Welcome to Vollmecke Orchards! A Chester County CSA!

CSA Membership Details

Vollmecke Orchard CSA runs for 23 weeks.

The first and last pick-up dates for 2010 season are:

Tuesday Groups:
First: June 1st Last: November 2nd

Friday Groups:
First: June 4th Last: November 5th

CSA Pick-Up locations and days:

Vollmecke Orchards (farm) - Tuesday & Friday
Paoli Presbyterian Church (delivery) - Tuesday
Narberth - Avon Rd. (co-op) - Tuesday
Narberth - Merion Ave. (co-op) - Friday
Narberth - Anthwyn Rd. (co-op) - Friday
West Chester NW (co-op) - Tuesday

* See “Co-op Groups” section below for details

Pick-up times for all locations*: no earlier than 3:30 PM and no later than 7 PM

*Unless your co-op group has agreed to a later pick-up time

General Information

The first and last pick-up dates are posted above. Remember that we are “partnering” with Mother Nature, so weather conditions will determine actual start and finish dates. Members will be notified in May.
Specific CSA costs and guidelines are on the Share Pledge Form.
Pick-up time at all locations is between 3:30 PM and 7:00 PM. If you are unable to make it on your pre-selected day, please ask a friend or relative to pick up for you.
If you pick up at the farm, give us prior notice and you may (on occasion) shift your pick-up day in a special situation.
If your share is not picked up during the time allotted, it will be donated to a shelter or other worthy cause.
If you would like to split a share with a friend or relative, clear instructions can be found on the Share Pledge Form.
Our shares are sized for 2 adults who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables or for 2 adults and 2 young children (family of 4).
If you are picking up a pre-boxed share, please remember to return your empty share box the following week. Our sturdy plastic share boxes are used throughout the season, so we count on members to return their empty boxes each week. Better yet, bring your own bags into which to transfer your produce on the spot and leave the share box.
If you are picking up at one of our outlying locations, shares will be delivered by 3:30 PM.

Co-Op Groups

Thinking of hosting or joining a co-op group? Co-op locations have become a successful Vollmecke CSA offering thanks to one of our loyal and cherished members. Read on . . .

In our first season, a lovely and creative charter member (who lives quite a few miles away from the farm) told her neighbors about our CSA “over in West Brandywine Township.” Her enthusiasm was so contagious that 10 families became members of the first co-op host location.
The 10 members of our first CSA co-op group agreed to send one member each week to pick up the shares for the whole group. They found the drive out into the country pleasant and their young children enjoyed visiting the farm with all its activity, its chickens, dogs, beautiful pond and wide open spaces. They also enjoyed a picnic lunch at the table under the evergreens before heading back home.
Through co-oping, our members can enjoy a visit to the farm and support the farm at the same time. They see first-hand that farmers need to concentrate on growing and harvesting and not on trucking and delivering.
Currently, we have four (4) co-op locations, three in Narberth and one in West Chester.
If you join a co-op group or decide to form a new one in your area, remember that each member will need to drive to the farm and pick up share boxes for the other group members at least once or twice during the CSA season. Make sure your vehicle has enough room for the number of share boxes for your entire group.
Remember, too, that as a co-op driver, the other members in the group will count on you to complete your farm pick-up and deliver the week’s shares at your location on time. Sharing in the pick-ups is a wonderful way of fostering community.

Working and Volunteering on the Farm

Considering a Working Share? A limited number of working shares will be available this season by separate application.
A full working share is an exchange of produce for 5 hours of farm work each week during the season. More details are available here. To arrange for a full working share, contact Karen Vollmecke at vollmeckecsa@hotmail.com.
We may schedule work sessions for member volunteers on week end days. If you wish to participate, let us know. We have an assortment of tasks that can be learned fairly easily and performed safely. It can be a joy to work side-by-side with other members and a feeling of accomplishment to work as a team.
Volunteers are always welcome because there is always work to do! If you have a block of time and special farming, gardening, mechanical or other expertise that you’d like to contribute to the farm community, contact Karen at vollmeckecsa@hotmail.com.

Member Benefits

Member benefits include fun farm gatherings and pick-your-own garden peas, cut-your-own flowers, pick-your-own pumpkins, and incredibly good produce each week in your share. Strawberries, blackberries and red raspberries are also available at a discounted price for members who wish to pick their own. Creative, healthy and easy recipes using produce in that week’s share are often made available. We like to keep in touch with members via e-mail broadcast about activities on the farm and important announcements to keep members informed.

Retail Sales

We also welcome retail customers. Fresh produce in excess of our CSA needs is offered for sale as well as local farm products, such as angus burger (ground beef), yogurt, eggs, honey, and several varieties of cheese made from the milk of local pastured cows and goats. We also feature our own fruit butters and specialty applesauces and our newest product, Mrs. V’s Pasta Sauce. These are on sale at the farm on pick-up days (Tuesdays and Fridays).

We test and select new retail items often, so we may have new products this season. (See our “Retail Sales” section for other details.)

If you have any questions or comments, you are welcome to send it in an e-mail to us at vollmeckecsa@hotmail.com. We learn from questions and suggestions of new customers and CSA members all the time.

We hope you will consider joining us. You’ll love the farm, and we know you’ll Taste The Difference!