Red Earth Farm wrap up

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

My Red Earth Farm CSA finished up the season last week. (Yes, I thought this posted a few weeks ago and just realized it did not. Oops.)  It was my 5th year ordering vegetables with them.

I’ve done it a few different ways through the years. The first year I split a full share with a friend and bought a fruit share. At the time, Meadow Run Farm delivered with the veggies once a month. The vegetable share was great, the meat delivery was fantastic, but the fruit share was mediocre. There wasn’t enough and it came only every other week. It seemed like a lot of money for not a lot of fruit.

The second year I got a partial share and did not get a fruit share figuring I could get fruit through the buying club. Unfortunately, they stopped selling fruit through the buying club so I had to buy fruit every week at the farmer’s market. I was annoyed that I didn’t get the fruit even though I was annoyed getting the fruit the previous year. The meat buying club stopped delivery at the CSA site, which was also a downer.

The third year we got the partial share and a fruit share which was still mediocre, but better than not having a fruit share at all.

Last year I split a full share with my sister-in-law, got the fruit share, which seemed bigger, and an egg share. Without fail, I ran out of eggs before the two weeks were up and had to go out to buy eggs right before the next egg share was delivered and the eggs weren’t even as good as the eggs from Meadow Run Farm, but at least we had eggs.

This year it was another partial share, only with 3 kids I figured I’d try some of the extras like the cheese share. Rather than drive 10 minutes away to get the meat from Sweet Stem Farm (formerly Meadow Run)  I also tried the chicken share and the meat share ordered through Red earth. I decided to get double fruit and double egg shares, attempting to eliminate unnecessary grocery store trips. Bad move. The chicken share was delivered in a giant block which meant I had to partially defrost it to get it into my freezer. The meat share was canceled weeks into the season. I still have eight cartons of eggs in the fridge because somehow this is the year that no one wants to eat eggs. And the fruit? Way too many apricots and peaches. The end of the season with apples was wonderful, but my children were not fond of the two months of stone fruits. The cheese share, from Hillacres Pride, was amazing. I am all about the cheese share.

So for next year I’m sticking with Sweet Stem Farm for the meat, convenience be damned, getting a partial share of veggies, a cheese share, a single egg share, and I’m undecided about the fruit. It was a lot of apricots and a lot of peaches. But the apples and pears at the end of the season are so worth it. I will have to make a last minute decision.