How it works

What is a garlic share, and how does the subscription work?

We sell shares in our yearly crop using a model that combines aspects of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and crowd-farming. This essentially means you invest in a portion of our harvest (around 18 bulbs) up front. This investment secures a small area of our farm (half a square meter) and we then get on and plant, grow, harvest and cure your share, before delivering it to you each summer. The aim is to take care of your garlic needs for the majority of the year. When you purchase a share, this is in the form of a rolling subscription, that renews each year - and this small plot will remain yours until you cancel. The yearly cut of dates for ordering can be found on the "buy garlic shares" page. You can read more about how a CSA works below:

CSA

When and how do we receive our garlic?

Our garlic is planted in late Autumn, and then harvested in late June the following year. The bulbs are then air dried in our drying sheds, using the welsh breeze for around 3 - 4 weeks. By around late July, your bulbs will be cured and ready for dispatching. They are gently packed into card boxes, with a little information about our farm, the garlic varieties we grow, and how to store them. They are sent with a tracking number, and usually arrive at your door in late July to early August. However, the weather plays a big part in this process, and we may need a week or so either side for flexibility.

How do you grow your produce?

Pili-Pala Farm is a market garden style set up on a human scale. This means we don't have a large acreage, and instead intensively manage a small area (currently around 2 acres) by hand. We don't use any large machinery, and we don't till the soil, and are strictly "no-dig". We improve and feed the soil every year with an application of PAS certified green waste compost, and actively encourage soil biology and healthy structure. We apply no chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides and effectively employ organic principles, but without the official certification (this is a costly and bureaucratic process we are not currently large enough to justify).

Can we pick up our garlic, or visit the farm?

We rely on an eCommerce system, that manages orders and keeps the business efficient. Therefore, we do not do farm pick ups, and all online orders are delivered by couriers.

We are, however, happy to offer a farm tour by arrangement, so you can see how we do things.

How do I manage and cancel subscriptions?

You can create an account when purchasing a garlic subscription (log in bar in the menu), or you can create this retrospectively using the email you initially subscribed with. This will enable you to update payment details and view your order.

To change address delivery details, or to cancel your subscription, please send us an email with your details and we can get this arranged. If you require a refund on a subscription (i.e you change your mind, change of circumstances) we can do this within 30 days of the renewal or purchase date. This is because we grow our garlic based on our subscription interest - so it's difficult for us to plan otherwise.

How long does the garlic last, and how should we store them?

We choose varieties that store well, and in optimum conditions and with certain varieties this can be up to 12 months. However, we generally say to expect your bulbs to last for around 6 months. You must store your bulbs in an airy place with some degree of humidity, out of direct sunlight and at 14 - 18 degrees centigrade, although "room" temperature is also OK. A basket on your worktop, or in your kitchen cupboard can work fine, it does not need to be complicated. For long term storage, do not keep your garlic in the fridge!

Any questions

Pili-Pala Farm

Cwm Nant Y Meichiaid

Llanfyllin

SY22 5NA

E-Mail: contactsmithyfarm@gmail.com

Tel: 07986562560