COMMON GROUND ALASKA FARM MEMBERSHIP

Description

We are so honored to have the opportunity to have built this farm and then to be able to have it open to you all! We feel like we have so many friends that we would never have known otherwise – plus we’re learning so much right alongside you!

Probably the hardest thing about this farm life is that we have to charge for everything, and we feel like we’re already charging as much as we should for our products. However, our costs just keep going up. Gene is so frugal and he tries to reuse and rebuild everything he possibly can to keep expenses down. But, just like you, we’re getting hit hard this year. Just our fertilizer cost has more than doubled. 🙁

When we originally set the price for our berries, one of the things we took into account was the cost for the average person to pick enough berries to have some to eat and some to freeze. And then we analyze – would we spend that much? We do also have to balance that with paying the bills and keeping the food on the table, but we do our best to keep the pricing in a range that we would pay someone else for the same thing.

So, we put our heads together to try to find a solution that’s affordable, helpful, and workable – so we don’t have to raise our u-pick prices at all! I hope you feel the same.

Here’s what we came up with.

First of all, we’re going to have regular farm hours this summer. Starting mid-July (Date TBD), we will open the farm on Wednesdays and Saturdays for U-pick and to shop our brand new farm store! No more appointments – just come and pick! Sometimes there will be berries, sometimes there may not be. We will send email and text updates so you will know what’s available each time we’re open. But the farm will be open on those days for more than just berry picking. We would love to have you pack a lunch and bring a blanket and a friend and enjoy a quiet corner in the orchard to relax and enjoy the fresh air. You can walk laps around the orchard. We want you to be able to come and enjoy the farm to its fullest – and we want you to have plenty of time to do so.

So – here’s what we are going to do.

We’re going to charge a small admission for the farm. You can either pay per time ($5) OR you can get a membership. We will use the funds we make from the membership to offset our increasing expenses. PLUS, we hope this will give you more opportunity to come on out and enjoy the beauty of the orchard.

SINGLE – If you are planning to visit the farm alone, you can purchase a single membership for $25. That gives you unlimited access to the farm during business hours all season long. Come as ofter as you’d like and stay as long as you’d like (as long as we’re open).

FAMILY – If you want to bring the folks in your household, you can get a family membership for $100 for the season.

SUPPORTER – Supporter has a ton of perks. First, you have the usual unlimited access during business hours for you and your household. PLUS – we’ll give you first access for things that are limited like cherries and apples. PLUS – we’re offering three FREE events to go with your membership! First, we’ll have an orchard pruning class early spring that’s included in your supporter membership. Then early summer, we’ll be offering an apple thinning class, also included in your membership. Finally, in the fall, we’ll have an apple cider pressing party where you can watch the pressing and enjoy a taste of fresh apple cider. You are also welcome to bring your own apples if you’d like to make some cider to take home.

We are so excited to serve you this summer – we hope this is a workable solution for everyone! Thank you for supporting our little family farm!