Information about the NuWay Farm CSA

David and Lydianne Yoder and their 7 children operate a family farm in Fredonia, PA. An annual subscription to the Nu-Way Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), aims to provide members with fresh, locally-grown organic vegetables each week during the subscription cycle. The ethos of Nu-Way Farm is founded upon a belief in the superiority and healthfulness of locally-grown, organically-produced food. Nu-Way Farm is not a government-certified organic farm (since the produce is not sold “retail,” seeking such certification hasn’t seemed expedient), but subscribers are invited to visit the farm to verify that the produce is raised organically, in an environmentally-sustainable way, and that the animals are treated humanely.

Subscribers to a CSA are like “investors:” at the beginning of each season, we help our farmer come up with the money to purchase seeds and equipment. At harvest time, we share in the bounty that comes out of his labor. But we also share in the risks of farming. Bad growing years are inevitable and a CSA ensures steady incomes for farmers willing to pursue an old and noble calling, one that is still subject to the whims of nature.

Subscription Details

Subscribers receive a weekly half-bushel of produce from the Yoder farm when such produce is available. It must be understood that members receive whatever crops are growing, although David is willing to try and meet the produce needs and desires of CSA members. Occasionally, vegetable surveys are collected from members to help David develop a seed order that is consistent with the most popular produce requests.

Subscribers are asked to agree (on the “honor system”) to subscribe for a full subscription cycle: April 1st- October 31st. If subscribers cannot fulfill the yearly contract, we ask them to find new members to replace them. This ensures a steady, full-time income for the Yoder family farm, which is the CSA’s reason for existence.

David Yoder aims to deliver produce every week, depending on weather and crop conditions. Often the earliest weeks of the subscription cycle are very light—some weeks there may be nothing at all (most farmers in the area are just coming out of hibernation in April, though by that point David’s greenhouses are typically in full swing). During the summer months, on the other hand, the produce is alarmingly prodigious, and those willing to freeze and do home canning tend to get the most out of their subscription.

Deliveries are to 950 Grove St. in Meadville on Friday nights. There is no specific pick up hour: the garage is left open all weekend and subscribers are expected to retrieve their produce within 72 hours of delivery. Suscribers are responsible for picking up their own vegetables from the pick-up location.

Subscribers are also responsible for selling, trading, or donating their share of vegetables on a given week when they are out of town. Subscribers may halt vegetable delivery for a set period of weeks, which allows David to keep unused crops in the ground. However, no refunds are provided to subscribers who do not use their weekly share.

Harvest "Bonus" for Canning or Freezing

In addition to receiving regular weekly allotments of vegetables, David Yoder may at times offer subscribers harvest bonus portions, usually on a “pick your own” basis. In past years, “bonus” crops have included tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, sweet corn and green beans. Subscribers may have to be willing to pick these "extras" when they are ready, or not at all.

Subscription rates
We have set our rates at an amount we believe is appropriate to our region, our income levels, and our expenses. The current rate for subscribers is $500.00 per April 1-October 31st subscription cycle. This rate can be paid in three payments ($167.00 each), two half-year payments ($250.00), or in one lump sum. Checks should be written to “David Yoder” and sent directly to him at the address listed below.

A discounted subscription rate of $350.00/cycle is available to qualified individuals and/or families. To qualify for the discount, you must fit one of the following descriptions:

Senior citizen (individual and/or couple)
Low-income individual and/or family
Full-time student

Nu-Way defines senior citizens as persons over 65 years of age. Low income families are defined as having a gross income less than $30,000/year.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING, PLEASE DROP A LINE HERE IN THE COMMENT SECTION.