We weren’t all that impressed, which is unfortunate because I think this is a great idea. The experiment did get us to try new types of vegetables (mostly squash), some of which we liked. It was a good way to learn new recipes and broaden our horizons. But sadly the quality was inconsistent. Many times the apples looked like they’d been used as tennis balls, and some of the tomatoes and squashes molded or rotted after two days. This was an organic farm, so I expected our produce to look less than perfect, but pesticides aren’t what prevent bruising and rotting, so I”m not sure what was going on.
Do these look like healthy carrots to you?
The strange part was that their farm stand at the farmer’s market seemed to have much nicer stuff than what we were getting. We should have complained earlier, I guess, but we kept thinking it would get better. The bug-coated kale and rotten-on-the-inside nectarines were the last straw, though, and we had to say something. The underside of the kale leaves seemed sandy to me and so I tried to wash them off, only to discover that the “sand” was a layer of aphids. And not washing off easily, either. I was going to make kale and potato soup out of it but I got nauseated thinking about little green aphids swimming in the bowl. The guy at the stand the next week was kind enough to offer us a “refund” by letting us take stuff that would cancel out the value of the kale and nectarines, but still. We won’t use that farm again. Especially when they got all snotty with us when I posted a less-than-stellar review of their CSA on that website.
I want to try again with a different place next year but I’m nervous. We’ll see. Spring shares mean salad greens and berries, so maybe it’ll be worth it.
Very sorry you had a bat first experience but I think it’s definitely worth a second try in the spring. Like you said, berries and salads might be better and from a different farm.
Well, you expect me to tell you it’s worth another try in the spring, so I won’t belabor it. 😉
No matter what, I will say that snotty responses and bug-covered produce are unacceptable. It’s tough running a farm, I do get that, but there’s still the customer service aspect to the CSA sales. In our CSA the produce often comes somewhat dirty, because it’s better to wash right before use or something, but not buggy. I’ll accept finding a bug here or there; that’s just going to happen. Like you, though, I’d be furious about aphid covered anything.
A CSA is a great thing to get wonderful food (usually) and to know that a bad year won’t wipe out a local farm. But THAT is supposed to be the gamble; how much food you get (and, yes, to a certain degree, how good), which always relates to the weather. It’s not supposed to be a gamble on how your farm interactions go.
Good luck. (And do try again next year!)