Frequently Asked Questions
Are you an organic farm?
We use organic production methods, but we are not certified organic. We practice sustainable & organic farming methods including Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - meaning we always take the least toxic approach to pest control first. We use organic seeds when possible & we cover crop extensively. We never spray or fertilize with synthetics & we prefer to not use organic pesticides if possible either. We encourage beneficial insects & use physical barriers in some cases to protect crops.
Is your produce organic?
We cannot legally call our produce 'organic' because that term is now regulated by the government. Instead we use the word 'natural' to try to convey what we mean. We grow using organic practices & methods. We believe that we go further than the requirements in the current organic standard. Additionally, we have grown concerned with the modifications that have been made and some pending ones that have been proposed to be made to the national standard. We're concerned that the meaning of organic will become diluted and therefore become something we would not want our high quality produce to be associated with.
Where are you located?
Barking Cat Farm has two locations. Our nursery is located on small acreage in Rockwall County, just North-East of Dallas, Texas. Our main farm is located in Hunt County near West Tawakoni.
Can I come visit the farm?
We'd love to have visitors, but our nursery location has zoning & deed restrictions that limit customer visits. Our goal is to allow farm tours and visits on the main farm as soon as we are able.
How do I call you?
We're often outside working and are not available by phone. We've tried to put the answers to most commonly asked questions here on our website. For questions not already answered here, we'll be happy to answer you via email. Please see our contact us page for more information.
When are you open and how do I buy from you?
We sell through our CSA's and 'off the truck' on Fridays in Rockwall County. Learn more about our CSA's on the CSA page. And if you are interested in buying direct from us, please sign up for our weekly email update for the latest news. If you are interested in buying wholesale for a restaurant, caterer, florist or similar business, please contact us directly.
Where do you deliver?
We have one CSA delivery location in Rockwall County on Friday afternoons where we also sell off the truck to the general public. Wholesale deliveries are handled differently. Please see our CSA FAQ for our drop-off location.
What will you have to sell off the truck this Friday and how much will it cost?
We harvest everything that is ready each week. Some goes into the CSA boxes and bouquets, and the rest we sell off the truck. We do not know until we start harvesting what all we will have for sale and in what quantities. And come delivery day, we spend all day picking and processing, and cannot post specific availability and pricing. The best advice we can offer is to come meet us at the drop and see the freshest and best quality herbs, veggies, honey, and eggs for yourself! Plus, you'll get to meet those that grow your food as well as other members of your community.
Will you add drop-off locations?
Yes, eventually. Our first additions will probably be in Rockwall County, then moving into Dallas County. One of our core beliefs is that eating fresh, locally grown, naturally produced food is healthiest for the planet, the community, the consumer, the environment, and the creatures. We decided early on that as a general rule we would not ship our products. As a result, we will probably not add drop-offs further away than 35 miles from Rockwall. If you live further away than that, we encourage you to look for local growers in your area on www.localharvest.org.
I don't live close your current CSA drop-off, how will I know if you add locations close to me?
When you subscribe to our weekly email update you have the opportunity to fill in your preferred drop-off location. Please do! We look at those responses. We need general locations like 'East Dallas' or 'Richardson', etc. If you're already a subscriber, you can update your profile & add this information by clicking on the link at the bottom of one of the email updates to 'manage your subscription'.
What do you grow?
We grow our crops according to the season, meaning we do not try to force crops to grow when the environment is not conducive. So our food and flower selections will vary depending on the time of year and the weather. Our weekly update is the best place to get this information. You can also look at a list of what we grow on this page.
What is in your weekly update?
The weekly update contains news about the farm, the various CSA's including what was in the previous week's share, what extra produce, flowers, etc. we may have for sale off the truck and occasionally relevant news about organics & local crops. Sign up here.
Are your produce & flowers expensive?
We sure don't think so. We strive to provide our customers with high-quality, farm fresh, naturally grown produce, herbs, and flowers. We carefully base our prices on several things, including current supermarket and farmers’ market prices, the price of the seed/plant material, degree of difficulty to grow in this area, availability, and several other factors. Additionally, since our crops are all locally grown they are fresh and last longer so you truly get your money's worth. If you've never had locally grown produce or flowers, then you're in for an eye opening experience. The food has more flavor than food that is shipped & the flowers last considerably longer.
Do you ever post a price list?
Nope. Just as in any other business, pricing will fluctuate depending on many factors. We'd rather be farming than spending those hours every week formatting price lists.
Do you recycle?
We do recycle! Do you? The produce bags we use are a #6, food grade bag. You can recycle them yourself or return them to us. We won't use them again for food, but you might see recycled bags used for flowers or other non-food products. You can also return our rubber bands & twist ties to us. We bleach them & re-use them.
Are you sending all your clean paper bags to the dump or recycling station? We could sure put them to use with certain crops that don't like to be stored in plastic. We can find work for just about any size.
Have any five gallon plastic buckets left over from that last home improvement project? Rather than send them to the landfill, please consider bringing them to us. We disinfect them and use them for all manner of things on the farms. Also, you know those nifty little stakes that the lawn company puts in your yard to tell you they've been there, we could use them. We'll disinfect them and put them to good use. Same hold for those cardholder stakes that the florists put in their bouquets. We can use those plastic mesh baskets used for berries in the supermarket too. Plastic cat litter bottles with screw top lids can be disinfected and re-purposed into fabulous compost tea containers..