CSA Packing Information
We take the Covid-19 Pandemic, your health and our environment very seriously. Hence we ensure that your produce is packed in a hygienic environment with workers taking all safety precautions.
We also have to ensure that the packaging is such that your vegetables and fruits remain fresh from cold and heat, maintain optimum moisture and are free from damage during transportation.
So for delivery by our farm vehicles, we use 100% recycled material.
When you live away from the farm delivery region, we will be shipping by UPS. At that time we use reusable refrigerated bags that need to be sent back to us once a month where they will be sanitized. We will charge a security deposit ($100 for 4 bags) at the beginning of the delivery season. At the end of the season, this deposit will be returned back after reduction of 25% replacement fee for wear and tear. If any of the bags was damaged or lost, a full replacement bag fee of $25 will be charged.
Additionally, we use as much Recycled material as possible - Cardboard, Paper bags, Compostable bags/clamshells. A few small plastic packings are in the process to be replaced.
Sanitary Policy: To keep our Farm Team safe and inspired while performing this essential service for you, we have developed a comprehensive Sanitary Policy that requires our workers to wear masks with gloves, sanitizing regularly. To motivate them we provide a risk bonus.
Please read below. Kindly give special attention to "Recycling" & "Notes".
ONLY FOR UPS DELIVERY ** NOT FOR DELIVERY BY OUR FARM VEHICLES
1. Outer Box - The outer cardboard box varies in size as per how much you order each week. But we try to ship each box within 35 lbs as lifting more than 35 lbs is back-breaking as well as chances of damage to the box during transit increases. So more than 35 lbs may be shipped in 2 separate boxes increasing the shipping costs.
Recycling: Save a couple of large boxes each month for shipping packing material back to us (more on this later), rest you may trash in the Recycle trash can.
2. Re-usable Refrigerated Bags: We ship your fragile items in a unique reusable refrigerated bag. Please remove your vegetables from it and keep directly in your refrigerator. Then sanitize it and keep in a safe place.
ReUSE: These are ReUSABLE and hence expensive. Please do not throw away. You will be sending them back to us to be used for you again next month. We provide a complimentary service to receive it back from you. Weekly, you may fold them and keep putting the sanitized refrigerated bags in one of the larger Outer Boxes that you would save (see pt. 1). Once every 4 weeks, we would send you a return label for you to send this box back to us with the 4 reusable bags. Please do not throw these packs in Recycle trash can or in the garbage. We need these refrigerated bags back from you to send the next 4 weeks of fragile vegetables.
3. Insulation/Padding: For non-fragile produce,we use plastic Bubble Wrap or another insulation and padding material to keeps this produce free of damage, and to provide insulation.
Recycling: You may recycle it in Recycle trash can.
4. De-moisture packs:We use these to absorb moisture. This cannot be recycled. You may have to throw this in trash unfortunately.
5. Paper Bags: We use a lot of paper bags to pack produce.
Recycling: You may reuse these Paper Bags if you can. You may compost these boxes - they will disintegrate in a few weeks. Or you may throw it in the Recycle trash can.
6. Small cardboard box: For some fragile vegetables and fruits we use small cardboard boxes with additional packing inside.
Recycling: You may compost these boxes - they will disintegrate in a few weeks. Or you may throw it in the Recycle trash can.
7. Compostable Bags: We use compostable bags to maintain freshness of vegetables.
Recycling: You may compost this bag - it will disintegrate in a few weeks. Or you may throw it in the Recycle trash can.
8. Compostable Clamshells: We use compostable clamshells for packing some fragile produce so that they remain together and not get damaged.
Recycling: You may compost this clamshell - it will disintegrate in a few weeks. Or you may throw it in the Recycle trash can.
9. Dry Ice Gel Packs: Some of the produce need to remain extra cool in the summer months. So we may include some Dry Ice Gel Packs sometimes in the box to maintain the temperature cool.
Safety: This Gel Pack is sanitized before sending to you. Moreover, we take extra precaution to pack this Gel Pack separately from the main vegetables. But still please take care and handle with care.
Recycling: These are difficult to recycle. So we are providing a complimentary service to receive it back from you. You may keep putting these gel packs in the same larger Outer Box that is being used to save the refrigerated bag (see pt. 2). Once every 4 weeks, we would send you a return label for you to send the box back to us. Please do not throw these packs in Recycle trash can or in the garbage. On their return, we will sanitize them and might reuse them.
Note: Not everyone will receive Gel packs in their boxes.
10. Small Recyclable Containers: For cooked food, sauces, dehydrated vegetables, chips, etc. we use small recyclable containers.
Recycling: You may throw these in the Recycle trash can.