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| Not too happy right now with my CSA!!!! http://cookaholics.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3733 |
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| Author: | talanhart [ Fri Jun 20, 2014 12:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Not too happy right now with my CSA!!!! |
Last year was my first year and I was very happy with everything. This year, not so much. I received this email from Farmer John earlier this week. "The strawberries are starting to slow down. We harvested over 500 quarts this season. That's about 300 more than we anticipated. Dale our new hired man this year worked all hours of the day and night to get them harvested. Thank you Dale! There are still a ton of berries. They are a little smaller than the earlier ones but the flavor is just right for freezer jam." So far, I have only had 13 quarts delivered and the last 4 quarts I received it's obvious that they were picked three days prior. There are 13 members this year so we each should have received at least 30 quarts. Where my other 17 quarts are, I don't know. Also, he only did one U PICK day and it rained, so nobody picked. I was thinking about contacting the other members to see how many quarts they received. Do you think I should do this or just wait and see what the next delivery brings? |
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| Author: | jim262 [ Fri Jun 20, 2014 1:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Not too happy right now with my CSA!!!! |
I do not think a CSA farm is obligated to split their entire crop between members. Shares probably only represent a portion of the total harvest. The rest could be sold at a farm stand, wholesaled to a local grocery store or turned in strawberry rhubarb pies and jam by a family member. Unless a CSA share costs enough that 13 of them would provide a farm family with a good living and pay the overhead, I would judge the value of the share over a whole season compared to buying the same products at a grocery store or a farmers market. |
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| Author: | talanhart [ Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Not too happy right now with my CSA!!!! |
Jim, Because all the members like the Strawberries, Farmer John told us he wasn't going to sell any at his stand this year. Last week, he did offer each member 10 quarts pre picked, but we had to pick them up and he wanted a $1 for each quart. The farm is 30 minutes from my house. My understanding is if there's a bumper crop the members should reap the bounty, because we sure as heck aren't going to get any money back if there's a drought and all the crops are lost. |
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| Author: | jim262 [ Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Not too happy right now with my CSA!!!! |
What Happens When CSAs Go Belly Up? I did not write a check to farmer John and my opinion worth only what I am charging for it, but on the surface, it appears that farmer John is acting honorably, communicating regularly, delivering on time, and sharing excess bounty if one is willing to share the additional overhead that follows a bountiful crop. If there is a problem, farmer John is the only one who can help and should be the one you speak to. Listening to his side of the strawberry story may be enlightening. |
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| Author: | talanhart [ Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Not too happy right now with my CSA!!!! |
Jim, This email came yesterday. "The strawberries are about over as far as delivery is concerned. I lost about 30 quarts in the refrigerator. The berries are just too ripe. If anyone wants to U Pick, come on out. They are still good for jams and jellies. If anyone wants to make jam, let me know. You can have about 30 to 40 quarts. You may have to pick through them a little. The berries are still good but it is not something I want to distribute. anyway, let me know." I did go pick 12 quarts yesterday and he gave me 10 quarts that were just sitting in his refrigerator spoiling. I did have to pick through them and I had to toss about a quart. It was sad to see them just spoiling when they could have been distributed to the members. |
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| Author: | jeanf [ Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:23 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Not too happy right now with my CSA!!!! |
Sounds like they just got all ripe at the same time and missed delivery dates. Glad you got some for jam. We are *just* starting to see local berries here, it is a very very late season. |
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