Dahlias Organic .... 2008 CSA Contract

I am contracting to purchase a share in the 2008 harvest from the flower plot of dahlia grower Alexander Gabis. I understand that Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership between the grower and the consumer. Agriculture is an inherently risky enterprise; crop yield can be adversely affected by weather, pests, diseases and in particular for dahlias, seasons shortened due to frost. Dahlias are extremely frost tender. Even a brief dip in temperature below 35 degrees or so can terminate their season. Dahlias also require substantial staking and tying to protect them from wind damage. This grower will do everything he can to produce as many flowers as possible from his plot (we've planted over 200 tubers this year). He will use only organic, biological, biorational, and OMRI-approved products and controls to fertilize the plants and neutralize pests and disease. Note that some of the tubers (the ones that this grower saved from last season) will be organic, but that the majority will not have come from organic stock, as there are not yet commercially available organic dahlia tubers. He will also use wildflowers, grasses and ferns to fill in the arrangements. These will be collected either from his own garden, or from areas that are certain to be free from chemical spraying. When frost is predicted, he will take reasonable measures to protect the plants (such as with misting or covering them), but there will come a point when such measures will no longer be practical, and at that point the season will end.

Full vs. Half-share holders
Shareholders who buy a full share, either of Large or Medium arrangements, will receive nine baskets -- one per week through the season.
If you purchase a half-share, you'll receive five baskets -- one every other week.
Large vs. Medium Arrangements
You may purchase a full or half share for a Large Arrangement (25 to 30 dahlias per basket), or a full or half share for a Medium Arrangement (15 to 20 dahlias). These will all be the standard, three-sided arrangements, where the flowers face to the front and sides of the basket.
Centerpiece Arrangements
A centerpiece arrangements has flowers facing in all directions. Please add $5.00 per basket to the cost of your share if you would like the baskets to be centerpiece style.
Priority for flower harvest:
All share holders will have first priority for their weekly baskets over any individual orders that come in. 
Extra baskets for long season
If the season extends to ten weeks, the full-shareholders will get an extra basket free of charge.
If it goes to eleven weeks, the half-shareholders will receive an extra basket.
Discount on delivery
.... Full-shareholders will receive free delivery in town (including Fairfield and Vedic City, to approximately 7 miles).
     Half-shareholders will receive $2.50 off delivery. Shareholders requiring delivery outside of town will be
     charged according to the price table for the cities listed below. The prices are discounted versus the charge that
      individual orders pay.
.... If you don't live in one of the listed cities, your delivery cost will be 80 cents per mile minus the discount. To
     calculate the cost, multiply the mileage from Fairfield by .80, then subtract 5.00 (or 2.50 for half shares) . For
     example, if you live 10 miles from Fairfield, and you're purchasing a full share, you should add $27.00 to the
     cost of your share (10 times .80 equals $8.00 minus $5.00 equals $3.00 times 9 deliveries equals $27.00 ).
     (The half-share delivery cost for 10 miles will be $27.50, which is $5.50 times 5 deliveries)
.... People who pick up their baskets at the house will not be charged a delivery fee, but we ask that you be
     consistent for the entire season -- either always picking up, or always taking delivery. Pick-up hours are
     normally 2:00 to 4:00pm, but we are flexible to some extent. Note that it may occasionally be necessary to
     leave your arrangement on our porch if there's no one available to hand it to you when you come
Designate a day
Each shareholder must select a day of the week to receive his weekly (or bi-weekly) basket. We deliver on Monday through Saturday. If there are too many people selecting the same day, we might have to ask you to choose another day. We make our deliveries in the afternoon between 12:30 and 4:30PM.
Designate a spot
You should designate a place for us to leave the basket if there is no one at your house to receive it (e.g., a porch, a garage, a neighbor's house, etc.) 
Inclement weather
We harvest flowers daily between 6:30 and 8:30 AM. If it is raining, we must wait until the blooms have dried out a bit before cutting them. We'll try our best to get your flowers to you on the day you designate, but if the weather doesn't allow it, you might have to wait a day to receive them.
Recycling
The grower would appreciate that shareholders return their baskets (along with plastic liners and foam) for reuse after the flowers are done. If we are doing delivery for you, we can remove the old basket when we bring the new one.

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CSA Share Purchase Form
Please print this form and fill out the blank entries. 
Send form and payment to Dahlias Organic, 52 S. Fifth Street, Fairfield, IA 52556
Make checks payable to "Dahlias Organic".
The CSA season will start the week of July 28th.

Arrangement size (check one)    _____ Large     ____ Medium  

Style of arrangement            ____ Standard        _____ Centerpiece

Share size (check one)          ____ Full               ____ Half

Your Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Your Phone: ___________________      Email address: ___________________________________

Delivery Address: _________________________________________________________________

If you are outside of Fairfield, what is the mileage to your house: __________

Delivery Phone: _________________________________

If this is a gift delivery, what message (if any) would you like on the card: __________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2008 CSA Share Prices

Full-share, Nine Large Baskets:         $360.00  + tax and delivery (see below)
Full-share, Nine Medium Baskets:     $270.00  + tax and delivery (see below)
Half-share, Five Large Baskets:         $200.00  + tax and delivery (see below)
Half-share, Five Medium Baskets:     $150.00  + tax and delivery (see below)
Centerpiece arrangement Full-share:    Add $45.00 plus tax
Centerpiece arrangement Half-share:   Add $25.00 plus tax

Payment Due Date ... July 28th

You may pay the entire amount at once or split your share into two payments.
If you split payments, we request the first half by July 28th, and the remainder by September 1st

Delivery Fee Table

Signature: ____________________________________________ Date: __________________

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