Monthly Membership Plans

  Farm Family ~$200/month for 12 months

Eat the way our farm family eats with enough meat to keep your household happy  all year long. Order $200 of your favorite pork, chicken, beef, and more every month. 

Homesteader ~$100/month for 12 months

This share is perfect for smaller households that enjoy high-quality meat as a side to vegetables and grains. Order $100 of your favorite pork, chicken, beef, and more every month. 

City Slicker ~$50/month for 12 months

If you’re on the go a lot, or just have a tiny fridge, this is the share for you. Order $50 of your favorite pork, chicken, beef, and more every month. 

 Meat Curious ~$25/month for 12 months

This share is for those who want a sampling of better meat. Order $25 of your favorite pork, chicken, beef, and more every month. 

What is a CSA (or monthly membership)?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s a concept that originated in the 70’s as a way for a community to support a farmer at the beginning of the season (when the expenses and risk are high, but sales are low). In return for their support, or subscription in the farm, each member of a CSA receives a share of the harvest throughout the season. Since some folks are already familiar with the concept of CSA, we use the terms CSA and monthly membership interchangeably.

What do I receive as a monthly/CSA member?

Check out this page to read the share descriptions and choose the right option for your household. When you sign up for a membership, YOU get to choose what you want in your order every month. Each month of your 12-month membership we will send you an current availability list and order form in our newsletter. You can then select the meat you want to receive in the next distribution based on our availability.

Please let us know what kind of meat you would like to see on the order form. We will have some ability to adjust to the species and cuts that are most desirable for our members.

I’m interested in being a site host for drop-offs each month. What’s required, and what are the benefits?

We are so appreciative of our drop-off hosts. Not only is this an efficient way to distribute our meat and receive a $10/month credit. But it’s also such a great way of building community. Check out this audio where I explain the requirements and benefits of being a drop-off host.

Ok, I’ve signed up for a Monthly Membership. How do I place my monthly order?

Check out this little video where I explain the process of placing a monthly order. We will distribute the fourth week of each month. Please WAIT until we send you the updated form each month before you place your order. Otherwise, you might be placing an order based on the previous month’s availability and not our most current availability.

How much does a membership cost?

Check out this page to read the share descriptions and choose the right option for your household.Why are your prices higher than what I am used to seeing at a chain grocery store?

We’re not in the business of banging people over the head with data, stats, or stories about industrial meat. Rather, we’re here to offer the highest quality, humane and ecological meat we can for those who have already been converted. Simply, our prices are higher for the following primary reasons:

• Moving animals regularly on pasture while ensuring that they are safe, fed, and watered is challenging and labor-intensive
• Our local, GMO-Free feed is more expensive than conventional feeds
• We price our products to be profitable for (us) the farmer and livable for the farm workers

Here are three resources we have found recently  that tell the story of the “hidden cost” of conventional meat and/or the real cost of good meat.

1.) Breaking Down the Costs of Pastured Poultry, Center for Environmental Farming Systems

2.)

3.)

Do I have to pay for my monthly membership (CSA) share all at once?

We have gone to great lengths to make our CSA as affordable and convenient for our members. Though we offer a 5% discount for lump payment at the beginning of the season (because this is our preference), members have the option of setting up recurring payments (on a credit card form) or sending us post-dated checks (on our check form). Important note: though we break the payment into monthly installments, this does NOT mean that our CSA is a month-to-month commitment. See question about cancelling your order.

How much am I paying for processing fees if I sign up using a credit card form?

The third party we use to manage our subscriptions charge a rate of 2.9% + $.30 per transaction, which means this is the rate you are charged each time a recurring payment is made. We have adjusted the prices on all of our credit card forms to reflect these fees. If the convenience is not worth the cost for you, fill out the membership form for check payment and pay with a one-time check or post-dated checks.

Your credit card will automatically be charged for the first installment as soon as you place your order.  After that, charges will proceed the 1st day of the following 12 months (you will receive an email notification each time). Meat distribution will not begin until June. Therefore, as an example: if you complete your order in April, the first two installments of your subscription will be charged before distribution begins. Not to worry, your subscription will end after 12 months no matter what time of year you subscribe.

If you wish to pay with credit card in different installments, or don’t want to be charged before we begin distribution, then send us an email or indicate so on your order form and we will send you a digital invoice.

How do I set up a payment plan for a monthly membership (CSA) by writing post-dated checks?

We prefer members to make recurring payments in monthly installments, even if they are paying via post-dated checks. Simply send us a stack of checks for the monthly amount of your share, post-dating them however you would like them deposited. We will deposit each check at the beginning of the corresponding month (for example, 6/1, 7/1, 8/1, etc.)

Can I cancel my monthly membership (CSA) subscription at any time?

Short answer, No. In keeping with the spirit of CSA, we ask all members to sign a covenant that says they are committed to our farm through the year. We understand that sometimes major life events happen that make it too difficult, or impossible, for members to follow through on their covenant. We are willing to make accommodations in those extreme circumstances.

Where and when do I pick up my monthly membership (CSA) share?

We are in the process of coordinating with hosts to confirm pick-up locations. We will make our best effort to offer enough sites that most people won’t have to travel farther than five miles from their home for a pick-up. Most pick-up times are between 5-8pm.

Would you like to be host? Please email us. Generally, it is ideal to have a minimum of 5 members per pick-up (so rally a few friends in your neighborhood). In addition to supporting a local farm and having food delivered directly to your porch, hosts receive a $10/month credit.

• Durham:  TBD
• Chapel Hill : TBD
• Hillsborough: TBD
• Raleigh: TDB
• Cedar Grove: Edens Meats 9811 NC 86 N, Durham, NC 27231

Drop-off sites for Ten Mothers CSA members only:

• Cedar Grove: Tues, 1:00-7:00pm, at Ten Mothers Farm 
• Chapel Hill: Tues, 2:00-7:00pm, at Lake Hogan Farms
• Carrboro: Tues, 2:30-7:00pm, off of Hillsborough Road (near James St)
• Chapel Hill: Tues, 3:00-7:00pm, off of Old Forest Creek Drive
• Chapel Hill: Tues, 3:00-7:00pm, on Indian Trail Rd (near Lake Ellen)
• Durham: Thurs, 2:00-7:00pm, on W. Club Blvd (Watts-Hillandale)
• Durham: Thurs, 2:30-7:00pm, on Arnette Ave (half-mile from the Durham Co-op)
• Durham: Thurs, 2:30-7:00pm, on Minerva Ave (Trinity Park)
• Durham: Thurs, 3:00-7:00pm, on Edward St (Old North Durham, about a mile from downtown)
• Durham: Thurs, 3:30-7:00pm, in Hope Valley Farms (near S. Roxboro and MLK)
• If you pick up in Hillsborough (downtown) or at the Self Help Credit Union in Durham, ask us about a drop-off site near you.

What if I am unable to pick up my monthly membership (CSA) share one week? Or what if I forget to pick it up?

If given at least 24 hour notice, members can change their pick-up day or location up to three times a season. We will send a text message reminder to each member every pick-up day. If we don’t receive advanced notice, your site host has been given permission to either donate your share or use it themselves. 

Often times, CSA members will coordinate with another household to pick up their share for them or enjoy it for themselves while they are out of town. Eggs are the only products that are delivered weekly. It should be possible to arrange an alternate time to pick up a share that includes pork or chicken.

Is it possible to deliver additional items with my monthly membership (CSA) share?

Not at this time. Sorry.

Do you offer any vegetables?

We do not offer any veggies, but we partner with excellent farms who do. Currently, we are partnering with Ten Mothers Farm. Their CSA membership is closed for 2020.

Why is all of the meat frozen?

Frozen meat is safer and less perishable, making it an optimal solution for both us, as the producer, and our members, as the consumers. The ice crystals that form around frozen meat actually splinter and kill harmful bacteria during the thawing process, significantly reducing the risk of food borne illness.

Frozen meat also allows us to slaughter/butcher animals less frequently, creating more time for good animal husbandry (and day jobs). Larger, less frequent slaughter days also allow us to invite members who want a closer relationship with the sacrificial process of procuring their meat.

Your frozen meat will easily last a month. And if you thaw a cut for less than 48 hours and decide to freeze it for later, that is safe to do as well.

I want a closer relationship with where my food is coming from. How can I be a part of husbandry, slaughtering, or butchering?

Our business, and particularly our Monthly Membership/CSA, is dedicated to facilitating meaningful opportunities for people to connect with their meat.

In 2020, we’re hoping that the pandemic doesn’t prevent us from the following activities:

• (Free) Horse-drawn wagon tour of the farm
• (Free) Walking tours of our partner farms
• (Free) How to part-up a whole chicken workshop
• (Member discount) Fire feast: Private dinner featuring meat and veggie dishes prepared over fire
• (Member discount) Whole hog butchery workshop: A weekend dedicated to the culinary craft of cutting meat
• (Member discount) Camping and Glamping (in canvas tents) on the farm with a farm-to-table breakfast and hikes to nearby sustainable farms

Subscribe to our newsletter or join our Facebook page to receive updates about upcoming events.

What’s the difference between a one-time order, a monthly membership, and a bulk order?

Our long-term goal is to distribute all of our meat through bulk orders and a monthly membership (CSA) because we believe that this is the best way to maintain a close relationship with the community and educate them about the values of good husbandry and whole animal utilization. We have listed the pros and cons of each option below. Feel free to contact us to talk through the options as well.