Frequently Asked Questions
For answers to your questions just CLICK on any of the questions below to view the answers. If you can't find your answer here please Contact Us.
- Pick up shares on the day and time specified unless alternative arrangements are made.
- Pay for share plan in the beginning of the growing season. (sign up form attached and available on website)
- Recycle the storage containers in which the shares are distributed by returning box for re-use.
The volume you receive on a weekly basis will vary slightly over the course of the season. You will receive 1/2 bushel of freshly harvested, organic produce each week. The volume distributed in the peak of the season will be larger than in the beginning when things are just starting to be harvested. For example a typical summer share will consists of eggplant, corn, cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, yellow peppers, kale, garlic, onion, melon, beans, and okra.
No. Tomatoes and Corn arrive in early to mid July. The variety of produce you will receive changes with the seasons. The vegetables you receive are those that are grown in the Tennessee climate such as spinach and strawberries in the spring, corn and tomatoes in the summer, butternut squash and sweet potatoes in the fall. Many of our customers have found the CSA is a way to experience a long lost custom of "eating with the seasons". They also enjoy the culinary experience of trying vegetables they may have never eaten before and trying new recipes with those summer favorites like newly dug Irish potatoes or okra.
Yes. All of our vegetables are USDA certified organic. We do not use any chemical fertilizers, harmful chemical pesticides or insecticides. We do grow in a sustainable manner by rotating our crops, using cover crops which we till back into the soil and by using drip irrigation. We make our own compost by recycling organic matter and collecting waste from local stables and farms.
Typically, all of the fruits and vegetables in the boxes are handpicked the day before or the same day they are delivered to the pickup site. We have found that some produce such as lettuce and greens are better if they are picked the day before, washed and cooled by packing in ice. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and other fruits are extremely perishable and are picked the morning of the deliveries. Root crops, winter squashes, sweet potatoes and other "storage" vegetables are typically harvested when the fields are ready and then distributed over a longer period of time.
Yes. Some of our members who have smaller families or are buying just for one find that indeed it is hard to eat all the produce they receive every week. There are two options: split a full share with a friend or family member or sign up for our half share program. The half share box is the same as the full share box but you receive it every other week instead of every week.
No. To avoid confusion at the pickup site we request that the entire share be taken by the first person picking up the box. You are responsible for meeting or dividing the shares with whomever you are sharing. However, it may be possible for you to leave one half of the share in grocery bags or other boxes for the other person to pick up. You will be required to clearly label the bag/box and you are responsible for communicating and coordinating the pickup with the person with whom you are sharing.
If you cannot make the pickup time between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. you must make prior arrangements 24 hours in advance. The best way to contact us is via email at cindy@delvinfarms.com. Do not email on the day of delivery; we are in the field and do not check email on CSA days. Any shares not picked up by 6 p.m. are given away or returned to the farm soil in the form of compost. The best solution is to have someone (friend, neighbor, relative) pick up the share for you. Please explain the procedure to the person picking up your share.
When you pick up your share you will take one box from the stack. There is a clipboard with a printed list of members at that location. Please find your name and sign. If you are picking up for someone find his or her name and sign. There may also be additional items that are not in the box, which you should may take, such as fresh green basil or watermelons that cannot fit in the boxes.
Yes. Twice a year in the spring and the fall we have a CSA picnic and open house on the farm. The spring picnic usually consists of a potluck dinner for which our members bring some of their favorite dishes. There will be hayrides, farm tours as well. The fall picnic is a weenie roast complete with hayrides, pick your own pumpkin for the kids, face painting, live music and bonfires.
Yes, (corn, sweet potatoes and tomatoes seem to be the most popular veggies to buy "extra"). If you are picking up at the Franklin Farmer's market site you will find us selling all of the items in your box every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. We are also located at the East Nashville Farmers Market on Wednesday, the Vanderbilt Farmers Market on Thursday, and the Nashville Farmers Market on Saturday. For those of you picking up at other sites you can request our pricing and availability by sending us an email or in person at the pickup site. We do offer special pricing on canning vegetables such as 2nd grade tomatoes and squashes. All are certified organic.
For distribution we offer eleven pickup sites in the Nashville and surrounding areas. All pickup times are 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Wednesday sites are:
1. The Farm, Delvin Farm Lane off of McDaniel
2. East Nashville Farmers Market, 210 S. 10th Street,
3. Glendale School in the Oakdale Community, 3:30 to 5:30
4. Linden Corner School in West Nashville at Sharondale and Hillsboro Road
5. Mt. Juliet/ Hermitage, 3672 Central Pike, Hermitage
6. Murfreesboro, 315 John Rice Blvd
7. Alive Hospice, Charlotte Avenue, Nashville.
Thursday Pickup sites are:
8. Vanderbilt University, 3 to 5 p.m. Medical Center Plaza (across from Langford Auditorium)
9. St. Henry's Chuch, 3 - 5 p.m.
10. Brentwood High School, 3 - 5 p.m. (note fundraising location, CSA is $25.00 additional)
Saturday Pickup location is:
11. Franklin Farmer's Market at the Factory 8 a.m. to 12 Noon.
News from the Farm
Signups for the 2010 season have begun. We have full and half shares available. Click here for our signup forms.
New for 2010! Two new dropoff locations:
- West Nashville Farmers market at the new market on Saturdays, Richland Park .
- Nashville Farmers Market, downtown on Saturdays (half share only)

Looking for a speaking engagement and more information about our CSA and organic farm? We would be happy to come to your organizational meetings and share our presentation on the program and our organic farm. Typical organizations we share our story at include church groups, garden clubs, PTAs, community center meetings. If you would like to contact us for a speaking engagement email us at: cindy@delvinfarms.com. Our dates for presentations are filling up, so contact us early. Presentations are given from now til mid April.
Questions? Comments?
Feel free to email us at hank@delvinfarms.com
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