more than one share per membership. This is available at sign up.

There may be times when Full Share will have some varieties that Medium Share will not have on a particular week. We aim to have both share sizes experience as much variety as possible. This may present itself where Medium Share receives an item one week and Full Share receives it two weeks in a row.

During the peak of the growing season, there may be more availability presented. Depending on the success of each crop, you may get a surplus of any one item or smaller quantities of others. This is all seasonal dependent.

Full Share costs more, therefore they get more benefits. We end up giving the Full Share more in whatever way is available. In general, Full Share will receive additional items per week, as well as larger quantities of some items. On some occasions, this may equal more variety options. Many variety trials take place on the farm, and sometimes harvest yields from trials will not come in sufficiently for both Full and Medium Share.  Full Share will usually get the benefit whenever harvest numbers come in less than anticipated, and there is not enough for both share types.

A Medium Share is not short-changed by any degree and has always been a well balanced share.  Our program and planting plan is detailed and calibrated to suit all members. The farm does not discriminate on any member type or pickup day. We always distribute what we have available that day and week. We also keep detailed records on every share and distribution day to balance everyone out. It is best to stick to your pick day each week. Plants are finicky and Mother Nature may only give us half of the harvest on one day and the other half 6 days later.

In general and according to our research and customer feedback, both share sizes tend to be larger than some other CSAs. This is why we don’t call our Medium Share a half share or a small share. Nor do we offer that. After over a decade of serving and listening to our customers, we have found that those who engage with vegetables in their regular eating patterns love our CSA and return year after year. Those who desire to change their eating patterns or consume more healthy choices regularly strongly value the added volume we offer weekly. Our customers find that the Gorman CSA shares deliver options in their meal plans and maintain availability of fresh and nutritious vegetables to their kitchens regardless of the share size.

We are a vegetable farm only. We do not grow tree fruit. Your shares will be vegetable heavy. This should be your general interest.

See our CSA Boosters page for details on other foods.

We provide upwards of 100 varieties of vegetables each year, so you can expect to see many of your favorites, along with some new items.  The spring and fall offer a variety of greens and roots, while the summer sees more meaty crops, like tomatoes, peppers, squash, watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, etc.

There are many variables out of our control and crop failures do occur. Therefore, we can’t guarantee you any specific vegetables, yet we can guarantee you a good value in your share each week. We aim high, but every year is different in terms of weather, bugs, and disease. We always have the variables of unpredictable events in our fields. Being a CSA member means accepting these risks along side the farmer.

Click here to see our Crop List

Click here to see the Gorman Difference

An item is an average usable portion of any one crop. We do our best to offer each crop as an item in the same way we are all accustomed to purchasing from our favorite store or farmer’s market. Occasionally the amount of the crop will vary due to Mother Nature and elements out of our control.

I.e. a head of lettuce, a bag of spinach, a bundle of carrots, anywhere from 2 lbs of tomatoes, a bundle of beets, a bundle of kale, 2 lbs zucchinis, 1 lb eggplants, one cabbage, a head of broccoli, one watermelon, a bundle of basil, etc. These quantities are an approximation of offerings and subject to change.

No, only take what works for you. Look at the selections list on the share board and choose within this list. The weekly value received outweighs what you pay for.  We offer this bonus in value to show our appreciation to our members and to invest in our future as a business model that does not penalize the customer when Mother Nature presents the unexpected.
Click to learn about all unclaimed produce.

By check, bank transfer or credit card via our website. Please visit the signup page. At the end of the signup process there will be a secure checkout page.

If you can pay in full at signup we encourage that. And if you don’t mind, we also prefer pay by check versus credit cards. Selecting ‘pay by check’ helps your farmer to avoid more added fees and continue farming into the future!

Payment plans are available. If you do not need a payment plan, please pay in full.  Payment plans are reserved for those who really need the time, and where the CSA would not be an option for them.

Yes, we definitely think so! Cost analysis varies greatly from person to person. We have all developed a very particular way in which we shop, consume, and budget our dollars when it comes to food. At Gorman Farms, we track each distribution every year. The CSA value has been more than the price of the purchased share each season. It is up to you how much you take and how you interact with it. For those who love preserving foods via canning, freezing, and drying, this value is drastically enhanced.

People who fully embrace the CSA do not compare their membership experience to grocery store pricing. Price comparison is important; however, participating in our CSA is not just about doing a cost analysis of each vegetable you receive and then comparing it to grocery store prices.

We are a vegetable heavy CSA with some fruits like strawberries, melons and tomatoes if you consider these a fruit.
See our crop list

A Pork Share can be added to your vegetable share for an additional cost.
See our Booster Page

Bread, cheese, dairy, and tree grown fruit.

Farming is not a constant and variables outside of our control can result in crop loss. We reserve the right to still satisfy our CSA members by supplementing the share with our partnering farm, One Straw Farm from Baltimore County. One Straw Farm is a leader in sustainable growing practices and is synergistically connected with Gorman Farms. One Straw Farm partners with Gorman Farms and produces much of the produce we distribute to our members.

Yes. Although we do not recommend it. While some members do choose this, they tend to be long term members who really have significant experience with OUR CSA program, and are confident in how it works for them.

We do not recommend it because the offerings are so diverse and each season is different. While the commonality of vide variety and diversity is true each season, the specifics may change. Through years of customer feedback,  we have learned from our audience that it is the totality of the season and all the various offerings that make the program what it is. Trying to divide it up each week or create even divisions for two parties can take away from the value and indulgence the program offers. That being said if you are confident and know what you are doing, you may split a share.

Please follow the instructions, while signing up, as it prompts you for shared members. Anyone can come to pick up. You are responsible for divisions within your group. No special arrangements will be made on pickups for divided shares. You may provide contact email information to all parties in your group so that everyone can receive the updates, reminders, and newsletters from us.

*Note: Splitting between more than two groups is highly not recommended. Splitting a Medium share is not recommended. We recommend the Full Share if splitting with another party. Please submit only one payment in full and work out your payment arrangements outside of our sign up process. A good way, to split a share is to alternate your pickups with your partner.