Reviews for: Patchwork Gardens

I got in on the CSA with Patchwork Gardens last fall, after being disappointed with another CSA (we will leave nameless). I was so impressed that I signed up right away this year. The large share is huge. I get more than enough produce. The guys are also very friendly and give great customer service. If you want all natural veggies, give them a try!!

I've been a CSA member for 2 years now, and I couldn't be more satisfied. George and the gang continue to deliver fresh, delicious produce each week!

Every once in a while I'll even drop by the farm to help pick veggies on a Sunday afternoon. Knowing the people who grow and pick my food makes me enjoy it all the more, as does knowing that it's all done the natural way, without chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Sure, I could go to Wally World and buy some tomatoes from Chile that taste like cardboard for a dollar per pound, but why? Getting real, wholesome, delicious food, and knowing that my money is going to a local, sustainable business is priceless!

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.

I have purchased produce and eggs from Patchwork Gardens (PWG) for the last four years. I have been a regular at the farmers market and also have purchased the CSA. These hard-working folks provide some of the highest quality products I have ever seen and they have fun doing it!

Their CSA is unique in that you can tell them which weeks you will miss and they will not charge you for those weeks. There are very few other CSAs that offer this feature and it is one of the best selling points.

When you combine quality, price, flexibility, and the fun factor... you have a winner.

Individual Products:

Eggs - Have you ever truly had an organic, free-range egg? One that comes from a chicken that literally does whatever it pleases during the day? Have you ever cracked a PWG egg into a pan next to the most expensive eggs from your local yuppie grocery store? PWGs eggs have a deep orange yolk and an incredible flavor. I've visited the farm and seen these chickens. Its amazing.

Greens - Using greenhouses, PWG grows salad and cooking greens throughout the year. Their greens are consistently higher quality and more reasonably priced. Do I like every green grown on the planet? No. However, PWG provides a seasonally rotating variety that keeps us consumers on our toes and allows us to truly eat with the season. The salad mix continually changes based upon which lettuces grow best in that type of weather. And greens in the winter, you'll never taste anything sweeter.

Beets, Turnips, and other root vegetables - If I make it to the farmers market too late, PWG is sold out of beets. I love to buy their beets and carrots and juice them with greens. Google some juice recipes and try it... you won't be disappointed.

Italian necessities (peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini) - My true bias now comes out. I am Italian. Eggplant parmigiana, peppers & onions, fresh tomatoes, grilled zucchini? Sound foreign to you? I eat this stuff from the moment its available till the first frost.

Berries - Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries. They don't even make it home with me during my drive.

Everything else - As time goes by, the farm has improved. Was everything an A+ the first year? No! Obviously! However as I have watched this group grow, mature, and learn, I have been amazed at the progress.

Here's to next season!

As a past CSA customer, I know Patchwork provides the freshest local vegetables. The CSA box is usually overflowing with a variety of produce. One can tell that the produce has just been picked. The salad greens and cooking greens are great, I will never eat ice berg lettuce again. And the potatoes and sweet potatoes, oh my. Many great meals were created.

Patchworks Gardens provided perhaps 40-60 dollars worth of sub standard produce for 500 prepaid dollars. The produce was typically discarded as it was not fit for human consumption. The "farm" appeared to be poorly run by folks who know nothing about agriculture. All identified themselves as engineers. I will take my own suggestion and buy from farmers in the future. The carrots were so damaged by nematodes they were barely recognizable. There were perhaps 6 good tomatoes received for the entire season. We would typically stop at a true produce farm on the way home from patchworks gardens to buy edible produce. As a farmer myself I see a lot of gardens and produce. patchworks gardens produce is among the worst I have ever seen or tasted. My advice is to visit the CSA first. I certainly wish I had.

This is my first year doing CSA, and I love it! The produce is so fresh and it tastes great! And the farm fresh eggs are a must!

the folks at patchwork gardens are wonderful and really care about the health of both the food that they grow but also of the community and land!