Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers and more information about the Sunnyside CSA and Subsidy Program.
General questions
Thursdays between 5:00pm and 8:00pm at Sunnyside Community Services, 43-31 39th Street between 43rd Ave and Queens Blvd.
You may have someone else pick it up for you. Just be sure to let them know about pick up procedures. If your box isn’t picked up during the distribution time, it is donated to Sunnyside Community Services.
Golden Earthworm is USDA Certified Organic by VOF (Vermont Organic Farmers), a third party certifying agency. Organic farming is a whole system (or holistic) way of producing food. This means that organic farmers think about the effects of their farming practices on the soil, the quality of the food they produce, the local community and the wider environment.
There are between 6 and 8 items in the box each week, including herbs. The share is good for a family who cooks a lot; if you don’t, you might want to split a share or get a bi-weekly share!
It depends on the season, but check out a list of previous a years’ harvest in the “How It Works” section!
There is a “Swap Box” on site where you can deposit your unwanted veggies and/or swap for something else you prefer.
Split with a friend (or two!). You can find a partner to divide each week’s share, or sign up for your own bi-weekly share. Just remember, you still need to volunteer!
Our CSA raises money to subsidize a small number of shares for households with limited income. Read more about our Subsidy Program.
This entire process is volunteer run! In order to stay up and operational, we need every member to help out by volunteering during distribution each season. There are three volunteer shifts every Thursday. Please see our volunteer page for more information.
If for any reason you no longer want your CSA share, feel free to find someone to take ownership. You can try our Facebook page to see if someone is looking! Email us at veggies@sunnysidecsa.com to let us know you are changing ownership, and provide us with the new owner’s information (name, phone number and email). The new owner is responsible for any volunteer work, etc that still needs to be completed.
The main fees for your shares go to the respective farms and businesses, but the admin fees support our local organizational costs- basically rent from SCS, the website, and supporting the subsidy program.
Subsidy questions
Subsidy shares are alloted depending on individual need and Subsidy Program budget. If you do not qualify this season you will be given enough notice to purchase a share at full price.
Yes, to folks who were part of that year’s Summer Share program.
Sometimes, depending on our budget, but not all the time.
No, you do not have to be a resident of Sunnyside. Many of our members are from neighboring communities.
All subsidy applications are kept strictly confidential. Only the subsidy coordinator has access to the application information, and decisions are made similar to NY SNAP income limits.
The subsidy is 100% supported by Sunnyside CSA members via donations or fundraisers. This chart shows a distribution from a previous year.