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Farmfreshtoyou.com


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#1 ghost35me

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Posted 03 January 2016 - 09:11 AM

I recently became aware of this service. Does anybody use this service? Or has used this service? Any thoughts?

 

At first glance, it sounds like a nice service. I am diligent about my produce and won't buy anything from certain areas (ie - Mexico). Brazil, Peru is okay. But I avoid anything from Mexico. So, it's disappointing to go to the store for tomatoes, for example, and all of them are from Mexico for much of the year.

 

So, having a produce provider who sources everything domestically sounds nice. But the problems I see:

1) I'm not really keen on much of CA produce -- it's usually grown for weight, volume and size, not for taste. 

2) I need to continue to go to the store anyway to buy things

3) I don't eat their fixed combinations on a regular basis -- I buy produce based on what I feel like eating. I don't eat carrots because it's Tuesday. And the ratios are probably not ideal. And not sure if the pricing is reasonable.

 

On one hand, it sounds like a nice service to supplement the supermarket. On the other hand, I don't think it really fits my needs / wants.

 

Anybody have experiences with this?

 



#2 aztransplant

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Posted 03 January 2016 - 10:12 AM

I have not used this service. That said, here's what I have used/done:

www.soilborn.org -- May through November, weekly (saturday mornings) farm stand with copious amounts of freshly harvested seasonal organic fruits and veggies (eggs, too, I believe). It's about a 10-15 minute drive for me, or a fun bike ride along the American River Parkway trail.

What to do during the winter months??? This got me interested/excited about learning to grow my own. So I took a class about raised bed gardening at Soil Born. Now we can (and do) grow veggies like kale, chard, broccoli, spinach, lettuces, etc. and fruits, like zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers in our back yard raised bed beds, and tree fruits like plums, pluots, and citrus in our front yard.

Tomatoes are summer fruits here, so if you want local tomatoes this time of year they'll need to be hothouse grown. We've learned to eat seasonally, which is actually quite fun.

I go to Otow Orchard for persimmons (it's about a 10-15 minute drive for me) . www.otoworchard.com in summer they have a variety of stone fruits; this is where we tried out a bunch of local plums and pluots to decide what to grow ourselves.

I highly recommend Soil Born Farms. The seasonal kick-off -- Day on the Farm -- happens mid-May where you can purchase summer plant starts, check out the farm stand, listen to live music, and take a variety of workshops; lots of fun for the kids, too.

#3 ghost35me

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Posted 04 January 2016 - 09:01 AM

Grow your own is a good suggestion. I'm not sure I have the space and the knowledge to do so. But something to look into and consider.



#4 Rich_T

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Posted 04 January 2016 - 09:01 AM

We've been using Farm Fresh to you for a couple of years, with one monthly delivery for $33.  I would estimate that the fruits and vegetables we receive would cost about $20 at the store, so one is definitely paying for a service, and to support a local farm operation.  That being said, the service is excellent, they are very flexible when it comes to your options, and it's sort of "exciting" to receive the box on your doorstep.  It's a way to try some items that you might not have otherwise purchased at the store - and if you don't like anything, you can let them know to exclude that item in future. 

 

The quality of the produce is excellent, and it is picked from the field on the same day that it is delivered to your house.  The operation is located west of Davis.  Now that we have a Farmer's Market in Folsom, it is probably a better value to buy stuff there, but the downside is that you have to  actually take the time on a Saturday morning to go to the market. 

 

I've toyed with ending the service a couple of times, but for now we are still getting our monthly box of seasonal and local produce.  The items usually last about a week before we've consumed them.

 

So if you're concerned about quality, don't be.  It's really a price vs. convenience trade-off, and it prompts you to eat some healthy veggies.



#5 ghost35me

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Posted 04 January 2016 - 09:10 AM

Thanks! That's great input. About $15 for convenience / time / certainty is not bad. One thing about supermarkets is that I'm sometimes uncertain if they will have good quality produce in stock. Even at Raleys/Nugget/Whole Foods, they may have something in stock (like eggplants) but they may not look entirely fresh or unappealing for whatever reason (ie - imported from Mexico).

 

That might be one plus for this service -- an assurance of whatever you order will be of good quality and local.

 

Once a month might be a good trial. It sounds more promising based on your experiences. Thanks again - very helpful.



#6 Rich_T

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Posted 04 January 2016 - 12:53 PM

Thanks! That's great input. About $15 for convenience / time / certainty is not bad. One thing about supermarkets is that I'm sometimes uncertain if they will have good quality produce in stock. Even at Raleys/Nugget/Whole Foods, they may have something in stock (like eggplants) but they may not look entirely fresh or unappealing for whatever reason (ie - imported from Mexico).

 

That might be one plus for this service -- an assurance of whatever you order will be of good quality and local.

 

Once a month might be a good trial. It sounds more promising based on your experiences. Thanks again - very helpful.

 

That was pretty much our thought process as well, when we started the service.  Since then, a bonus is that their staff has always been very friendly and accommodating.

 

If you plan to go ahead for real, then message me, so that I (as a current subscriber) can get you a $10 discount for the first delivery, and a $25 credit for me.

 

FAQ:  http://www.farmfresh...rm_stand_market



#7 caligirlz

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Posted 08 January 2016 - 12:11 AM

I would agree with the Soil Born idea if you like to cook.

 

On the other hand, if you'd like pre-prepped & cooked (only requires heating), healthy delivered to your doorstep, then I may have the place for you. Forklifter Food Truck. http://forklifterfoodtruck.com/    I LOVE this company. I use their services and have never received a bad meal. They even got me to eating salmon. I was never a fish eater. I like their food better than most restaurants. Everyone I know who has used their service, loves it.

 

Highly recommended :2thumbsup:

 

 

 

There was a discussion about food delivery services in Folsom Chat with services ranging from ingredients + recipes, meals ready to be reheated. Some of the additional recommendations were:

Blue Apron http://www.blueapron.com/AprilJustinTV

Terra's kitchen

Hello Fresh

Dinner My Way (Gold River) http://www.dinnermyw...m/about-us.html

Green chef

Farewell Leftovers (Folsom) https://www.facebook...17907154973871/



#8 ghost35me

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Posted 08 January 2016 - 08:48 AM

Thanks -- I do prefer to cook myself. But desire good, fresh, quality ingredients. Unfortunately, much of the fruits and veggies grown in CA is disappointing. Largely fresh but just acceptable quality. I think the commercial growers focus on things like size and weight; taste doesn't seem to be a primary consideration.

 

I'm not sure I could grow anything better. But may be worth a shot. 






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