This weekend, Pedro and I visited
Magnolia Farms for a
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) member meeting and open house. We are so glad we went. It was great to see the farm, talk more with the farmers and meet some of the other members.
As you can see by the photos, we were especially captivated by the animals.
This goat looking at me innocently, is taking a short break from munching on the tree branches.
It is not growing season right now in the hot, dry fields, but there are still a few things growing. When I look at the dirt, I marvel, as it is the same dirt I have in my yard, that I find impossible to grow anything in. When I talked about the poor dirt in Florida with the farmers, I discovered that it is difficult for them too. I have a lot of respect for the hard work involved with farming.
3 comments:
I loved the idea of fresh, locally grown organic produce. Unfortunately Magnolia Farms has turned out to be a nightmare for me. I paid them $864 for 16 weeks of vegetables, fruit, and eggs. I only received 5 weeks of fruit before they said they couldn't afford to buy it anymore because the farm was in debt. I received 9 weeks of vegetables before the freeze in January damaged the crops. The contract said I would receive credit in case of weather catastrophe but she says "i owe u nothing". Beware! I have been unable to resolve this with them.
I had a similar experience as anonymous, above! We paid $300 for an 8-week season plus $16 for delivery fees, so about $37 per week. The amount of produce we received was truly pitiful -- literally just a few sad items for many of the weeks. The owner does 2 things on a regular basis: exaggerates and hits members up for more money. The level of service has been abyssmal. If Anonymous was unable to resolve issues, it is most likely not Anonymous's fault. I, too, was unable to get issues resolved and instead received rude, bullying, and literally name-calling communications from the owner. I am deeply disappointed, mostly because I was trying to do the right thing for my household and community.
Hello everyone.
Thanks for the comments. I can understand your frustration and disappointment. Unfortunately, with CSAs there is never a guarantee, that is the risk we take. There truly is so much out of the control of the farmer. Organic farming in FL is not easy.
What becomes troubling is when deliveries arrive continually late or are not happening at all with no communications or explanations.
However, I do not condone personally attacking people. I want to have an open exchange of ideas of experiences on my blog, but not at the expense of respect and decency.
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