Recently in CSA Category

Today was the final week of the final session of the Willie Green's Organic Farm Winter CSA, and I have to say I have been less than impressed as the season wore on. The pricing wasn't terrible. For the 12 weeks, I bought 360 credits at roughly 70 cents each. Items were tagged with a cost in credits, apples were 1.5 credits each the whole season, or $1.04 each. A little on the pricey side, but the apples at least were ripe and in good condition. I really can't recommend anything else from the program. The herbs were always half dead (and I do mean half dessicated) and in smaller bunches than you get in the clamshell packs at the grocery store. The salad greens were a bit haphazard -- there were some things in there that were clearly weeds. No, not fancy greens. No, not sprouts. Actual non-edible weeds. The baby lettuce heads were absolutely full of dirt and took forever to wash and clean. Squash rotted on two occasions (something that properly harvested and stored winter squashes should not do, at least not within 48 hours of receiving them), and the one gigantic butternut squash I did manage to get and use before it went bad... was the palest most bland awful butternut I've ever had.

The one week that I decided to use close to 60 credits and really stock up on veggies for the holidays, they fucked up my order and gave me someone else's non-custom box. They eventually delivered some of the stuff that I'd ordered, but it wasn't complete, and the quality was again lacking.

Throughout the course of the season, there were a couple of minor issues with incorrect items, but the big screw up was really a bummer.

All in all, I have to say that I'll be trying Pioneer Organics or even looking to somewhere else for my organic produce needs. Willie Green's is a nice concept, but the quality was poor for the price.

This all started with a flyer in the community newsletter packet from Redmond Ridge. Willie Green's Organic Farm was offering winter CSAs in various configurations. When we lived in California, I did a Planet Organics box every two weeks, and it was wonderful. Aside from being able to stick it to the Man and to supermarkets who stock nothing but crappy, wilted produce, and helping small farmers to stay in business, CSAs provide wonderfully fresh organic produce.

For the winter, Willie Green's offers four 4 week sessions, so you don't have to sign up for too much, or make a huge commitment. I did the math and decided to do a small customizable share for the remaining 3 sessions (12 weeks total). It works out to about $21 a week ($250 total). Willie Green's works on a credits system, and assigns each item a credit amount. For the $250, I bought 360 credits to use however I'd like over the course of the 12 weeks. Each week I go online and select what items I'd like that week. Then on Sunday, the farm drops off a cardboard box at the ROA building here, and I can pick it up there -- it's even walkable.

Here's what I got the first week:

* 3 Gala Apples: These were amazing. It's been years since I had a ripe apple -- supermarket crap does not compare.

* 1/2 lb Romano Beans: Flat Italian type. Haven't had a chance to cook these yet, and they looked a little "end of season" which is understandable.

* 1 bunch Chiogga Beets: The candycane striped ones! Haven't had a chance to cook these yet (tomorrow hopefully), but they looked great. I wish I had a compost pile because these came with a huge bunch of beet greens on top. Hippies would eat those too, but I think they're icky :)

* 1/4 lb Red Russian Garlic: This was a HUGE bust. They looked horrible in the box, two very ratty looking heads of garlic, half rotten and dirty. I tried to use some of the cloves -- cutting off the brown yucky spots -- but this was just crap. Never again.

* 1 bunch Winterbor Kale: This looks lovely, I'll be cooking it up tomorrow with a little bacon and onion and vinegar. Yum!

* 1 Baby Head Lettuce: This was an odd one -- it was actually green leaf lettuce in the smallest little heads imaginable. I got 6 or 7 heads counted as one unit. Unfortunately it only made one salad for Richard, so it's not cost effective, but still worth trying again.

* 2 Anjou Pears: I hate pears. Sometimes I forget this fact :) That being said, these were actually quite good as far as gritty yucky pear flesh goes. Texturally pears are just gross, but the flavor was bright, fresh and sweet. But, I still hate pears, so no more of those.

* 4 oz Spinach: This was nice. It came very clean in a bag, but it seemed to have a bunch of "not spinach" plantlets mixed in. Maybe the baby plants were starting to bolt, but having grown spinach from seed, this didn't look like baby spinach. I picked those things out and the rest was wonderful. Definitely two good salads worth.

* 1 bunch Thyme: Wow. This was just amazing. Really stocky thyme plants with nice plump leaves that looked liked they'd been picked that morning. This went straight into the freezer for enjoyment all winter.

* 1/2 lb Fingerling Potatoes: Also haven't had a chance to cook these, but they look lovely.

All of the above totals 32 credits, and I think it was worth it. This week: more apples, some more lettuce, squashes and potatoes!