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Post by mikklynn on Jul 3, 2014 23:46:57 GMT
I liked it, but it was a lot of work to figure out how to use it all or freeze it before I received the next box. We also are not too fond of kale and seemed to get kale every week. The veggies were awesome, but overall, too many greens for us.
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Post by chaosisapony on Jul 4, 2014 2:38:23 GMT
A lot of people in my area are doing FarmFresh2You. It's a box of veggies that they deliver to you. You tell them if you want weekly, monthly, etc and you can even customize it so if you don't want radishes or kale you won't get them in your box. That plus the convenience of delivery is making me consider signing up. I just checked out the FarmFresh2You site and I'm now very interested in giving it a try, too. The people you know that have tried this one, have they commented on the quality and if they are enjoying the selection? So far I have heard nothing but good things about the variety and freshness of what is in the boxes.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Jul 4, 2014 2:43:33 GMT
This year, I've decided that whenever I see something that sounds good at a roadside stand or on our local swap & shop FB page, I'm just going to buy it and not worry about the price, because it will surely end up costing less in the end and we'll eat more of it. Slightly off topic from the OP, but every time I hesitate to spend $3 for berries or a melon, I have to remind myself that if gelato were on sale for that price, I'd be buying two. And then I buy the fruit.
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Post by M~ on Jul 4, 2014 3:20:59 GMT
I've been looking at the different CSAs that service this area and I think I'm going to be better off buying from local farmers' markets--and there are plenty of those around here. I did notice that past shares had A LOT of kale, which I dislike.
Another thing is that I really like tropical fruits, and the fruit I saw being offered wasn't anything I'd rave about.
I guess I'm a bit tired of the "same old" thing at the organic supermarkets around here, and I really need to liven things up with the diet, especially with vegetables. I just need to get my butt in gear and head out early.
I'm committed to buying organic whenever I can, so maybe farmers' markets are the way to go.
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Post by chlerbie on Jul 4, 2014 3:42:05 GMT
We've been doing it for about 4-5 years and I love it. The downside IS going to pick it up. I don't always feel like it during the set times, though they do offer three days to do so. Some of it is U-pick so I also have to set aside time to do that--it's usually peas, beans, strawberries, flowers and the various herbs.
Ours is great, though. We, for the most part, get to choose what we want. So if one week I'm making a recipe with potatoes or whatever, I can take extra of that and leave something else out. Certain things we get all of the time--a head of lettuce and a bag of mixed greens. We can choose different cooking greens (usually kale, chard, bok choy and spinach--you can take a little of each or just one type.)
I always have plenty of stuff every week and I've found that it saves us so much money. We know we have food at home and don't want it to go to waste, so we don't eat out as often. I eat lots of vegetarian meals and tons of salads. I love fresh vegetables, so I look forward to the time when our fridge is overflowing with them.
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,395
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Jul 4, 2014 4:55:47 GMT
One puzzled Brit here scratching her head and thinking that this was about the Child Support Agency! The first CSA I ever joined was when I lived in London.. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called but when my daughter was a baby... she is now 11, I had organic apples, potatoes and then a selection of what was seasonal delivered every week. It was fabulous! Now that I know what it means I can say that I joined one for a while here in Sheffield. I gave up after I ealised that I was paying a huge premium for great clods of mud and another one here who never wants to see a helping of Kale as long as I live. Plus, the man who dropped it off had the most appalling body odour.
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elainebenis
Junior Member
Posts: 50
Jul 3, 2014 23:26:11 GMT
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Post by elainebenis on Jul 4, 2014 5:18:11 GMT
I did it for a summer. Ours delivered to our doorstep. I stopped because of 1) odd/small amounts and 2) the leafy vegetables were always somewhat wilted, which grosses me out. I prefer going to the farmers market.
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 4, 2014 5:25:49 GMT
CSA = Community Supported Agriculture. Learned something new today; never heard of this, or anyone around me belonging to one. Me neither. I kept trying to figure out what the acronym stood for.
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weesheepea
Shy Member
This is what I feel like: this sound of glass. I feel like the word shatter...
Posts: 18
Jun 26, 2014 12:24:15 GMT
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Post by weesheepea on Jul 4, 2014 14:03:29 GMT
We are members of Bountiful Baskets, and have yet to participate; I absolutely love the Farmer's Market that's nearby so I usually go there. We can get fresh meat there, which was great to find, and so much produce I was a bit overwhelmed the first time I went. My SIL quit Bountiful Baskets after a while, with many of the same complaints I've seen on this thread, plus she was always pressured to help out (which she did, at least twice a month, but apparently that wasn't enough). I just love my farmer's market so I've still not actually gotten anything from BB.
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moodyblue
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,191
Location: Western Illinois
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Jul 4, 2014 14:17:40 GMT
I regularly go to the Farmers Market and will buy fresh fruits and vegetables there, along with other things. I like doing it this way because there are some weeks when I skip buying things because I know we won't be able to use up fresh produce in time. And if I know I will have time to, for example, cook, cut and freeze extra corn, then I can buy more. It allows for greater flexibility.
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Post by moretimeplease on Jul 4, 2014 14:25:28 GMT
We've belonged to one for about 4 years now. I love it. It's a local farm (not organic) and I'd been going there for about 25 years before they started the CSA. I go every Saturday morning. They have bins of produce set out with a sign saying what it is and how much to take. If you don't want it, you don't have to take it. It's a pretty good variety -- of course we get a LOT of greens at this time of year because that's what is being harvested. You follow the growing season. I've never had a problem of it not being enough to feed my family of four, i.e. we always get 2-3 eggplant, or 4 zucchini. All the leftovers from the CSA go to a local soup kitchen Saturday afternoon, so if I can't make it to pick up my share I don't feel so badly. I love ours because they're a big fruit farm. Last week I got 4 quarts of strawberries! Soon it will be pick-your-own rasperries, then blueberries, peaches, apples, and pears. They add in things like jars of their honey, items from a new bakery supplier, local eggs or milk, tickets to the corn maze. Usually something to try every week. They also offer free coffee, lemonade, and pastries while you're there. I end up freezing a lot of things to use over the winter. We'll eat beets, greens, corn, roasted tomatoes, and frozen strawberries through the winter. It's been awesome for us -- I try all kinds of things I never knew existed -- who knew we'd love kohlrabi and pea shoots? I would love to find a place like this! I *wish* I could find a place like this!
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Post by SunnySmile on Jul 4, 2014 16:30:42 GMT
I did it for a couple months in the summer. It was OK. The quality was not always there, and sometimes there would only be one of a particular item, say, an artichoke or a beet. To make it worth cooking, or to serve for dinner, I'd have to go buy more. Also, you never knew what you were going to get. I'm all for trying new things, but when more than half the basket is stuff you or your family don't like, it sucks. That was the main reason I quit, not knowing what you'd get. Oh, and having to pick it up only between 6:00-6:30am on a Saturday. Um, no thanks. When we did bountiful baskets, the quality was better than the CSA though. Same other issues though.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Jul 4, 2014 16:50:00 GMT
We did a local organic box for a few months. I loved it and only stopped because it's summer and fruits/veggies are cheaper at the local produce stand and organic isn't a priority for us. I loved trying new things and getting out of my cooking rut. It was also fun opening the box each week
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kma
Junior Member
Posts: 85
Jun 29, 2014 13:58:23 GMT
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Post by kma on Jul 4, 2014 22:33:53 GMT
We are doing our first vegetable and fruit CSA. It just started a few weeks ago. We love it. We're getting some things we've never had before.
We also take part in a grass fed meat CSA through some local farmers.
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Post by Lovebug2867 on Jul 4, 2014 23:15:17 GMT
Doubt they have CSAs around here we're in the country and if you don't want to go to one of the many farmer's markets or roadside stands we have here all summer long you plant your own garden. It would be nice if we could find one for fruit and things we don't plant.
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Post by seikashaven on Jul 4, 2014 23:30:12 GMT
I love mine and I've been a member for almost two years now I think. They supply the list of items 1 week in advance and I have 3 days to make changes or add items. They deliver to my door weekly and I always know what's coming so it's easy to menu plan.
ETA I can choose to not have delivery if I'm away/on vacation.
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Post by pmm on Jul 5, 2014 2:37:05 GMT
I'm a transplant from California to Ohio. I miss the local farmer's market. I have tried all different ones in my area to be disappointed. They are either long on vendors selling homemade salsa, soap, dog treats etc or have had all their produce shipped in from neighboring states.
Not much farmer in the set up here.
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