Patchwork Gardens

By: Eric Grimm (Nov 14, 2011)
I've been a Patchwork Gardens customer for 2 years, and I'm very satisfied with the experience. I could probably save a few bucks shopping at a big box store, but I find the local, fresh, better-than-organic produce I get from Patchwork Gardens is more than worth it. I appreciate the regular bags of salad greens (best I've ever had) and supply of vegetable basics like onions and garlic to keep my kitchen stocked.

The rotating bounty of berries, tomatoes, tomatillos, varieties of squash, potatoes, carrots, etc. come in-season at peak freshness and taste great. It really helps me keep a good variety in my diet. The eggs are awesome, and if you're curious about the hens, drive down W. Third St, you can see them soaking up the sun from the road.

The staff is helpful and friendly, and George sends out an email newsletter every week with updates and recipes. George is available and responds quickly to questions and is very helpful when you miss a pick-up.

That said, make sure to get a large share if you can, since due to logistics there are some small-quantity items that will be given to large shares but not to small shares. Sometimes I get something out of the ordinary that I have to look up, but almost everything is easily recognizable. The only issue I've had was in the first year of the CSA, when my corn had bugs. Growing up picking my own corn in Indiana, I didn't think anything of it at the time, and I managed to salvage and cook more than half of it without any problems. Once or twice I've found insects in the salad mix as well, but I make sure to rinse it before eating and that seems to do the trick. In all honesty, I expected a lot more bugs due to all-natural nature of the farm. More veggies for the money would be nice, too, but that's just because they taste so darn good you always want more.

Two thumbs up, guys. Nice work. See ya next year.

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