Reviews for: Be Wise Ranch Organic Farm

This is the 2nd farm I've contracted with for a CSA. I left the first one because I wasn't too impressed with their selection or communication. Then I tried Be Wise Ranch and I LOVE it! The produce is amazing in flavor and freshness. The communication is fast and precise. They offer a lot of variety in their produce. I have a family of 3 and we get a large box every other week. It's like Christmas every time. I have recommended this farm to so many people. We love BWR and are really grateful to be part of their program.

We have a family of three and share our large box every other week with a family of four. It works out well for all of us while we are still experimenting and learning all the local produce by season, etc. The quality of the produce is excellent and we are really enjoying the learning process that goes along with being a CSA member. The seasonality of local produce is a bit of a shock coming from the "anything is available at any time" offerings in the supermarket and even the health food stores.

I have learned that my family will eat just about any veggie in a quiche or pot pie and I found a very easy and quick homemade crust online somewhere. You just mix the ingredients in the pie pan and press it against the bottom and sides. Viola! Ready to fill in a minute or two and tastes great! We also found many veggies taste delicious roasted in the oven in the winter and on the grill in the summer. We combine a variety of veggies and are appreciating the different flavors and textures.

We eat a lot more variety in our veggies on a daily basis now. We also love receiving fresh fruit in our CSA. The cherries were a highlight for us! We received so many fresh, local, organic strawberries that I begged a friend to teach me how to make jam. We got our playgroup together and all the moms learned at once. Now we all have plenty of low-sugar homemade strawberry jam and we all learned something new. The kids loved it!

Be Wise Ranch was the CSA I picked and since then, several of my neighbors and friends have also joined. The quality is good and the variety is great. We all appreciate the flexibility in the box size (small or large) and delivery schedule (every week or every other week). The trial period was an excellent length, too. The produce lasts so much longer when you receive it so soon after harvesting. It changes how you view fresh produce for the best!

I have been a Be Wise Ranch Member on and off for 2 years (I had to stop one quarter due to school schedule). I love being a member and am glad to be back. Every pick up day is like a getting a present/surprise. I love the fact that I get things I have never tried (and would have never bought at the market), it forces me to learn how to cook different things. I also love that everything is fresh (who knows how long things have sat in supermarkets). And every once in a while they have a large harvest of something and all the members get a treat, last week we all got a separate box of tomatoes and I was able to make pasta sauce and freeze it. I'm really happy with Be Wise Ranch.

Our small family has been a member of the Be Wise Ranch CSA program for more than two years. We LOVE it! The program structure is flexible enough to meet changing needs (we started with a small box every other week (not enough), later changed to a small box every week (too much), and now get a large box every other week (just right). Initially, it took some creativity and inspiration on my part to manage/appreciate the unfamiliar produce and schedule, as well as make the best use of the box contents (using items in order of perishability, for instance) but the CSA cookbook, Asparagus to Zucchini (avail at Amazon) was a godsend. I refer to it many times a week.

The BWR produce is always very high quality, and often remains fresher much longer than produce from the store or even a farmer's market, because I receive it so soon after harvest. I can breeze through the produce section of stores now (reducing my shopping trips and overall shopping time considerably) because most of my produce shopping is already done. I have learned to anticipate what is grown when in SD County, and I adjust my menus accordingly. Out-of-season, long-distance produce in stores rarely tempts me anymore, and that saves lots o' money, too. Some of our Be Wise products have become such favorites (strawberries, leeks, italian parsley & more) that I buy more in our "no box" week from Jimbo's Naturally, which carries Be Wise Ranch's retail produce. I am sure to shop on days when BWR produce is on Jimbo's shelves, because I prefer BWR produce over those from industrial farms in other parts of CA, if I can help it.

Our vegetable consumption has risen tremendously since our membership in Be Wise's CSA. All of us have more adventurous palates now, including my 9 year old. Some veggies took a number of tries with different recipes to find a winning preparation method, but nearly all have found a welcome spot in our meals. Experiment! The few items that haven't found favor in our family are usually very appreciated by friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

In the two+ years of our membership, the share price has only been increased once, despite rising fuel, land, labor, and insurance costs, making the CSA membership an extremely good value, even with the rising trend in food prices (which are mostly due to rising commodity grain, processing, packaging, and long-distance transport costs). Be Wise Ranch produce is worth much more than the share cost. Additionally, I know the dollars I spend stay local, supporting a family-operated local farm, rather than flowing out of the county, state, and country to mega-corporations and multiple middle-men, not to mention oil interests. Keeping our local farms in business is vital to a thriving and diversified economy in the county and region.

Truly tasty and bountiful vegetables and fruits every week, or every other week, delivered to a neighborhood location. I am consistently amazed at the quantity of food I get in each $25 box - way beyond what I could buy in the store of similar quality. Excellent cost per nutrient ratio!