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

General Questions:

Where did the name "Big Head Farm" come from? Well, 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 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? 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're taking this action 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 at some point in the near future.

Big Head Farm would, again, like to emphasize that we have no intention to abandon 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, organic methods.

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

We found that vegetables regularly being sold in Chicago were, in a word, substandard. Veggies were being shipped from California (the closeest) 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 bitching, moaning and complaining about it we decided to do our part to solve it - 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.

Also, 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.

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, farmers markets and 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 peices - begrudgingly and with a snear 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 and you own 40 acres, 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 farm vehicles.

Can I get a tour of your farm? 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 around the property at any given time to safely hunt it. The property is clearly posted throughout with no trespassing/no hunting signs.

I drove by you farm address and there's no barn, tractors, silos or people - are you really a farm? Yep, we're really a farm. Remember that the 2010 growing season is our first full season. It took more than a year to plan, organize, finance and begin full operations. That planning, organizing and financing didn't include money for a barn, tractor or other significant farm implements. We also put together all of what you see during two of the worst economic years in American history > no money = no stuff. And finally, we're an organic farm, so the less we do to the property the better it is - more natural - as few buildings as absolutely necessary, etc.

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 website? Our prices tend to fluctuate based on our cost to grow and make our vegatables available tends to fluctuate. 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!

Who REALLY built your website? or, I saw another website that looks exactly like yours, what's the deal? Jody built what you see on BigHeadFarm.com. However, since we're not web specialists it was necessary to start with an HTML template purchased from another site. Jody did all the html, text and image coding/manipulation for BigHeadFarm.com after learning it from various sorces.

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 chicken eggs and organic chicken (broilers). However, there's a slight possibility that we will have a few chickens during the 2010 growing season as a test of it's long term possibility.

Your website 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.

CSA Program Questions:

What does CSA mean and what is it? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture....see the CSA page for more details.

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.

How much is in a "share" in the CSA program? We have different different sizes of shares available. For more information on the shares and sizes please visit our CSA page.

How much will I receive and how often will I receive it? We will do our best to provide you with a wide variety of vegetables and herbs, whatever is ready for harvest, for each week during the season. The CSA package will be ready for pick up at local drop points on a weekly basis. 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 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 if you'd like to help feed a local family in need.

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