Americans, why don’t you want to consume farm-fresh vegetables?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s you. Not the vegetables.

Anonymous wrote:Because then they’d have to interact with nosy, judgmental, gossipy you. They are rightly gauging that you take notes on your neighbors, speculate and judge them, and even run to the Internet to try to drum up more speculation and gossip about them with total strangers.

I mean, yeah. In the space of six or seven sentences I already picked up that OP is over-invested and strange, and I don't want her having my contact information.

Can you imagine the email if you didn't order anything for a few weeks? Christ, no thanks. I have better options,a ll things considered.

[Anonymous]

I go to the farmers market regularly, and primarily shop at Whole Foods. I assume Whole Foods vegetables come from a farm too? I travel a lot so our food needs vary from week to week. Much easier to think about it when I need it, not commit to orders in advance. And at this time of year it's hard to rely on the farmer's market for too much because there are only so many root vegetables one can eat, although they do have some hot house stuff too.

Also definitely not picking up a vegetable from a NextDoor post - that's creepy.

[Anonymous]

I did use a service like this in my community. The food was quite good, but there was a $60 minimum (and we are only a family of two so that was both a big chunk of my grocery budget and a lot of apples or cabbage or whatever). It was also a fair amount of logistics to order by the deadline, make sure someone was home in a reasonable amount of time after the delivery. The prices on average were higher for me-I shop at Aldi and eventually I just couldn't justify it.

[Anonymous]

Most UMC Americans don't cook. That's why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s your marketing strategy. Posting on next door is not a marketing strategy.

+1 I for example might be into this (I used to love my CSA before they stopped having a pickup point I could get to) but I’m also not on next door or fb. Try fliers at the farmer’s market to catch some of us crunchy outliers.

[Anonymous]

I would be skeptical that a farm within 7 miles of here could provide the variety of vegetables you describe. That's just not possible.

Maybe your neighbors already do a CSA - we do for May-November.

[Anonymous]

I buy a lot of lettuce and salad vegetables. That's not going to be locally grown here for much of the year (and in season, I grow my own). So you're talking about a big markup and shopping inconvenience for something trucked in from Michigan or wherever, which is no better for the environment. Costco works fine for my needs.

I sometimes patronize a farm-dairy that delivers, even through I know the produce isn't theirs. But on the whole I think farmers markets and especially the "ugly produce" gimmick are scams. For example, mishappen commercial produce is not thrown away like Instagram says: it is used in juice, puree, or baked goods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s you. Not the vegetables.

This. I live in arlington. There are no farms within 7 miles and anything being grown around here except from maybe June -October is not being grown outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s you. Not the vegetables.

This. I live in arlington. There are no farms within 7 miles and anything being grown around here except from maybe June -October is not being grown outside.

I suspect OP isnt in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s you. Not the vegetables.

Anonymous wrote:Because then they’d have to interact with nosy, judgmental, gossipy you. They are rightly gauging that you take notes on your neighbors, speculate and judge them, and even run to the Internet to try to drum up more speculation and gossip about them with total strangers.

I mean, yeah. In the space of six or seven sentences I already picked up that OP is over-invested and strange, and I don't want her having my contact information.

Can you imagine the email if you didn't order anything for a few weeks? Christ, no thanks. I have better options,a ll things considered.

I read the post differently. This isnt a commitment, more like on an impromptu basis. Sounds like a great setup to be honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do like the idea of a CSA, but all the ones I know of, you get what you get and you don’t get upset. So then I’ve got 3 pounds of rutabaga in my fridge, which I neither particularly care for nor am adept at cooking. This is stressful to me. I buy veggies a couple of times a week so I can get small quantities of exactly what I want. I’d love to be able to do this straight from a farm, but as far as I know, I can’t.

OP here. Yes, I’m with you on the downsides of a CSA. Which is why I thought this personalized order setup would be a hit. You get to order exactly what you want based on the farm’s availability for that week.

Some of us make our weekly menus based on different things — not necessarily based on what’s available. I plan my weekly menu on Saturday, and what I choose to cook depends on how quickly I need to cook it, whom I will be cooking out for, and what I’m craving that week. Just because I don’t buy from your farm fresh source doesn’t mean I don’t like or eat vegetables!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I buy a lot of lettuce and salad vegetables. That's not going to be locally grown here for much of the year (and in season, I grow my own). So you're talking about a big markup and shopping inconvenience for something trucked in from Michigan or wherever, which is no better for the environment. Costco works fine for my needs.

I sometimes patronize a farm-dairy that delivers, even through I know the produce isn't theirs. But on the whole I think farmers markets and especially the "ugly produce" gimmick are scams. For example, mishappen commercial produce is not thrown away like Instagram says: it is used in juice, puree, or baked goods.

Salad greens grow best in spring and fall in cooler weather and may be grown locally in greenhouses. In CSAs, get a lot of greens in spring/fall. You might like it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s you. Not the vegetables.

Anonymous wrote:Because then they’d have to interact with nosy, judgmental, gossipy you. They are rightly gauging that you take notes on your neighbors, speculate and judge them, and even run to the Internet to try to drum up more speculation and gossip about them with total strangers.

I mean, yeah. In the space of six or seven sentences I already picked up that OP is over-invested and strange, and I don't want her having my contact information.

Can you imagine the email if you didn't order anything for a few weeks? Christ, no thanks. I have better options,a ll things considered.

I read the post differently. This isnt a commitment, more like on an impromptu basis. Sounds like a great setup to be honest.

Right. But she'd have my contact information one way or another -- email, phone number, address for delivery, something -- and eww, no.

I am willing to pay more not to have the instability of this kind of one-on-one interaction with people who smell a little "unhinged," in DCUM parlance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s you. Not the vegetables.

Anonymous wrote:Because then they’d have to interact with nosy, judgmental, gossipy you. They are rightly gauging that you take notes on your neighbors, speculate and judge them, and even run to the Internet to try to drum up more speculation and gossip about them with total strangers.

I mean, yeah. In the space of six or seven sentences I already picked up that OP is over-invested and strange, and I don't want her having my contact information.

Can you imagine the email if you didn't order anything for a few weeks? Christ, no thanks. I have better options,a ll things considered.

I read the post differently. This isnt a commitment, more like on an impromptu basis. Sounds like a great setup to be honest.

Right. But she'd have my contact information one way or another -- email, phone number, address for delivery, something -- and eww, no.

I am willing to pay more not to have the instability of this kind of one-on-one interaction with people who smell a little "unhinged," in DCUM parlance.

Seriously, you sound like a Grinch. Nothing the OP said seems weird to me. It makes sense that the farm would prefer to deliver a larger order so what the OP is proposing sounds like a win-win for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do like the idea of a CSA, but all the ones I know of, you get what you get and you don’t get upset. So then I’ve got 3 pounds of rutabaga in my fridge, which I neither particularly care for nor am adept at cooking. This is stressful to me. I buy veggies a couple of times a week so I can get small quantities of exactly what I want. I’d love to be able to do this straight from a farm, but as far as I know, I can’t.

I’ll take the rutabega and turnips! I love root vegetables