Reviews for: Rio Gozo Farm CSA

I favored fresh veggies well before I became a member of Rio Gozo Farm CSA -- but, now that I am, I have a significantly enhanced understanding about fresh food in my diet.

I am learning how to incorporate a much wider array of food than I ever have before. Farmer Johnny includes lots of weekly surprises like participant's backyard fruit, culinary herbs, fresh flowers, and extra amounts seasonal crops for drying and preserving.

As a long-time gardener, I appreciated the few weeks when a crop came in. As a recipient of the weekly share however, I am now challenged to create a meal plan to maximize the consistent flow of seasonal bounty far beyond what I have had from my own garden. Hence, I now am Iron Chef Ventucky, finding ways to eat better than ever before thanks to the CSA.

John and Elizabeth have a real gem here with their 4-acre farm. It is very well managed and cultivated. Currently it is the only CSA supplying Ventura, but no doubt even if it were one of many, it would be our favorite. The haul each week is very diverse and generous. The kale and arugula, the turnips and carrots, the peppers and garlic are all amazingly fresh and delicious. I have learned how to use vegetables I would have never eaten, and cook in new and exciting ways. We save so much money each week by using the CSA as our primary source and the farmers' market to supplement when needed. The value alone is enough reason to join.

John and Elizabeth also do a great job of building community by donating to local food based charities, by encouraging volunteerism in exchange for produce and by throwing fun seasonal parties on the farm. All of these help to strengthen the local community as well as encourage us to learn about where our food comes from and how it is grown. They really run their farm in a pay-it-forward approach, which is both generous and inspiring. Another cool aspect is they are always looking for ways to add to the haul in very useful ways. By working with other local growers and producers they have added oranges, apples and pomegranates and I hear there are other interesting things that will be added to the mix soon. All in all a great value and a wonderful experience.