Click on a link below for answers to common questions about Artisan Organics.

 

Q.
What is Community Supported Agriculture?
Q.
What can I expect when I pick up my CSA shares?
Q. Where may I pick up my CSA shares?
Q. What vegetables will I receive in my CSA share?
Q.
Who is your Artisan Organics farmer?
Q.
Where is the Artisan Organics farm? May I visit?
Q. It’s almost summer. Why is my share so small?
Q. It’s summer. My share is huge! What do I do with all this food?
Q.
I am a hospital staff member. Are there any infection control issues I should be aware of?
Q.
What shall I do if I am unable to pick up my CSA share?
Q.
I didn’t pick up my CSA share. May I have a refund?
Q.
Can Artisan Organics recycle my kitchen scraps?

 

 

 

Question: Who is the Artisan Organics Farmer?

Answer: Your farmer is Florence Jessup.

Before farming, I had successful careers in health care administration, disability rights advocacy, and not-for-profit management. During those years, I grew much of my family’s food on our small, suburban lot in Sonoma County CA… and dreamed of growing for a larger community.

After successful treatment for breast cancer…. and after my youngest child graduated and moved out of the house!....., I decided it was time to pursue my dream. So in 2005, I left the security of hmyong term job and took the plunge. I enrolled in the Sustainable Agriculture Certificate Program at Santa Rosa Junior College in Sonoma County, CA.

In addition to my course work, I had the opportunity to work at the college’s 365 acre Shone Farm. My duties included everything from developing a financial record keeping system to completing the organic certification documentation, to sowing, transplanting, weeding, pruning and harvesting. This was an invaluable experience in learning the difference between a family garden and a production oriented farm.

While at Shone Farm, Florence also took advantage of the availability of land and equipment for student led projects. During the summer of 2006 my classmate, Lydia, and I ran a 10 household CSA with delivery sites at the college’s main campus and at the offices of a local internet service provider.

The members of the Shone Grown CSA loved their shares! Carol commented “Every week I open my share box and see the bounty of vegetables and feel like I’ve just been given a present!"

 

In late 2006, my spouse and I were lured to the Willamette Valley by the quality and affordability of farm land, and by our grandchildren in Portland! Since that time, I have spent many, many hours establishing Artisan Organics in order to bring you quality, fresh, wholesome food.

 

 

 

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Question: Where is the Artisan Organics farm? May I visit?

Answer: I am leasing six acres of a 26 acre parcel on the eastern edge of Hillsboro, OR., just a block off of Tualatin Valley Highway. Over the years, the portion I am renting has been leased to various farmers, many of who have gone on to be successful CSA farmers who own their own land.

The soil is primarily Aloha Silt loam. This is a class II soil which means that it is considered prime farm land.

However, this area is within the Hillsboro urban growth boundary and is experiencing heavy development pressure. I am grateful to the owners of the land, Witch Hazel Farms, LLC for choosing to keep this land in agricultural production. Without this type of commitment, the capital costs necessary to purchase land would keep small, beginning entrepreneurs like me from realizing our passion for farming.

You are welcome to visit the farm. You can be sure that you will learn something new each time you visit. And, there is an absolute guarantee that you will be put to work!

For safety reasons, some areas of the farm are off limits to children, particularly areas where tractors or other heavy equipment are in operation. Please remember that farms can be hazardous places; children must be closely supervised at all times.

Please contact me in advance to schedule a date and time. Don’t forget to ask me for directions when you call.

 

 

 

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Question: It’s almost summer. Why is my share so small?

Answer: Your share reflects the crops available during the season. During the spring and early summer, nature is busy producing roots, stems and leaves. Look around you; the grass is growing like mad and trees and shrubs are leafing out. Likewise, the vegetables you will find in your share are the quick- growing root crops and tender young greens.

Don’t worry; as the season progresses, the volume of produce in your share will increase markedly.

 

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Question: It’s summer. My share is huge! What do I do with all this food?

Answer: Enjoy! Now is a great time to re-commit to your New Year’s pledge to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Did you know that the USDA recommends at least five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day? How close are you to reaching that goal?

Your weekly newsletter includes links to great recipes to help you find new and interesting ways to cook your vegetables. And, if all else fails, freeze them! During the winter when there is no CSA delivery, you’ll look forward to those green beans you froze during the peak of the season.

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Question: I am a hospital staff member. Are there any infection control issues I should be aware of?

Answer: As always, you must wash your hands when you return to patient care areas. Bacteria that are normal and healthy in the agriculture environment may become an infectious agent in the hospital setting, particularly in patients with compromised immune systems. Consequently, it is important that you wash your hands after handling your vegetables and before returning to patient care areas.



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Question: What shall I do if I am unable to pick up my CSA share?

Answer: If you are unable to pick up your shares ask a friend or neighbor to pick them up for you. Please contact me to let me know who will be picking up your shares so that I can give them a brief run down of what to expect when they arrive. My contact information can be found on the Contact page.

If you have trouble making arrangements, please contact me. I may be able to suggest a CSA Shareholder that lives near you. You may then contact them directly to make pick up arrangements. This is a great way to meet your fellow Artisan Organics community members so don’t be shy about asking.

Please be aware that our agreement with the delivery site host does not allow us to leave anything at the site after closing. Your shares must be picked up by closing time at 6:00pm. Sorry, but I can make no exceptions to this rule.

 

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Question: I didn’t pick up my share! May I have a refund?

Answer: In short, No. The work to grow your vegetables begins the moment we receive your deposit at the beginning of the season. We spend many hours over a long period of time planning, planting, weeding, watering and harvesting in order to have your vegetables fresh and ready at the pick up site. Consequently, you will not receive a refund if you do not pick up your share.

 

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Question: Can Artisan Organics recycle my kitchen scraps?

Answer: Absolutely. We’d be delighted to! We’ll even provide instructions and a compost-able bag to put them in. Just ask when you pick up your shares.

Each week bring your full scrap bag to the pick up site, drop it in the barrel provided, and pick up a new bag. We’ll add your kitchen waste to our compost pile, bag and all. This allows us to return the nutrients to the earth, completing an essential circle in the farming cycle.

Please remember not to put fats, oils or meats in your scrap bag as they will draw unwanted critters to our compost pile. However, coffee grounds, tea leaves etc. are welcome.

In the future, as Artisan Organics is able to convert its tractors to vegetable oil for fuel, we will set up a system for you to cycle those to us as well.

 

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Recall that whatever lofty things you might accomplish today, you will do them only because you first ate something that grew out of dirt.” Barbara Kingsolver