Big Head Farm's most frequently asked questions (FAQ):

General Questions:

Where did the name "Big Head Farm" come from? It began at a weekend visiting friends in Montague, Michigan. We were all gathered around the kitchen preparing breakfast and Jody was in charge of the pancakes. Karen said he was making pancakes "as big as your head" and so began the laughter and joking about "big head pancakes". From there, when trying to think of a name for the farm, Big Head Farm just stuck. Kind of like those pancakes that stuck to our ribs. We figured we'd be growing cabbage and lettuce as big as our heads, so why not?

Didn't you guys once call yourselves "organic"? Are you organic? Yes to both questions. Organic farming guidelines specifically outline how, when and where the word "organic" can be used. A farm may say they are "organic" if they follow standardized organic procedures and sell less than $5000.00 in products annually. If the farm sells more than $5000.00, the farm must acquire the organic certification or stop using the word "organic".

Big Head Farm follows the guidelines of organic growing and has no plans to stop. We removed the word "organic" from our operation because we have, in our first year, exceeded $5000.00 in sales but do not yet have our certification. All the money collected through CSA memberships and farmers market sales went directly into farm infrastructure and operations - seeds, compost, fertilizer, fuel, vegetable flats, greenhouse plastic, wood, etc. and the organic certification process costs are not financially feasible at this point. We have committed to acquiring the organic certification in the near future.

Big Head Farm would, again, like to emphasize that we have no intention of abandoning our organic beliefs. We are not going to start using any of the herbicides, pesticides or genetically modified seeds (GMO's) we so strongly object to. We will continue grow vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers with natural methods - we just need to stop using the word "organic" in advertising and markeyting materials based on the guidelines.

Can I help you guys in some way? Great quetion - yes! Helping out doesn't always mean actually coming to the farm and grabbing a shovel, rake or hoe. Some people would like to donate to our farm. Also, conserve - return your egg cartons, return your CSA boxes, etc. Egg cartons and boxes are costly for us and the more we recycle, the less we spend.

Do you guys ever hire college interns? Yes! We hire two college interns from agriculture programs throughout the US. Here's a link to all the information you will need if you are interested. Thanks for asking!

(2010) Did you guys move? Yes and no...kind of. During the 2010 growing season we realized the 40 acre farm property we owned was going to be hard to certify as organic because of the petroleum pipeline under the ground (operated by Wolverine Pipeline, Inc.). It was going to make it difficult to obtain, and keep, the desired organic certification. To further complicate the matter, the economy prevented us from building a house on the farm property. Being able to farm where we lived was very important to us. So, (long story short) we found a buyer for the 40 acres and started searching for a new, permanent spot for the farm.

(2012) Did you guys move again? During the 2011 growing season Big Head Farm was actively looking to expand - both in size and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables - we needed more land. Karen posted an ad in the classified section of an online organic farmers forum. We were hoping that someone would have ideas, resources or other information about expanding our operation, or perhaps a lead on a larger plot. That ad turned out to be one of the greatest things we've ever done!

A short time after posting the ad we were contacted by a Chicago-based land owner with a problem - he needed a new farmer for his land in Benton Harbor, MI and he wanted it be a certified organic farm. His farm has more than 50 acres, including 17+ acres of naturally grown blueberry bushes and 17+ acres of cleared, tillable land. To say the least, we were very interested.

At the conclusion of the 2011 growing season, we went to see the Benton Harbor farm for the first time - and what we found was a bit overwhelming. In addition to blueberries and tillable land, the farm has an old farm house, a four car garage and a pole barn for farming equipment - everything we need to expand our vegetable operation. So just before Christmas in 2011, we negotiated a deal that would allow us to move to the farm, expand our vegetable operation and take over the 17 acres of naturally grown blueberries! Then in early 2012, we moved our entire farm operation 20 miles south to Benton Harbor - lock, stock and 61 year old tractor.

Where did the name "Zachary" come from and why are you using it? We decided to name the blueberries "Zachary's Natural Blueberries" after the owner of our farm property because of his tireless support of organic farming and sustainable living. Besides, it's a really cool name for them, isn't it? :-)

What variety of blueberries do you grow? We grow "Jersey'" blueberries, Vaccinium caesariense.

Do you offer a "blueberry you pick" operation? Yes. However, due to our limited staff, the blue berry you pick is by appointment only. We'd love for you to come to our farm - just call or email us a few days before to make sure we're going to be there.

Why should I give money to a young farm?/You're going to have failures, right? Valid questions, without a doubt. Yes, risking an investment in a young farm is riskier than with a long term farm. However, you would be investing in the future of a venture that has no more of a business moto than "To Save The World One Community At A Time".

We found that vegetables regularly being sold in Chicago were substandard. They are being shipped from California (the closest) and Chile (the most common) and had been ripened in massive coolers with a myriad of chemicals and still had spots and bruises. So, instead of complaining about it we decided to do our part to solve it - see the local food movement. We want to ensure that, (heaven forbid) if you should get a bad head of cabbage from us, you will know who grew your cabbage. You will know that you have the power effect change in the growing process that feeds you. You will have the power to effect change.

And yes, we will have failures. It's part of being a farmer. Growers operating for 30 years or more have failures. Please see the question "If I buy a "share" or "shares" in the CSA program and some catastrophe happens on the farm , do I get my money back?" for more information. To put very simply, the 2011 growing season was almost a complete disaster. For five months it poured rain almost every other day. Beginning in June and finally ending in October, our farm received more than 400% of normal rain amounts. We lost more than 40% of our crop outputs, but we still managed to fill the CSA boxes.

What's the deal with the 2.25% tax Big Head Farm only charge to Chicagoans? We're not happy about it either. The State of Illinois puts a 2.25% tax on all food items and farmers markets. CSA farm operations are no exception. We pay the 2.25% tax at the Chicago farmers market(s) we go to so that it's easier to sell in single pieces - begrudgingly and with a sneer on our faces - but we pay it. With CSA shares it's easier to collect the tax in the traditional way - during the sale itself.

What started your farm dream any way? Karen grew up in East Detroit, Michigan where her mom and dad tilled up the greater portion of the back yard every summer to produce a variety of vegetables that fed the family of five. After getting married to Jody and settling in she decided that growing food was something she missed. So, she "guerrilla gardened" a small plot of dirt between the concrete of the condo building and the church next door. That first twenty square foot plot yielded so many tomatoes and peppers that we couldn't eat them all and the farm dream began.

I have a dog/cat/cow/sheep/goat/snake/llama/wolf/parrot, etc. that I need to get rid of, will you take it/them? We'd love to take in all the sick, homeless and aging animals that need long term care but we are unable to properly look after them on the farm. The farm takes up so much time and requires so much attention that we cannot take on additional animals but we'd be happy to help you find the right place for them.

Can I drive your tractor/truck/car? Like most businesses, our insurance prohibits anyone not employed by Big Head Farm and not 21 years or older from operating any powered machinery, including all farm vehicles.

Can I get a tour of your farm? Yes! We love for our CSA Members to stop by and see where their food is being grown. Please contact us first to make sure we're there and so we can make sure there are some great things to see. We may, at some point in the future, offer scheduled tours and other recreational opportunities.

Can I pick my own vegetables? In a similar paranoid fashion, our insurance prohibits anyone not employed by Big Head Farm from operating the machinery and being throughout the fields. They (and we) don't want to see you get hurt. However, we can show you around on a guided tour!

Can I hunt your land? Unfortunately, no. We get requests like this quite often, however there are too many people in too many places at any given time to safely hunt it. The property is clearly posted throughout with no trespassing/no hunting signs.

Do you have any jobs available? At this very initial stage of in the development process of the farm, we don't. We have more work than the two of us can handle and we love it that way. However, we occasionally hire licensed, insured contractors to do various jobs such as electrical, plumbing, carpentry, masonry/concrete and other specialty work.

Do you you guys go to farmers markets? Yes! We love farmers markets. It's also our primary method of making each CSA weekly share available to our members. You can see our current farmers market schedule on the main page of our site - BigHeadFarm.com.

Why don't you post your farmers market prices on your web site? Our prices fluctuate based on our cost to grow and make our vegetables available. Items such as fuel, fertilizer, electricity and equipment costs. Our CSA share prices do not fluctuate within the year. Getting a share is a good way to eliminate fluctuations in your vegetable costs.

What's that thing on Jody's face in his picture in the About section? Yes, people ask us this quite often. When we were moving, Jody put his glasses on top of the car to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. As you might suspect, he forgot them. The glasses fell off onto a busy Chicago street before he realized he wasn't seeing too well. When we went back to find them, they had already been run over by a passing car. He put them on and Karen laughed so hard she knew she had to take a picture!

Do you currently offer organic eggs and/or chicken and/or will you offer them in the future? Good question. The long term plan for Big Head Farm includes the management and sale of organic/farm fresh chicken eggs and/or organic chicken (broilers). Starting in 2011, we began offering farm fresh eggs from a co-op we support.

Your web site shows cows in the button pictures - can I buy beef or milk from you? There are no animals being tended on our farm other than our Boxers, Mike and Sadie. Those are stock images.

Can I donate money to your farm? Yes, go to our contact page and you'll find a PayPal donation button. Thank you for asking!

Does Big Head Farm sell it's hot sauces and/or"Market Money" Cards, etc. on the website? Yes - click here and you'll find the products we sell though the website.

CSA Program Questions:

What does CSA mean and what is it? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Community-supported agriculture (in Canada Community Shared Agriculture) (CSA) is a socioeconomic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs can often consist of a system of weekly/monthly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit in a vegetable box or basket, sometimes including dairy products and meat. The term CSA is mostly used in the USA, but a variety of similar production and economic sub-systems are in use worldwide."

When I buy a "share" in the CSA program and receive veggies/fruit from you, do I own some of the land/farm, etc? As a CSA member we consider you family. The CSA program is designed to allow you to share in the bounty of the farm without having to do all the work. So while we do consider you family, and you are welcome to visit the farm any time (just call ahead to be sure someone is there) it does not mean that you own a piece of the land or the farm. Using a more simple example, you're "paying" us to naturally grow your vegetables for you.

How much is in a "share" in the CSA program? / How much will I receive and how often will I receive it? We bring our CSA boxes weekly. We will do our best to provide you with a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and fruit each week during the season. If you are having trouble getting to a pick up point or need to make arrangements to have someone else pick up your share just let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.

If I'm allergic to something or don't want stuff you grow, will you take it out of my CSA package for me? Sure. Please tell us about your needs/concerns when you sign up and we will do our best to help you out.

Can I buy more than one year at a time in the CSA program? Is there a discount for buying multiple years? We'd love it if you want to purchase more than one year of CSA! But for the purposes of bookkeeping it would be easier on us to just purchase one year at a time. Because we provide healthy, flavorful and organically grown vegetables that require a bit more effort than conventionally grown produce we are unable to offer discounts on our shares.

If I buy a "share" or "shares" in the CSA program and some catastrophe happens on the farm , do I get my money back? As with any agricultural product, there are risks involved. The weather may be working against us, there may be a drought or a tornado might destroy the crops. We will always do our best to provide you with vegetables that you expect but sometimes that just may not be possible for reasons that are out of our control. If this is the case we will do our best to keep you informed. That having been said, we are unable to provide any refunds for CSA shares.

Can I give a share in the CSA program as a gift? Sure you can - we'd love it! Just let us know and we will send out a nice little welcome package telling your gift recipient all about the program, how it works and what they can expect as a CSA member. We also have a donation program and gift cards called "Market Money" if you'd like to help feed a local family.

Can I work a few hours and then get a share as payment?** We rarely turn down help on the farm. Let us know how many hours you'd like to work and when you are available and we can probably figure out something. Depending on your availability you may not be able to earn a full share, but rather a half or solo.

** You will be considered a contractor to our farm and you will be required to provide your own health, liability and workers compensation insurance.