CAP Membership FAQ's

Find answers to your CAP (Community Agricultural Partnership) Membership questions here. If you can't find your answer, please e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

How can I become a Member? Registration for the 2010 CAP Season began on February 3rd and, due to overwhelming demand, we are now accepting names for our waiting list. Go the CAP Waiting List Form.

How do I buy a Share? Our CAP program does not offer 'shares'. All products are purchased 'a la carte' and sold only to those with CAP Memberships.

Who can join? Anyone can join, but the number of Memberships is strictly limited to ensure that we have plenty of produce for our customers. We will be accepting registrations for 2010 CAP memberships beginning February 3rd at 8am.

Why do I pay a Membership fee? There are many benefits associated with CAP Membership. Click here to see all of the details of the CAP Membership structure.

Can a non-member buy from Rainbeau Ridge? No. In order to ensure availability for CAP members, we do not permit non-members to purchase from the farm. The only exception is that visitors on Open Farm days (who pay $10 to visit the farm) may purchase any remaining produce that had been harvested (but not bought) for CAP members.

How will I know that my CAP Membership is confirmed? We will send you an e-mail confirmation of your membership after we receive your registration, payment and acknowledgment of the terms of membership (which is included in the registration form).

Is my produce guaranteed? We anticipate plenty of product but it will be sold on a first come, first served basis—so come early! Nature has her own ideas about what we will have to harvest, but we farm on a best-efforts basis to be able to offer what our customers are seeking.

How will I know if I should come in a particular week? Come weekly! There is always something great available. However, weekly emails will be sent by Tuesday night to help you decide what you might want to buy. Our website may also provide up-to-date information on what's ready for harvest.

When can I come to shop? CAP pick-up will be available on Fridays, from 8am to 7pm.

Why do you require putting money on account? Your membership and money on account are parts of the mutual commitment that makes CAP work. You commit upfront to purchase some of what Rainbeau Ridge commits to produce on your behalf throughout the season. Money on account avoids weekly hassles of handling payments each time you come to the farm and must be spent by the end of the 2010 CAP season.

Why do you require a $300 minimum on account? The full season is 35 weeks, from April 1st through Thanksgiving. With all of the Rainbeau Ridge products (cheese, eggs, produce and more) along with products from other vendors, we anticipate that you will want at least that much at your disposal. Additionally, we are trying to streamline the process for you and for us by not having to exchange payment weekly. Money on account must be spent by the end of the 2010 CAP season.

Will my money carry over to next year if I don’t use it all? No. You must spend it all by December 31 of each year. You can use your money on account to purchase produce, value added products, baked goods, products from vetted vendors and gift items available at CAP pick-up.

What are "vetted vendors"? To the extent possible, Rainbeau Ridge will be your source for local, fresh, naturally grown and fabricated products. We will visit each producer to verify their claims and product quality. A description of the producer, their practices and products will be posted on our website and at Rainbeau Ridge. We are very excited to offer this valuable service to you and will provide information on these vendors as soon as we have them signed up with us.

What other products will you sell at RR? We anticipate offering poultry, beef, milk, other cheeses, fruits, additional vegetables, roasted coffees and flowers. You will be kept up-to-date as we add new friends to our circle of vendors.

How do I buy from other vendors? All products are purchased on the farm with money from your account.

How will I know what the other vendors have available? The weekly emails will have the anticipated harvest from Rainbeau Ridge as well as a list of products available from our partners. In some cases you will have to notify us of a pre-order for items to be available that week. All these details will be clearly spelled out in the weekly emails.

What is the timing of the season? The full season is from April 1st through Thanksgiving. prior to the official season, you can expect to see a progression of greens—lettuce, spinach, mache, arugula and others—with peas coming as soon as early April with good weather and lasting into June. During this period we expect to offer eggs and Rainbeau Ridge goat cheese production. The core of the growing season, June through October, will have an increasingly varied yield featuring tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, squash . . . and more. The post-season after Thanksgiving still has plenty to offer, depending on what the weather does. We will have winter squashes and dried beans as well as the cool weather greens we see in spring.

What if I don't want join CAP, how can I get involved? Participation at Rainbeau Ridge can happen in a variety of ways—hands-on involvement, visits, consulting for home applications, workshops, cooking classes or eating the fruits of our labor.

How does Rainbeau Ridge's CAP differ from other CSAs? There are many differences, but most notably, this is not a fixed 'share' system and members buy what they want a la carte each week.

What is your Returned Check policy? There is a $25 fee for all returned checks.

I’m a chef. What about wholesale? Talk to us and send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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