Well folks, the box arrived!
Contents:
- Leek, 1, 1lb
- Kale, 1 bunch, 8.2oz
- Golden beet, 3, 1lb 4.7oz
- Baby broccoli, 1 bunch, 9.8oz
- Gala apple, 3, 1lb 2.3oz
- Naval orange, 3, 1lb 10.4oz
- Ruby grapefruit, 2, 1lb 11oz
- Kiwi, 4, 12.3oz
Total: 8.7lbs of produce (3.4lb veg, 5.3lb fruit)
The receipt says that 0.75lb of red onions were included, but since I opted out of them, none were included and they added 1 grapefruit which actually got me an extra 0.1lb.
There is one big problem with the delivery, and a few positives.
The obvious issue: we paid for a regular 10-13lb box ($29) but got the size of a senior/student 8-10lb box ($23). Maybe it's shallow of me, but I am trying to stay somewhat frugal here and $3.33/lb doesn't fit into the budget (or into expectations set by the website, where no box gets over $2.90/lb). I've never done a CSA before, so I don't know if some boxes are slim while others in other parts of the year are more bountiful. They DO send an itemized list with the costs adding up to $29, but seriously, who pays $2.33 for a single grapefruit?
It also says that this box is for 1-2 people for a week... not counting meat/grains/beans of course, it would feed just me alone for 3 days and I'd still have to add in my extra carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, salad greens. I have a feeling that my expectations are way too high, and/or that we eat more produce than most people.
What I do like is the freshness! Each item is high quality. I haven't tasted everything, but the kiwis are fantastic (don't forget to eat the skins!) and now I kind of want a kiwi tree. I also like that the box asks you to flatten it and place it out the night before delivery for reuse. Another benefit is that they sent me 3 veggies I rarely cook with (last night's beets were a fluke), so it'll help me get a little more creative in the kitchen this week.
The plants look store-bought, down the the stickers on the apples and the printed ties on the bunches of veggies. If they had a budget box that had cosmetically imperfect fruit or veggies with farm dirt still on them, I'd be all over that.
Looking forward...
As the current box stands, it is not worth it to me.
I am going to change my preferences to only vegetables, since there is always a plethora of fruit in the house and I'm primarily looking to increase our veggie intake. This move will very likely increase my happiness with the product. I'll get at least one more box in 2 weeks, then decide whether or not it's worth it.
I am also going to visit the next farmer's market with $29, the same I spent on the box, and see what I come home with. Now, I always restrain my spending to like $5-8 at a farmer's market for some reason... I've never forced myself to spend what I had, so this'll be a different experience. I'll try to come home with the most variety and bulk as possible, then take photos and compare it to the boxes. Maybe it'll be cheaper by the pound since there's no personal delivery cost involved, and it doesn't cost me much at all to travel since it's just a mile from the house.
The only problem is that the farmer's market doesn't start until May 9th! My science experiment will have to wait.
Perhaps I'll end up doing the farmer's market while it's available May-Oct, and the CSA Nov-April.
In summary,
I really need to get the rest of my garden planted. NOW. I'm running out of the volunteer mustard greens finally, and there's nothing really edible out there besides a few herbs, 1 kale, and some extremely happy nasturtiums.
Edit: I just found their Facebook page, and their variety from week to week is really impressive, there are almost no repeats! Looking at the extra veggies that come with the bigger boxes, I do think that I'll be happier with a veggie-only box.
Second edit, 2 weeks later:
Doorstep Farmers' more easily accessible "how it works" web page says 10-13lbs, but I discovered today that on the "shop" page if you click the box three times, it says 7-9lbs. So the 8.7lbs from the first box may have been intentional and/or a reflection of a more current estimate. All the boxes appear to be a few pounds lighter on the shop page.
