Is CSA the new Supermarket?
After reading about how SPUD, the organically local CSA, is kinda taking over Seattle and Pioneer Organics, I did a little investigating. I too want to jump on this local food delivery bandwagon so the research was two-fold. If you’re interested in getting local(ish) food delivered to your door, here’s a breakdown of what’s available in Seattle. Or at least what I had time to look at.
SPUD: Confusing website. Seems like they offer the most though, by letting you choose all your grocery needs, way beyond the produce section. But I have no idea how much anything cost because there were just way too many links, with too many words. I go on first impressions, so I was immediately turned off by this.
Pioneer Organics: Probably the next biggest Seattle CSA enterprise. But if you ask around, there seems to be a lot of discussion on how they seem to give rotten produce every now and then. Like a pear here and a pear there. Sure, they’ll replace it for you, but when you’re paying $35 a month and you have to talk to someone about said rotten pear it just didn’t seem worth it. They do deliver and I like that they could either surprise you with that weeks produce, or you can pick the items on their website, like SPUD.
Full Circle: This one I just don’t get. You have to pick up your food? Couldn’t I go to the grocery store for that? Or the Ballard/Fremont/University District Farmer’s Market? I kept searching.
New Roots: Everything I wanted and them some. Easy website. Not too many links. Personal bins for single people. Price was easy to find. Produce is a surprise and there’s no obligation to stay for a period of time. There isn’t even an order form. You actually get to talk to someone on the phone, without being put on hold and having to listen to Seal over and over again. The only downfall as of yet is that all they offer is produce and coffee. And that during the winter months, they go to California for some of their produce. Both of which are fine by me. I’ve been buying oranges from Venezula for 29 years now, so getting something from Oakland is fine by me.
So you probably know which one I’m picking. And I think everyone has their stories, good and bad, about each service. I believe the best way to choose the right one for you is to just go for it and see what happens. The worst that could happen is that you overdose on brussel sprouts, which might just make your mommy very happy.
I highly recommend New Roots. I’ve been using their service for about six weeks now, and I’ve been very impressed. The produce is delivered promptly, and in excellent condition - haven’t had to throw out so much as a leaf upon delivery!
Plus, they give you the option to either permanently or temporarily delete specific items from their weekly delivery list (no Brussels sprouts shall EVER pass these lips!), and even skip weeks if you just can’t get through everything they sent the week before. And I don’t know what’s considered a week’s "normal" fruit-n’-veggie intake for a single person, but dang, they sure do bring you a lot for $25 a week!
And I think it says a lot about the integrity of the company that when you call, Carolyn, the owner, is the person with whom you actually speak.
I’ve been using Pioneer for years, but now that they’ve been taken over by SPUD I’m thinking about switching to New Roots. I like being able to get more than just produce, but it might be worth the sacrifice.
fwiw, I love Spud. I do all of my grocery shopping through them, although I do not do the weekly bin, but choose my own vegetables. Ordering is actually very simple, they just have things organized into categories - such as produce and meat and blah-di-blah. I highly recommend.
The reason you have to go pick up your stuff from Full Circle is that Full Circle is a CSA, unlike the other companies you mention, which are just produce delivery companies. From the USDA’s web site (http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csadef.shtml):
CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer’s salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.
[...] solution to the Case Of The Mysterious New Author And Her Produce Lust By Dylan Solution: Barrie referred to SPUD as a CSA, when it is clearly not a CSA but a food-delivery service. She also could not have [...]
To unregistered…
If you notice in the start of this blog I said, "a little investigating" thus the horrendous mistake of writing that SPUD is a CSA. My apologies if I’ve offended you or SPUD. I shall never refer to SPUD as a CSA again.
Cool?
is everyone off this topic? spuds trucks look horrendous. the website is ok. they had a set up at vegfest this weekend. it was ok. the girl there was super cute /fit etc. very nice. henry their "head guy" in seattle (thats as far as I could get with him) was ‘ok’. I couldn’t really ‘extrapolate’ their story. they weren’t "buzzing’ or taking over the conversation _ like "HEY..this is what we do - its super easy, we love it, its fresh, etc" - there was no brimming enthusiasm. I just wasn’t getting it.
Full circle was also at vegefest. Although busy, Maggie was super cool and you could tell - you could just feel she was brimming w/ excitement. Full Circle is onto something. If they did deliver, that would be the way to go. Why you ask? because you KNOW where the food is coming from - its all coming from the snoqualmie valley. SPUD’s produce is coming from all over the world. mexico, etc, etc. Full circle? your backyard. thats just kind of a cool story. back yard food! clean back yard food.