Reviews for: Revive Gardens

So I drive by this farm a few times a week, and this week observed the following:

Ongoing: Banner sign still up advertising shares.

Tuesday: Ripe tomatoes in the field (And other things, as well, but remember the promise then retraction regarding tomatoes? I do.) (<- read the post below if you forgot or are interested)

Wednesday: Ye Young Fraudster Himself harvesting numerous (probably two dozen) field lugs of tomatoes and putting them in a white truck. I'm guessing he's sold those to a restaurant or something. (Right: after telling shareholders there would not be enough for a distribution.)

Take Away: Really, people, find ANY OTHER organic farm to give your money to. These guys are a sick joke and should be made to answer formal fraud charges.

This just in from the farmer: This is by far the hardest collection of words I've ever had to write. I have been non-communicative this past month because I haven't been able to find the words to share where the farm and our season is at. I've encountered another heartbreaking fork in the road and have found myself avoiding and unable to share the direction I'm now on.

The circumstance of this season has been hard beyond imagine and highly disappointing for us all. The final nail in our coffin has come in the form of not being able to continue on the piece of land we've been working for the last few seasons. Our landowners have continued to share that our being there to farm is uncomfortable and have created a toxic situation in which we can no longer cultivate the community we crave along with crops. Land and water are the most important and hardest commodities for farmers to come by and after the severity of downfall in our relationship created by the landowners, Revive Gardens will not be a functional farm again for some time. With the shift of knowing that we are not wanted on that piece of land we had to make some hard decisions and change direction as for the completion of this season.

As mentioned in a past email, I've been working a full time job in a kitchen again in order to pay bills as the farm as been entirely unproductive and has continued to decline. I'm working a "normal" job in hopes that we can secure a more permanent land and water situation in the future. All of my farm time, which isn't much, has been split between trying to maintain the tomatoes and get a bumper crop out of them and turning a ten year plan around and finding a way to turn the growing space back into a pasture before the end of this season. In order to take the necessary steps to finish this season the way it's been demanded of us we were unable to carry out the lifespans of a lot of replanted crops (which were still struggling and limping along anyway).

As far as another distribution goes I just don't have the productivity to put one together. As much as I want the tomatoes to produce a huge amount all at once, I didn't grow for that back at the beginning of the year. I planned for variety and a number of crops being ready throughout this late summer and fall season. I just don't see it worth your time to come by for one or two tomatoes. I never planned for a single full scale distribution of just one or two crops and the plantings don't support that. The fall squash went into the ground as the soil began to fail and despite the extra push we gave them there just wasn't enough left for the demands of those plants.

Believe that I understand that this season has been disappointing. I am more sorry than you'll ever know but have done all I can. My deepest hope is that this season will not shape your vision of CSA for the future and that you will find another farmer and support them to share a community dream.

This was my first year investing in a CSA and I have learned a lot. I learned that nothing is guaranteed and that investing in a CSA is just like investing in anything else. When the bounty is high, all benefit, and when it is low, all bear the weight. I have read all of the reviews on this site and I have to say that I am sorry for those who have limited budgets and this year didn't work out for them, but I am also disappointed in the wrath that they have chosen to rain down in their anger and disappointment. I have tried to grow my own vegetables in recent years with minimal success as hailstorms, hard rain, insects etc.always seem to get the best of me and they are ALWAYS threats in Colorado. That non-stop rains this Spring caused problems with Eli and Sarah's farming didn't surprise me one bit. Of course I had hoped for more, but reality is sometimes challenging. If these awesome people decide to brave the climate again, I'll be there. All of the produce I received was delicious!

I just read the posts over at Facebook and my reaction is this: what a whitewash job! These guys treated shareholders with total disregard. They may sleep fine at night, but I don't think that's a good measure of their character. I think they are crooks. Period.

Spend your money more wisely than did we shareholders: go to the farmers market.

Eli and his lovely wife are friendly and the vegetables are clean and fresh. It's very refreshing having a farm in so close to town. I like the idea that by purchasing a share in the farm I am helping to keep a working farm survive. My dad, grandpa, and his father before him were farmers. Without CSA shares we would lose these small farms. Buying into a CSA allows you to share in the responsibility and the bounty. In good times you reap the harvest, in hard times you ensure the farm will be there next year and not turn into a new subdivision. I have done shares for over 20 years and I'll continue in the future. It's true not all years are good. If you can not afford to invest in a farm just keep buying your food at Safeway. For those of us that are not scraping by and we can afford to invest in our community and enable small farmers to provide us with fresh organic home grown food Revive Gardens is a wonderful opportunity to be a member of. Thanks for all your hard work.

Well as others have said, I paid $425 for a couple of bags of lettuce. I received 4 weeks of produce when I paid up front, in full, for a full season share (typically around 6 months). Absolutely no refunds or compensation offered. BEWARE, apparently CSA's have no responsibility or accountibility to provide what they say they're going to provide. I feel like they stole my money - which was a big chunk of my grocery budget that I use to feed my family!

This CSA started later than others in the area, and only had lettuce/chard/kale with the occasional bunch of basil. I was hoping that the variety & amount would pick up when the weather got hotter. Instead, the farm sent out an email saying that they would take a 3-4 week break while they replanted. The farm had cancelled its farmers' markets and restaurant deliveries to focus on the CSA portions. I should hope so! We CSA members are the only fools who paid for the entire season up front - yes, our shares should be prioritized! The owner also said he was going to "get a real job" just so they could keep the lights on, and he would keep working to get the CSA functioning. Then, they sent out another email saying that the CSA was cancelled! Of course, I understand the risk of Mother Nature and wouldn't complain if there's some hail or insects. But I got ripped off: several hundred dollars for a few bags of lettuce. Ridiculous! I will definitely join a CSA next spring but NOT this one!!

Mine is a lengthy, multi-state history with agriculture: I've owned farms, worked on farms, frequented, managed & marketed Farmers Markets; orchestrated agricultural events, been a member of large and small CSAs and most recently run a successful organic fish CSA.

I bought a Revive Gardens share this year, planning to take the year off to --for the first time since starting my own CSA-- get off the farm and have some fun this summer. Anyway my family saw less than 20% return on our investment before the CSA season was cancelled entirely.

I feel swindled. Robbed. Cheated. Lied to. I have seen farmers move heaven and earth to meet expectations. Indeed, I have been that farmer, working 16-18 hour days to pull off miracles for customers. But I have never seen a farmer quit just when the growing should be getting good. This is shameful.

Please save yourself some grief --and money. Buy from one of the other local farms.

I advise one and all to look elsewhere for your organic produce. Do not buy a share in this farm unless you have money to burn.

One month into the (so far mediocre) 2015 season share members were told there would be at LEAST a one month gap in which we would see no produce. We were further informed that the farm was failing due to extreme plant stress (various reasons nebulously sited, no responsibility taken and Ma Nature blamed) and that the farmer was going to have to, I quote, "Get a real job", but that he still has hopes of planting anew and bringing those edibles to fruition. Which seems to mean that there is no hope of getting one more leafy green from this share this summer. (Ever work full time and run a 60-share farm? Yeah.)

And yes, indeed, there is risk in farming and in CSA share buying. However this is an inexcusable breach of trust.