Splitting Shares

Sometimes sharers may wish to split their share with someone who is not an enrolled sharer. Share splitting is a private arrangement that is subject to the policies outlined below. We appreciate your cooperation in abiding by these policies should you decide to split your share.

What does it mean to split a share?

Share splitting is a private arrangement to divide a weekly Stearns Farm share for an entire season with someone who is not an enrolled sharer. Some share splitters divide the produce every week, while others may assign some pickup weeks to one party and some to the other. Please note that the weekly distributions are assembled with one household in mind, and the volume and variety of produce changes from week to week. Especially if splitters alternate their pickups by week, they may not receive certain crops, or they may receive a different quantity, than their partners.

Whichever party signs up for and buys the share is responsible for getting reimbursed by the other party for their portion. Share splitters may also divide up the required work hours.

You are not splitting a share if you have someone pick up your share due to an unexpected event or while you are vacationing, or if you occasionally give extra produce from your share to someone else.

How can I split a share?

You can find a sharer who wants to split and make an agreement, or you can purchase a share yourself and split it with someone you know.  Stearns Farm does not assist sharers with matching or otherwise get involved with sharers’ splitting arrangements.

We do, however, require that all participating parties pay a membership fee and provide their names and contact information. This enables us to know everyone who is part of our farm community and to ensure we can communicate with them about our policies, procedures and news. When you purchase a share, you will be asked whether you intend to split it with someone outside your household. When you answer “yes,” you will be asked to pay the additional $10 membership fee and enter the names and contact information of the people outside your household who are splitting the share with you.

If share-splitting is a private arrangement, why does Stearns Farm have policies about it?

We welcome the opportunity feed and educate a larger community. Our policies are designed to ensure that everyone feels welcome at the farm and that share-splitting does not place an extra burden on our staff, volunteers and facilities.

What do share splitters need to know about pickups and work hours?

Split share recipients need to know everything an enrolled sharer does.  We hold orientation sessions for new sharers at the beginning of each harvest season in June, and we strongly encourage new split share recipients to attend.  If this is not possible, the enrolled sharer is responsible for making sure their share-splitting partner gets the necessary instructions.

We keep track of pickups and work hours under the name of the enrolled sharer. When split share recipients pick up the share or do work hours, they will check off the enrolled sharer’s name on the weekly pickup sheet or work hours log. 

Can people who are splitting a share come separately to pick up their portion of the weekly distribution?

No.  You should assign one person to pick up the entire share or come together at the same time.

If we come together, can we divide our produce at the farm?

Yes, but we would appreciate if you come in one vehicle and that you collect your entire share before dividing it up. When doing so, you should move to a spot where you are not in the way of other sharers who are picking up their produce.  Please do not divide your produce under the pavilion or in the parking lot.

Who is responsible for paying for the share and doing the required sharer work hours?

The person who purchases the share is responsible for paying Stearns Farm. The required work hours may be performed by either or both parties, but the purchaser will be held responsible for the hours if the split share recipient does not do their part.

Updated on September 15, 2019