Time to update my review. Previously I gave 5 stars after having had 7 weekly shares in the Summer / Fall Season 2011. After having subsequently subscribed to a Medium Winter share 2011 and a full Medium Summer/Fall Season 2012 I am now giving two stars, which according to Yelp means "Meh. I've experienced better" and reflects my experience over this time.
If you don't read the whole review below, here's the quick of it:
1. I felt the "choice" option was not worth the money paid for it.
2. That the farmers choice further reduced the value of the choice option.
3. That a weeks share (Approx. $38) would be gone unless picked up between the specified hours.
4. Often enough rotten produce was received.
CHOICE OPTION (-1 star)
As I was not interested in receiving inedible items I signed up for the "choice" option. Some CSA's offer you the option of selecting which vegetables you would never like to receive. In my opinion that it a great feature, something Schreiber & Sons does not offer at this time. To make my choice, I have to respond to a weekly email sent out and am encouraged to only select on or two items to replace so the balance of the produce isn't thrown off. Sometimes it was unavoidable and I would replace 3 or 4 items in the week. Sometimes the weekly email was sent late, sometimes I responded too late, sometimes the choice options were not honored though they were on the sticker on the box, and sometimes they were not even on the label. These instances understandably resulted in my not receiving my choice for the week. However, since I was paying extra each week for this option, I felt it was not worthwhile in the end as there were too many times I was left dissatisfied.
FARMERS CHOICE (-1/2 star)
Each week, the farmer puts a "farmers choice" item on the list of produce for the week. Sometimes this is okay, but often times we end up getting something we didn't want or wouldn't eat, so it left us feeling frustrated again. When we weren't paying for choice it wasn't a problem for us, we just dealt with it. I guess I assumed we would have more control over the produce we receive with "choice" but it was't what I thought.
PICK UP ON TIME OR ELSE (-1/2 star)
Some days it wasn't possible to pick up the share between the set times of 2:30 - 6:30pm from the drop off location. On these days I arrived to find my box of produce gone, so I would go knock on the door of the "host" (the person allowing the drop off to happen at their place). The host would say "you're not the only person who gifted our family food this week". I was like, dude, I did not gift you food, you stole my sh!%. I explained that it was at times impossible for me to get there between the hours specified. He said, "oh, if you would have told me sooner, we could have held your box inside for you and you could just knock and come get it". WHAT!? Seriously!? No...see, my box had already been pieced out to the guys brother-in-law who arrives religiously to pickup produce that someone else didn't come to get that day though he's not a subscriber himself. So, he pieced me together a 1/2 right box of vegetables and I left seeing the end of this CSA was near. There were other times where I just didn't even go to the guys door to bother since I would have been there more around 10 or 11pm. I never got that produce back, or the money I paid for it. But, I was told I could pay more money each week for a delivery to my home.
ROTTEN PRODUCE (-1 star)
On numerous occasions we picked up the produce right at 2:30, took it home and unpacked it to wash and sort into the fridge only to find that our produce was already rotting or rotten. Strawberries, garlic, squash, and others.
We really wanted to support local farmers, and have locally grown, organic produce, but it looks like we're back to shopping at the grocery store. read more
