Reviews for: Ambrose Family Farm

We�re participating in the Spring/summer 2012 season and I thought I�d write down a few things, as I had a difficult time finding information on this CSA when I was first considering a subscription � and it�s a big chunk of change to spend all in one go, without really knowing what you�re going to get!

Right off the bat, there are good things and not-so-good things about the Ambrose CSA. I think that if you�ve never done something like this before, it�d be good to read up on it to give you a better idea on what to expect. Some weeks are great, some weeks are not. Sometimes you will get more of one kind of veg than you know what to do with. Sometimes the shares of something you like are really stingy. There�s always a risk. Anyway, on to the good and meh!

GOOD - I definitely saved money by joining, particularly when I was getting salad greens in the bag. And I don�t mean that it�s cheaper than someplace like Earth Fare or Whole Foods � it�s cheaper than the regular produce at Publix or Bi-Lo. That said, I tried very hard to make use of everything I got in the bag so there was very little wastage.

- It provides a great opportunity to get to know some new vegetables.

- You�re supporting a local farm.

- If you�re looking to eat organic, this is an affordable way to do it. They�ll also let you know if anything in your bag is NOT organic.

- On the whole, the fruit and veg I brought home were of good quality.

NOT-SO-GOOD - Shares are a liiiiiitttle on the short side. We got a Small share, which they say is enough for one person. OK, I guess I can see that. In *total*, what you get for a week could feed one person � if you weren�t a vegetarian. However, what you get isn�t so balanced. Example: You get tons of greens and *3* baby carrots. Or one tomato and endless green beans. I have to admit to being a little miffed with the whole �3 baby carrots� thing. And the 1 spring onion. So while it is technically enough veg for one person, you�ll still have to shore things up by buying stuff at the grocery.

- I don�t really mind this, but I think some people might: as one reviewer has already said, you don�t get all of what they list in the email that gets sent weekly. If you�re a hardcore meal-planner, this can be a pain in the butt.

- This is slightly aside from the CSA itself, but worth mentioning. Ambrose Farms advertises when they�ve got a bumper crop of stuff for sale. I got excited about buying some extras, but then looked at the prices. Outside of the CSA, the produce is more than I can afford. For example: $5 a pound for asparagus.

- If you pick up your share at Stono Market, the woman who runs the produce section *can* be extremely rude. I don�t think she means to be, but good gracious I�ve seen her be downright unpleasant to people.

On the whole, I think I�ve had a good experience. For me, the main thing was saving some money and the CSA has definitely delivered on that account. I also likeliked the adventure and variety. On top of all that, having grown up on and around farms, I like supporting other farmers. Would I do it again? Maybe. I think I might sniff around the area for another one to try, and if that fails, I�ll go back to Ambrose. I hope I haven�t come across as toooo negative � I just wanted to give people a clear idea on what to expect. Like I said, it�s a chunk of money to shell out right off the bat and I can see how people having different priorities might make this CSA either a success or a disappointment.

I was introduced to Ambrose Farms CSA in the spring of 2011. Upon visiting their website, I decided to participate in the summer 2011 CSA. I could not wait to begin receiving my veggies and try out some new local produce. Sadly, my first pickup contained a shockingly small portion of veggies and a container of completely rotten strawberries. I could not believe it because Ambrose Farms was selling strawberries at their farm yet we were receiving rotten produce. I emailed the owner and attached a picture of the rotten produce and never received a response so I sent a follow-up email to which I received a response of "How would you like me to respond?" "You are required to acknowledge that you have read and understand the risks and REWARDS of CSA before you sign up. But, perhaps you misunderstood some of the terms stated..." I couldn't believe it. The tone was so insulting. I did indeed understand the rewards and risks, however, did not sign up for unedible produce. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and proceed with a refund, however, each week was more of the same. As CSA members, we received weekly emails listing what we would be receiving, however, I ALWAYS got only SOME of the items listed. As the season progressed we continued to get emails about purchasing additional vegetables such as tomatoes that were ripening quicker than expected and that would "go to waste" if not purchased, however, as CSA members we were getting only 3 or 4 of those items. Why let them go to waste if the REWARDS of a CSA are to benefit when the farm benefits and to suffer when the farm suffers? It seems as though we only benefit in this CSA if we pay more money. Throughout the season, Ambrose has had berries and other produce available to purchase, but we never received any of those items in our CSA pickups. I have seen other various farm CSA pickups I can say that I will never use Ambrose again. The quality and variety offered by other farms is simply far superior. Ambrose Farms has left me terribly disappointed.

THis is our second year using a CSA. We have been with AMBROSE FAMILY Farm for three weeks. The vegtables have been great. They even shared popping corn with us. I love trying the different foods.

I pick up from a house in my town and Bob at the pick up site opens my box and puts the items in a bag that I supply. While doing this he explains what each item is. Babs sends out an email on Tuesdays tell us what is in our box.

The food has tasted great. I hate make salads, but with all the fresh green and lettuces I realize that salads can have some taste to them.