We appreciate your enthusiastic response to our 2010 Cheese Share offering We received great feedback from you, and would like to share the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with those who are still undecided about whether or not to purchase a YSF Cheese Share.

Where are the pick-up sites for the Yellow Springs Farm (YSF) Cheese share?

In addition to Yellow Springs Farm (Chester Springs- Click here for directions.), we anticipate other pick-up sites for your convenience including, Jenkins Arboretum (Devon) Charlestown Farm(Charlestown), Maysies Farm(Glenmoore), Pennypack Farm(Ambler) CCEDC/Eagleview (Exton) and Weaver’s Way(Philadelphia).
YSF CSA will confirm anticipated pick-up sites in Spring. Each site must serve a minimum number of YSF CSA members. If we do not reach minimums at a selected site, we will contact affected CSA members as soon as possible, but no later than mid- April to offer alternate sites, or provide a full refund if a second choice pick-up site is not acceptable.
We will continue to add pick-up sites during the enrollment period, based on interest of members, and finding sites willing to host the cheese pick-up—refrigeration required. Please let us know if you can offer a pick-up site, or know of someone who might like to offer a pick-up site. We plan to confirm site, pick-up times, and pick-up sequence (ie- 1st and 3rd, or 2nd and 4th weeks of each month) with each member in March 2010.

What do I receive when I become a member?

Yellow Springs Farm members will receive a cheese share two times per month. Each assortment will include 3 varieties of Yellow Springs Farm cheeses totaling 12-14oz. Both fresh and pasteurized milk cheeses and aged raw milk cheeses are included. Members also have unique opportunities to try new products and place special orders for extra cheese. We will be making an assortment of 20-24 cheeses over the course of the season. We hope that this wide range of fresh and aged pasteurized and raw milk cheeses will keep your taste buds tingling throughout the season.

I cannot use the link to reach your CSA enrollment form online.

Although we tested it in many ways, different pop-up blockers, security settings, software, and hardware combinations seem to have different responses to our link for the CSA enrollment form. We will gladly email the form as a .pdf attachment or send a hard copy via US Mail to anyone who would like to receive a form without using our link. Please let us know how we may help via phone (610-827-2014) or email (catherine@yellowspringsfarm.com.)

One cheese share seems like too much product for my household—can I buy less cheese?

We suggest you consider splitting the cheese share with a friend or neighbor. This might also be a nice way to split the pick-up duties for those who travel often, or have tight schedules. If you decide not to purchase a Cheese CSA share, we will sometimes have cheese for sale at the Farm on a cash basis for those who contact us in advance to arrange a Farm visit, or place a cheese order. CSA share members will receive priority for placing orders for extra cheese, as quantities and varieties will be limited given our artisanal, handmade products. We will schedule a few tasting days during the season to introduce the cheeses to those who are not familiar with YSF. We will not offer regular store hours at the Farm.

What can I do with the cheese other than serving it with crackers?

Goat cheeses are great to include in recipes for appetizers, entrees, vegetables, and desserts. We will send two emails each month describing the cheeses in your share, and include goat cheese recipes for you to try.

How long will the cheese stay fresh after I bring it home?

Our cheeses arrive fresh with your share. The shelf life for cheeses is about 10-14 days for fresh, soft cheeses, and closer to 3-4 weeks or longer for harder, aged cheeses. We suggest you keep the cheeses in original packaging. We use special, air-permeable paper to wrap some cheeses so that the cheese will continue to breathe once you have it home. We suggest you store cheese in a cold section (36-38 degrees) of your refrigerator and be aware that it will readily absorb ambient odors or aromas from other food, and even from cleaning products, etc.

I love goat milk cheese, but I am concerned that it will cause me health problems such as high cholesterol, or weight gain.

Many scientific articles have been published about the nutritional qualities and benefits of goat milk and goat cheese. We will be adding these to our website in coming weeks and months so that you may learn more about this important topic.

Will YSF ship cheese for me to gift recipients in other states?

As of January 2010, we can only ship cheeses within PA. Later this year, we will consider seeking appropriate regulatory permission to ship to other states. That said, you are free to gift cheeses you purchase to friends in other states. Please make sure the cheeses stay cold, but do not freeze, during transport.