What our CSA customers are saying about our program!

Responses.

Why did you join a CSA?

Responses.

I like supporting local small farmers.

I really joined for all of the above reasons, but as I become more educated about factory farming, it was especially important to me to support a local farmer who was doing things better.

I would say all of the above.

to eat more local & in season.

Also enjoyed challenge of cooking around veggies I would not necessarily have though to buy.

& support local agriculture!

Also, to support local grower.

all of the above!

All of the above - love the local, pretty much organic food that is in my price range. It's the complete foodies trifecta! The value is great, the food was great, and it is nice to know all this is happening right down the road from us!

And because what your grow is YUM, Van.

Good value and freshness are very important too.

as well as variety

I want to support sustainable, local agriculture

And I love fresh vegetables. It is so much better than the store!

Also like the idea of community supported agriculture since I am not making the time to grow my own vegies.

Want locally grown produce; as close to organically grown as possible

The flavor of your produce is much better than that of the grocery store produce. I also want to support local business and it is better for the environment for the food not to be transported so far (as is food the grocery stores buy).

Local is best! Want to eat what grows here now.

How would you rate the quality of the veggies you received in our Fall 2010 CSA program?

Responses.

thought the greens were great - also, sweet potatoes - rrest were good and better

Except the late yellow squash. The ones with hard skins. They were a little weird.

I don't enjoy cabbage very much.

Good doesn't quite cut it, outstanding is a pretty high bar. I did notice that my full share didn't always have all the items mentioned in the weekly share summary.

Especially loved the greens.

our family LOVED all the veggies.

The salad greens were great! My only complaint would be the wormy corn. Some of the tomatoes were mealy as if they had been in cold storage.

All of the vegetables are very good. The kale is "out of this world". Some of the vegetables are good, such as the tomatoes, but for all of the veggies, I would rate freshness as "fantastic". Our family feels so healthy eating our veggies, I swear I can feel an improvement in our health!

Only very occasionally was there some poorer quality veg. The salad greens were outstanding and they stayed fresh an amazingly long time (compared to store-bought).

Except for the broccoli.

For the most part, very good. Just a few questionable things.

Best quality that I have seen!

The produce was alway good

The organic methods you use plus such freshly harvested crops make for outstanding flavors and good quality produce.

Turnips were bitter and soapy tasting...bloody awful!

The first week brought us the most incredible eggplant. I may have wept.

What about value? Did you receive what was conveyed to you when you signed up?

Responses.

some weeks were better than others - altho fall is not exactly the best season for great variety

Definitely got my money's worth, even though we didn't manage to use every morsel of food in our share.

We aren't really comparing our share purchase on a cost basis, its the quality and taste we care about.

For what we get, and how consistent it is (you've never missed a week!)--awesomeness.

I think it's a great value for what we get.

some weeks were better than others; overall I was satisfied with the price

Sometimes the vegetables were not ones that I was used to cooking with so I had to figure out what to do with them. It was helpful to get recipes from you folks.

Many weeks the offerings seemed a bit sparse. I'm glad to help support a farm, but sometimes the amount of produce didn't seem to equal the weekly share price.

The price per item may seem high, but the overall value is unmatched. A partial share was perfect for two adults and that was what Van suggested.

We made an extra effort to use better quality delivery boxes. Did you find the way your shares were delivered to be satisfactory?

Responses.

the boxes were great--we were able to reuse them for our weekly recycling as well, so they were winners all around.

The packing is excellent and makes a huge difference in maintaining quality upon arrival.

The only complaint I would have is when not everything was included in the box. That last week, quite a few people didn't get their microgreens because they were hanging out in a separate bag - not in the box.

The boxes kept the shares beautifully. Very impressed.

I love Wednesdays!

Like the boxes

Boxes were great.

The boxes were OK, once the missing shares seemed to be taken care of. They are kind of a pain, however, as you put tons of tape on them, and if I transfer the share to a bag, then I have to deconstruct the box and leave it (pick up point: A Moveable Feast)

Being able to take the box home and bring it back the following week made pickups SO much easier - thank you for that!

I still have one box...Should I return it to my pickup site?

Would prefer not to have plastic bags.

I would like to see reusable boxes. Perhaps each drop off location has two sets.

We tried to include salad mix/baby arugula in almost every share for the entire ten-week program. Did you find these to be?

Responses.

The salad mix was always excellent.

one of my favorite parts of the share!!

and loved the micro greens!

almost always made good use of the salad mix, and was glad i didn't have to get any greens on my weekly grocery trips.

These are our favorite part of the box every week. Best salad greens we've ever had!

I am very happy to receive the salad mix every week.

That's one of the reasons I order. Love the micro greens as well!

One of the parts I miss the most when we are between seasons.

A bit too much arugula...

Love the arugula mixes the most

Way too much greens!

Too much in a full share every week for 2 people.

I loved them and they kept fresh for a long time.

I did find a live caterpillar in mine one week, but not a huge deal to me.

especially love the micro greens

Did find a small snail one time. Otherwise it was great. Your arugula was fantastic - the best I have ever had. Wish the arugula would show up more often alone in the partial shares.

Outstanding, and now that we've been spoiled we really can't eat the stuff in the box from the grocery.

Don't really crave salad during fall/cooler months and my kids are too young for salads, so it was a little much for us, I hated wasting it!!!!

Would be better if we didn't get them every week. We found it was too much salad and had to throw it out often.

Ok, salad mix and baby arugula are amongst my FAVORITES. We had dinner at the Grove recently, and I had an arugula salad, and I thought they might be from your farm.

Baby arugula always good.

We found worms in the salad a few times.

Sometimes the quality was a little compromised

not a big arugula fan sorry

this "pays" for my share in my opinion. Wonderful.

One of the best things in the box each week! We looked forward to the salad mix each week.

These are good for salads, although I take off a lot of the stems (I find them to be bitter), which makes for more work when preparing the salad.

I'd prefer not to have the mix in plastic bags. A paper bag would be fine for me.

In fact they were great but the one thing that regularly was too much. We just couldn't eat them all. But they were outstanding.

Fabulous!

The quality of the greens was fantastic. That's not the problem. The problem is eating a sack of greens for 10 weeks - way too much - and towards the end most of them went in the bin.

What about communication? Did you find our weekly farm updates informative and the recipes sufficient?

Responses.

more recipes (especially for the repeat veggies) and more advance notice of the weekly box (for meal planning)

i would have liked to have known on sunday evening what i was getting so i didn't have to buy it while grocery shopping

I love getting the weekly emails!

I like that you let us know what we will be receiving each week beforehand. I also liked the recipes you sent out. More recipes would be nice too.

Love the helpful hints and recipes. Keep them coming.

Loved getting the recipes. I tried every single one!

more recipes,even really basic techniques that we can adapt to our own tastes.

If possible, it would be great to have more advance notice on what will be in the week's share. As many days in advance that I have the details, I can plan the week. I usually get my veggies on Tues, so if I could know on Sat (or before) it would substantially improve my quality of life and use of the veggies.

Communication great, but if you ever were in a situation where you had some time (yeah, right?), I think some polishing would be useful from a marketing standpoint. Using whfoods.org to highlight a food's benefits (e.g., "Sweet potatoes are among nature's richest sources of beta-carotene.") might provide some useful newsletter "filler" for you. I like that whfoods.org cites its references, unlike some other health food resources.

Really like reading your recipes. They're alway

I really like the farm update. I am looking forward to visiting the farm, or attending one of the dinners. Do you ever need helpers at the dinners? I'm a good veggie prep person...

Much less complaining. We like a positive farmer.

and entertaining!

Van is a great writer. I like knowing ahead of time what is in the box.

I don't really check my email on a daily basis, however. You may want to provide the recipes when you announce what is in the share, rather than a few days later.

Recipes too complicated! More basicS on storage and one simple preperation method would be appreciated.

Will you participate in future Wood Duck Farm CSA programs and/or refer this program to a friend?

Responses.

we found that sometimes there were more veggies per week than we could eat!

i did 1/2 portion (and split it with a friend) - lot of stuff for 2 people...some things got redundant if you didn't cook every meal

I'd be likely to refer a friend with a larger family than mine, but I unfortunately will likley not be participating again anytime soon. Even the partial share was more food than I could keep up with for my small household (4 people, but 2 of them under age 7. They are good eaters but the portionsizes they'll take in are still not qualifying as doing their part.) I regrettably had some amount of wasted food each week simply because there was more of it than I could cook and eat in time.

I tell everyone I know about the CSA. We love it!

I want to try the spring/summer, but I will not do the fall again. I don't think it was a good value at all, after the first four weeks or so. (the first few boxes were amazing-- eggplant, mushrooms...etc.. wow)The last four weeks did not come close to being a good value. Paying $33 for a box of turnips, mixed greens and radishes is a waste of money. (does anyone like turnips?)

Already have!

We split a share with another couple. Both of us eat at home and cook, but we found it difficult to use all of the produce each week.

Have already signed up for spring 2011!

The veggies were great and the price was reasonable, however, another couple was taking half, until one of them had to restrict their vitamin K intake and we got all of the greens. We are a senior couple and it was a little too much for the two of us. Also, the two women who started the group at New Hope Presby. are no longer going to take care of meeting the truck. I think our church will not do it again.

I plan on buying in again in the spring... not sure I can wait that long :)

Already told my buddies about it! :)

Of course. Thank you for feeding us so well for another CSA season. We are already counting the days for the next season to begin!

for reason stated above regarding the variety/quantity, also some weeks the quantity justified the cost but other weeks it really did not

Already signed up for next program

I was only involved in the second half of the season...I'd like to experience the entire scope of vegetables offered.

i think we have been with Van since the beginning, we play to continue our relationship with him.

Van shoots from the hip & i appreciate that

I love the Wood Duck Farms CSA. It is fun!

I would probably refer a friend. As for my self, I'm unsure. I'll probably try it again at some point, but I may be better off shopping the farmer's markets so I don't end up binning so many salad greens.

What suggestions will you share that would improve your future experience with our CSA program? Please provide your input.

Responses.

great work! thanks.

a little more variety, if possible- maybe get the produce earlier than 5pm - overall, i liked the idea; but found that i had too much one time, and not enuf variety another...

It would be great if you were able to coordinate a drop off in the Galleria area.

My only complaint was that often the Moveable Feast delivery was late. Often, I needed to pick it up right at 4 pm and it was not there until close to 5 pm. If it is not going to be on time, I would appreciate an email telling me that it would be late and when to expect it. It is frustrating to make the effort to get over there and then it not be there.

I'm happy with it! Thank you!!

loved it and thank you so much!

We love the CSA and are glad to have found out about it at the Urban Harvest Farmer's Market. We look forward to the addition of milk and meat this spring.

If it's at all cost-effective for you to do a smaller than partial share, or an every-other-week partial share, that might help encourage families like mine to keep participating.

Overall I'm very glad we tried this--my kids tried a few new veggies that I hadn't put in front of them before, and it challenged me to cook healthy meals instead of relying on convenience or takeout food on a busy night.

At the end the variety of veggies wasn't as good.

Looking forward to the next time around. We've been really delighted. Thank you!

We really enjoyed the program and are looking forward to the Spring season. As mentioned above, we didn't always receive all the veggies listed for the week (mostly mushrooms), but it didn't overly concern us.

You might give a narrower window for your pick-up time at A Moveable Feast. The two times I showed up at 4 p.m., I waited until almost 5 p.m. for the shares to actually arrive.

Most weeks we received an email telling us what was going to be in our box. However sometimes we only got it on the morning of delivery. I would prefer to know at least a day before so that I can plan my supper menus to fit in with the veggies on offer.

I would like to see shorter time between sessions, if possible. I can't always make it to the farmer's market and the grocery stores can't compare.

I'm new to CSA - this was my very first time. I loved everything about it. The veggies were delicious (way better than the grocery store) and we received plenty for our family. The recipes were a big help so I could put all the tasty treats to good use. We missed the open house at the farm but really hope we will get another chance to go up there. I'd love to meet everyone and see the farm (my kiddos would love a chance to visit).

We are happy to be supporting a local farm! Thank you for everything!

Here's to a happy new year :)

More recipes for us southern transplants,I'm sure all the greens were great but i didn't know how to cook them. I learned by trial and error but had many more errors than success'. I can't wait until the spring program I know ho to cook all those veggies!!

Hopefully next season I will be able to attend the open houses and farm dinners,they sounded wonderful when I read about them.

Keep up the good work,I'm also excited about the prospect of eggs, chicken and meat and milk.Keep us posted on those developments.

Thanks again for a great season of healthy eating.

As detailed above, more notice of what is coming (if possible).

It would be helpful to know what you planned to deliver the weekend before the delivery so that I shop for my groceries on the weekend and fill in other things that I need. The day before delivery just isn't enough lead time.

Keep it comin'! This is amazing!

(Carmen and David asked me about your carrots yesterday. Carmen also yelled very loud "thank you" for the microgreens you gave us Saturday. She figured if she yelled loud enough you might hear it at the market before you drove back home. I'm sure the neighbors, at least, heard her very well.)

Would like some fruit, although I know this is difficult for texas. Also would enjoy more greens like spinach, kale etc

I hope you will continue with the Katy delivery, but I heard many people complain they did not like greens, or there was too much of something...blah! blah! blah! (They complain.)

I enjoyed the challenge of trying new recipes. We found the recipes quite helpful. We loved making the squash into soup. Next time I may get brave enough to acually try to make eggplant parmigiana. The mushrooms are particularly good in stroganoff and spaghetti sauce. These are all things I never tried before. At first I did not care for the salad greens, but kept at it until I got used to them. Now, with tomatoes and cucumber (and the radishes), they are great. Freshness is what I wanted and that is exactly what I got, even with just the partial share. Thanks again.

Would prefer to know what we are gettinga few days in advance. This would help with meal planning for the week. Finding out late Tues/early Wed what we will be getting on Wed afternoon is a little too late.

Interested in an egg option.

I would love to have heirloom tomatoes, I would pay extra for them!!

Nothing to add. The improvements for this program were clear.

Partials should receive the same as fulls, just less.

It is helpful to find out as early as possible what will be included in the week's order. This was usually provided. Occasionally by email we were told how to treat certain produce; but the instructions weren't totally clear to me. Liked getting the recipes.

I would enjoy if y'all sent recipes that make use of multiple items so that I don't really need to buy any other produce to make a meal.

Including things like onions, shallots, garlic, or peppers which are common to most cooking more regularly would help me avoid having to buy any other produce at the store. Although I do understand that theses are not always seasonal!

Keep up the recipes and providing the advance notice of vegetables that will be included in the order

I'd love to be able to get goat milk and cheese. Would buy eggs if offered and free range chicken.

Fantastic experience here! Already signed up for spring and missing my veggies now.

fresh milk, fresh yard eggs,fresh butter all fresh dairy products. uncooked pig meat from the rooter to the tooter.

None at this time.

I really enjoyed having a little fruit, like the grapefruit in the shares. I know you do not do fruit but the idea of partnering up with other farms, like the grapefruit people was a great idea. I haven't participated in the spring CSA yet so I do not know if you offer fruit with that but if you did that would be great! Keep up the good work! I am definitely pleased with this CSA compared to others! Thanks so much!

Give clear instructions to new members, so they check off when they've taken their share, and they take the share (partial or full) they should. Perhaps leave some other communication at the drop-off point, since the staff there either don't want to answer questions about the share or have no clue about the shares. (My pick-up point is A Moveable Feast).

I would love the option to add local fresh milk, eggs, meat, honey, cheese, bread, coffee...

I particularly loved the mustard greens, the turnip greens and the kale.

Fall CSA should include a pumpkin!

It would be awesome if fresh herbs were Included like, dill, parsely, cilantro, mint, and thyme.

We were sorry to miss the farm night. Hopefully there will be another one when the CSA starts again.

Everything was great. We are looking forward to the future programs, as well as expanded meat and dairy options.

The smoked Turkey was delicous.

It would be amazing if we could eliminate the plastic and cardboard and have all reusable transport and packaging materials.

Everything was fabulous! Thank you!

Cut down the salad greens or give instructions on how to preserve them. I can roast and freeze too much eggplant, blanch and freeze turnips, but too many salad greens and there's not a lot you can do. Gallons of pesto?

The only other complaint is that the delivery time is not 4-7 on Wed. It's much closer to 5 and that was annoying the first two weeks waiting on the delivery driver. After that I never showed up before 5 and sometimes even then he had barely arrived. I don't mind a delivery time of 5-7 so I would just change the information to that; whereas I really do mind waiting around when you state the delivery time is 4-7.

Everything else, very well run, great quality of veggies.

We know you work really hard, and we are really pleased with CSA. I like the micro greens.

Why did you join our CSA?

Responses.

We knew that joining the CSA would force us to try veggies that we would never have purchased ourselves.

And to support local growers/producers/suppliers, and I can't always make it to the Farmers' Markets around town (and don't want to trade my carbon foot print by driving all over town chasing the markets).

I wanted to support small farming efforts as opposed to agri-business and to have locally grown food which I have read is more beneficial to our bodies

I feel that this is one of the most productive things I can do in society

Value is a very close second to being able to get fresh.

Buying locally grown produce is really important to me, so I love the CSA. I also like getting so many different veggies each week and experimenting with them. We do a partial share and it's just perfect for our family.

Really, all of the first three apply to some extent, but I feel very strongly about supporting local agriculture and want to try to be better about eating organically and eating what is in season.

I have the best intentions of frequenting the farmers markets but never seem to get there. Joining the CSA has been much more convenient for me.

Fresh, local veggies from someone that I knew took producing good food seriously.

We like organic produce, and like to support local growers and suppliers. I like getting a variety of veggies. Otherwise I tend to stick with the same set of veggies. For example, I would rarely cook with eggplant and okra, but getting them in my bag forces me to try new recipes.

I also believe in supporting community farmers vs big business!

How would you rate the quality of the veggies you received?

Responses.

Looooooooove the greens. the rest is good, too. :)

Some of the cucs were soft/had mold, and two tomatoes were the same. The broccoli didn't look so good, but it tasted OK. Other than that, I was EXTREMELY pleased with the quality and flavor. I think you should have a higher rating on your list above. "Very good" and "Excellent."

Exactly what I would expect from my own garden, if I had time, talent to grow one!

Very fresh and tasty

My only complaint was some bruising on quite a few tomatoes.....If used very quickly, it wasn't a problem, but it did cause them to spoil faster. I understand they're delicate, though and easy to bruise.

Wonderful!

I recognize that the TX growing season can be challenging, so we're understanding and patient (and recognize that each year, a CSA can be bountiful, disheartening, or somewhere in-between).

Everything is great... I'm learning to like kale.... Slowly... :)

Nearly every meal we comment that these vegetables taste far better than what we ate previously.

Everything has come in good condition.

They are wonderful!

We've been thrilled with the quality I understand that quality varies a lot depending on some conditions that aren't within the farmer's control

Sometimes a few of the veggies are at their prime and have to be used that day or the next. It can be hard to come up with something to make at the last minute.

The only disappointment was the broccoli. It was so filled with little green worms that I ended up (after three washings, and still being unable to get all of the worms out) throwing the entire bag out.

Other than some slightly wilted salad greens, "bulb fennel" that barely had a bulb, and the saddest little broccoli I've ever laid eyes on, I've been very happy with the quality.

How would you rate the variety of veggies you received?

Responses.

More corn & diff varieties of tomatoes. I loved squash varieties. I would prefer Kirby cucumbers. The cantalope was our favorite. Southern peas and beans would have been perfect.

There were a lot of cucs and squash, but you have to go with what can grow!!! That is part of the CSA!

We loved the pattypan(?) squash but then it was summer squash over & over again.

I am finding that even a partial share is alot for 2 people. But it is making me try new recipes and I appreciate alot the recipes that Van sends each week. Very helpful. I have tried almost all of them

I can plan weekly meals around them, and get a few things from the store to fill out the mix.

There are times when I have way too many potatoes.

I think it's great. I love all the cucumbers and squash and tomatoes. I wish there was more broccoli, but I know that is probably tricky with the weather. I have wished there were more salad greens, and salad greens in every

Friggin greatttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

We're still getting accustomed to the what/when of the TX growing season.

This session has been better than past ones. I can tell you've been working on this.

How would you rate the variety of veggies you received?

Responses.

Impressive!

We are challenged by the variety, and enjoy the additions to our culinary repertoire. We regularly find and perfect new recipes using vegetables we hadn't previously purchased at the supermarket.

However, I understand weather has a lot to do with it!

I know there may be complaints about summer squash and cucumbers, but I like experimenting with those and haven't really had trouble using them up.

I would have liked to receive more fruit, and got very tired of kale!

We're pleased with the variety too - we get enough new things to keep it interesting but we get enough repeats that we can keep trying new recipes. Works for us.

Especially appreciate the varieties you choose to grow. Would love to see additional greens next year since the kale is always so big and pretty.

Variety is always better. Fewer potatoes please

Variety could be better.

What about value? Did you get what was conveyed to you when you signed up?

Responses.

I was worried at the beginning because it took a long time for the share to start, but I have been happy since then.

Are you talking about dollar value to food item?

I dont really know how to assess that factor.

I like that the veggies are fresh and grown locally so for me that is good value.

Probably not comparable cost to what I could get in the store, but my primary goal was per Question 1, above.

Friggin greatttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

i have had a full and partial share and I see no difference. I would expect more in a full share

This is the first time we've done something like this- so I don't have anything to compare against. I would say it's probably more than I expected- but it's great!

Absolutely! and More!

Definitely a good value, especially when you factor in the guilt-free nature of these farm to table vegetables.

I wasn't sure what the quantities would be in a partial share, but I am very pleased with what we receive. It is a good value for only $22/week!

Things are obviously cheaper at Walmart, but I feel like I'm getting a much higher quality product so I don't mind paying more for it.

Not really familiar with what the prices are at the market, but to have fresh food of this caliber and delivered to my neighborhood . . . $33 sounds plenty fair.

Each bag runs about $33. It's a little pricey when you look at it that way.

We receive a partial share. We see full share people getting additional items. Partial shares should receive the same as full shares, only less.

Very good value considering all the variety.

Excellent! Having been in a couple CSA's already in various states, felt you provided excellent variety!

How would you make the program better?

Responses.

But we live in an area where I'm not expecting anything closer to us, really. it would just be nice. I like the idea of insulated bags, too, but I feel like most of it does fine without. If you did have them, you wouldn't need to put the greens in the cooler separately

About the option to purchase add on... interesting... I know my mother-in-law in Colorado said that their shares could include bread. I like the cheese idea... Not sure if I would do the meats. Washing.. not that big a deal to me, but one week I think I washed half the dirt from your farm down my sink/ out of my fridge!!!

Home delivery is intriguing, but I think for those who work having the veggies sit in the heat wouldn't be a good idea. One of the main reasons I got your CSA is because I would really love to be able to order more of certain items

I would be interested in eggs, cheese and meats such as chicken, beef or pork. I might be interested in home delivery depending on the price

Our OH CSA partnered with several other local growers and farmers, which enabled them to pull together a variety of options. (They even offered a Thanksgiving Dinner collection that included a free-range, Ohio farm-raised bird) in mid Nov. However, I will say that offering artisian cheeses, breads, etc may be a way to bring others into the fold.

If possible without dramatically affecting deliveries the ability to purchase additional items, such as the recent offer of frozen chickens, etc. would be great.

Eggs and/or cheese would be phenomenal. We would regularly purchase these products through WDF if available.

More durable bags - add a one time bag fee of maybe $5 to each share, and get some reusable bags (like the ones grocery stores are selling for $1) and ask people to return the bags to the place where they pick them up, then you can reuse them every other week. You may lose some along the way, but I bet people would donate some too

You simply must to a better job of protecting squashable items (TOMATOES!). There's no sense in giving me beautiful, delicious tomatoes that are squished or ruined. Throwing them in a paper bag along with squash and potatoes just won't end well.

Do you find the email communications about the farm and recipes helpful?

Responses.

This is the best part. A forum would be great as well.

I LOVE the recipes that you send! I have tried almost every one.

Thank you very much for these, especially for the veggies. I am not that great at knowing what to do with kale and fennel. You might want to remind people that some veggies can be frozen. I did this with some of the beans.

Recipes are great otherwise i would not know what do do with some of the things i get : )

I love them

yes! Very!

Friggin greatttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

Would have liked to have known earlier that the season wasn't going to start until May. Once things got going, though, the emails have been helpful (reminders, recipes, list of produce to expect in our shares, etc)

Love the recipes!!! Keep'em coming

I've made some of the recipes you've sent and they have all turned out excellent.

YES!! I look forward to reading about the farm and getting reciepes.

Appreciate the heads up on what we're getting.

Excellent!

I love getting the emails and recipes. It's nice to have a connection with the people who are growing our food!

like the emails, knowing what may be coming in shares, hearing about farm conditions, recipes.

Love 'em. I look forward to reading them every week.

It is great to hear about the life of farming... the good, the bad, and the ugly. I feel connected to the farm. Not just a vendor, it is my farm in a way. I really like the updates and the recipes and food prep is vital.

Especially love the care info and the recipes

Would encourage archiving postings on the blog, and posting blog entries onto Facebook. I think you can drive traffic to the site/your farm more easily this way, and also nurture an interested, knowledgeable following. Also encourage Twitter (good way to tell people, also, if shares are running late or share some special news). I'm not crazy about the last two myself, but can't deny how much people rely on those two technologies.

love the recipe tips

We really like to hear from Van about the progress of the farm, but we have nicknamed him "Schleprock" (of The Flintstones), for his sometimes dramatic lamentation of plague, pestilence and impending famine. But, then, the clouds part, the swarming insects retreat, and vegetables once again flower forth.

Would be good to get the communications and recipes over the weekend if possible. I tend to do most of my meal planning for the week so the early I know what I'll be getting the better for my planning.

One comment. In my opinion the produce was wonderful, I felt however, the emails focused too much on the negative things happening to the farm, I would have rather read about the more positive things. Perhaps I am not as interested in learning about the downside of the weather:) Sorry, just being honest --loved everything else!

Do you find the process of accessing/navigating our website easy and payment options useful?

Responses

Not sure if this is an option, but I would love to be able to pay online.

I have been to your website and find it good. I didn't know there was another option to pay other than check, but I wasn't really paying attention.

Prefer payment option other than PayPal

Friggin greatttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

Paying by check was fine, paying online would have been easier.

I wasn't aware of choices in payment options. I thought we could only send in a check.

liked the paypal

Plenty good enough, I think.

I can't comment. My wife took care of payment.

Will you participate in future Wood Duck Farm CSA programs and/or refer this program to a friend?

Responses.

I am going to increase my share to a full share next round.

I want to do the next CSA. Please put me on the list and tell me when to pay...

i have referred this to other people. the only thing is that i wish the full share was larger. i participated in another Veggie coop and the shares were larger

The Kingwood Farmer's market is a tempting alternate. Do you plan to sell there?

My husband and my boys are either away at college or gone every evening to work or activities. I have wasted so much food trying to work around them that I am not sure if I want to continue. I might participate in the fall because at least we have some type of routine but probably not during the next spring/summer.

I have already recommended you to some friends and will continue to do

Friggin greatttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

as long as van grows the veggies, my wife & I will continue to buy from him, like i already said but just in case you didn't see it

I believe that we'll continue w/ Wood Duck mostly b/c of the convenience of The Woodlands area pickup option.

I have convinced 3 separate friends to join the program throughout the past year.

Already referred a friend.

Yes! I will definitely participate again and tell all my friends about it.

Definitely!

This is a great CSA for those who enjoy great flavor and don't want to structure their weekends around the markets. Highly recommend it to my friends.

I would recommend this to others, I have a friend picking up my share while I am out of town to try this out. Needless to say, they are very excited about it!

Suggestions we should consider? Please provide your input.

Responses.

I would like a better box system for getting everything home. I have started bring a box with me. Even those black plastic crates would work better.

I love the salad greens and arugula. They make the share worth it to me.

I would have also enjoyed fresh beans like butter or pinto and purple hull peas - all easy to grow here. I grew up on that. Skip trying to grow brocolli out if season and give us fresh cranberry beans please.

Thanks for the great food.

Have enjoyed both seasons of CSA. Only a half share but is enough for 2 of us. Had never had Arugula before fall. Thought it was a bit much then, but really missed it over the winter!!!

I really enjoyed the small container of micro-greens last fall, a bit sad only full shares got it this summer.

I know it's been a tough spring with the rain and now the heat is here.

Best wishes to you all. I am planning to continue my participation in the fall. Thanks, Sometimes I wish more fruit could be integrated into the program.

I love the program, I never have to buy produce from grocery store during the ten weeks except for fruit.

The lettuce does not stay fresh very long. It would benefit from an insulated bag. Considering how you deliver lettuce is something that would improve your program.

I like the notes each week at the pick up location because I don't always check my email regularly.

Maybe provide a sheet at the beginning of the share delivery telling how to best store certain veggies. Like tomatoes... I sometimes put them on the counter and sometimes in the fridge... not sure which is better!

Thank you very much for all your hard work on the CSA.

I am very pleased, and look forward to being a long term partner.

Nothing else, keep up the good work!

I would LOVE to be able to add on additional items (ie. tomatoes if I'm planning a party for salsa). I would also be super, super pleased to order cheeses, meats and eggs. That would eliminate my shopping trip on Saturdays.

We've been very happy with it! Thanks.....

Thank you for your hard work and amazing success considering the weather in Texas! I have had many failures with my own garden which is why I participate in your coop.

I'd like more zucchini!

we love it! Thank you! Will continue to recommend.

nothing that I haven't already shared ;) good job with the survey and this email service....comes off very professional!!!

keep up the great work van we will be in this with you for the long haul my friend

As stated above, the ability to "special order" items, or items at least around holidays would be a help and easier, as the farmer's market is not always an option

I enjoyed the farm dinner/tour.... That would be fun to do again.... Maybe at the begining of the each growing season?

I've enjoyed this so much. I just need to learn to preserve veggies better, because I'm fast running out of room in my freezer! But filling up the freezer was the whole point to this adventure anyway! SO I'm satisfied. Thanks!

Keep it up! You're an important part to our lives!

how many of the veggies that you grow are open pollinated/heirloom varieties???...where do you get your seed???

are you growing things known for exceptional flavor...or just b/c they produce well??

have you thought of growing odd-ball things that can't easily be purchased at whole foods???...things that might be new and different...allowing your members to try new things/experiment???

My only disappointment was not getting a certain item (Portabella mushrooms) because I have a Partial share. I realize the Full shares pay more, but I have a partial share because of the size of my family. I expect to get less than the full share, but I did not expect to not get the same items. Other than this, I am been extremely happy with my veggies and have share with many people about your CSA program. Thanks!

Thank you! I love this program and am so glad you come to Fall Creek!

Please, just don't let me see those green worms all over the broccoli again. And plant less kale!

i'll tell you the things i love and would like to have more of: tomatoes!!! corn micro basil (can it come at same time as tomatoes?) or full size basil?

i am so happy w/ all the produce and the general variety of it. a little heavy on the kale and squash, but since i used to garden, i know how that is.

the mushrooms were a pleasant surprise. thanks!

The money for the food is a bit high, but the satisfaction of knowing it was grown for me and picked right before delivery is worth the extra cost. I like supporting my local farmer. It is interesting and rewarding beyond the money aspect. Van is such a nice guy, how could you not want to be a part of his operation.

Put together a bound "cookbook" of recipes for CSA produce in addition to the recipes you email to us. Offer a donation option, so we can donate items we won't use or don't like to a needy organization in the area.

We have been very happy with the quality and variety. I've never tasted such great veggies! The emails with recipes and suggestions on how to care for/store the veggies are greatly appreciated too. We really appreciated the open house at the farm. Seeing where the vegetables are coming from (and the hayride!) really made it "click" for my son, and it's much easier to get him to try new things when I tell them they are from the farm. I love getting a big bag of surprises every week, and it has cut down on my spending at the grocery store, and added variety to our meals. A+ across the board - keep up the good work!

Paper bags can get quite soggy from the cool veggies/Houston humidity and tear, but hate plastic as an option. Traditional tomato boxes are something like $2/box, I wonder if there are any other disposable (or so inexpensive it doesn't matter if they aren't returned) options for humid/hot days? Maybe mesh bags like the kind 25 lb. onions, 40 lbs carrots come in? They store and re-use (maybe run them through a washing mashine, gentle cycle?), but if get thrown away it will not be too $$$.