By: Joy Williams
(Sep 27, 2010)
I was not impressed with the quality of the half share, or the quantity. Our salads were wilted 2 days after we got them, our eggplant and corn was full of bugs, our arugula was bug free but the bugs had filled it full of holes, the apples rotted before the end of the week. The veggies never lasted more than 5 days before rotting. I know it was a dry summer, but I feel like the veggies were overrated by the farm. I ended up buying most of our edible fruits and veggies at the Chattanooga Market on Sundays. The half share was skimp and once some of the veggies got left behind at the farm. I know that stuff like that happens, but when the farm says they will compensate, nothing happens. I will be looking for a different CSA next year.
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This has never been my experience and I feel this comment should not go without a response. When I bring things home from the weekly pickup, I wash (if necessary), wrap in a damp towel or bag if needed, and refrigerate my produce. It generally lasts well into a 2nd week and still looks better than anything I get at the grocery store in terms of freshness. It sounds like this produce was generally left to sit on a counter after it was brought home?? There is an occasional bug lurking on a leaf (though few), but I do think that is a reflection of pesticide free produce that is delivered straight from the farm - it isn't put through a bleach-wash, etc. like many industrial farm and packaging operations would do. It was an extremely dry summer, and the output of the farm was definitely affected. However Mitch did at times add things to help compensate such as the apples which he procured from another farm. Organic corn will get "corn worms" and Mitch regularly mentioned this in his weekly letter and recommended cutting off about the top 1" of the cob which effectively got rid of the worms. This is ORGANIC produce, the increased health benefits, in my opinion, considerable outweigh the occasional worm, bug hole, etc. that dangerous pesticides would prevent. I too would like to see larger produce deliveries, but so that I could put up more produce for the winter! My husband and I take a full share and we work HARD to consume it within the week but we do cook at home almost every night, and as I am home during the day I also benefit from salads and leftovers from the produce we get as well.