2022 ended with news that struck me: Europe’s consumption of organic food has fallen in the past year. Analysts attribute this to the fact that during periods of increased inflation, sales of ultra-processed food rise and sales of organic products fall. How is it possible that European society cannot afford healthy and organic food because of financial constraints?
We know that organic agriculture is one of the most powerful tools for creating jobs and combating climate change. According to data from the European Union, the extended use of pesticides and chemical synthetic fertilizers degrades 60%-70% of our agricultural soils.
How is it possible that the consumption of organic food grown in Europe is not promoted more (with any kind of measures)? I can’t find an explanation for it. Especially because I think there are simple measures that could have a lot of impact such as not taxing organic and nutritious foods with the same VAT as non-organic goods, might have a huge impact. Alternatively, refrain from importing food from other countries until those grown locally have been consumed.
It saddens me to consider the consequences: a decline in consumption will put an end to the excellent streak of farmers switching to organic farming. Worse, some of those who have lately made the transition are now reverting to using synthetic pesticides that destroy ecosystems. Furthermore, the transition to organic farming in Europe coincided with a generational shift, and the decline in consumption may discourage young producers (the average age of farmers growing organic crops is 48 years and that of those who grow with synthetic pesticides is 64 years).
The start of a new year has turned grief into motivation. There are numerous things CrowdFarming can do to help reverse the situation, and one of them is our outreach effort to create awareness in society (farmers and consumers) of the environmental, social, and economic benefits of organic farming.
Agriculture in Europe needs to be associated with environmental responsibility, fair pricing, and high-quality jobs.
What have we done in 2022?
We have launched our podcast What The Field?! to discuss the sustainability of the food supply chain with experts in a didactic and transparent way. This podcast has become one of my favourite hobbies. It allows us to have the perfect excuse to meet extraordinary people, invite them to chat and learn from them.
In terms of functionality, we have had a very busy last quarter on the website. We were desperate to offer the option to gift adoptions (it’s already available!). For now you can only give the adoption as a gift for one season. During this year we will be rolling out improvements so that, for example, you can include payment for shipping in the gift.
We have also introduced the option of group orders. This way you can share the payment of a box with several people and save the environmental and economic cost of transportation.
We are quite proud of these improvements, but now is also a good moment to reflect on our failures, assess why we failed, and plan how we will go forward to prevent repeating them. I also want to say thank you for being patient with us if there was ever a problem.
Where have we failed?
- Logistical issues: we have improved a lot compared to last year, but we need to continue to improve. We delivered 70% of orders on time (vs. 64% last year).
- We wanted to start selling summer fruit last year, but we could only conduct a few tests. We didn’t yet have a reliable way to deliver summer fruit to your home due to packing and refrigerated transit issues. We hope that next summer we will be able to offer you peaches, apricots, plums, etc. and that they will arrive in good condition.
- The last year has seen a number of technical issues with our new app. It has much improved over the past month, so if you don’t already have it, I recommend you download it so you can place orders more quickly.
Optimistic vision for 2023
While last year’s organic consumption data was not encouraging, the direct selling data was: we are a niche market but with a very engaged community.
There have only been 3 farmers (out of more than 290) who have given up on direct sales in the past five years. The remainder are still here, expanding each season and showing greater enthusiasm than ever before.
Happy 2023!
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I still find your app complicated to use. I have to scroll through to find suitable delivery days. Would it not be possible to put in “ type of fruit “ required and get all dates available for delivery
Hi Graham,
Which version of our app are you using?
We agree that there are still improvements to be made and will pass on your feedback to our IT team.
In the meantime you can always use our website instead of the app, which offers more options.
Kind regards!
Unfortunately my delivery of oranges was delayed greatly by the UK postal workers’ strike during which the country experienced temperatures which dropped to well below freezing. When my oranges arrived a week after Xmas, the time I had needed them, they were rapidly going off. I had to throw away at least 75% of them due to mould. I would still buy olive oil from you but probably not fresh fruit. It’s a shame.
Hi Jan,
We are very sorry for this unfortunate incident. In such cases we would recommend direclty reaching out to our customer service. Under normal circumstances our fruit tends to arrive in good condition, even to the UK! Perhaps one day you might want to give it another try 🙂 The olive oil in any case is excellent and a good choice.
Kind regards from Madrid
With respect to all farmers and consumers/supporters of these farmers, one of the purposes of ‘crowd farming’ as I understand it, is that, when there is a crisis, we all share the burden, rather than just the farmer.
We so need these farms to survive.
If for example , in the case of the postal strike, the farmer had to carry the cost of all the damaged oranges, it could be catastrophic.
The flip side of this for me is that, to be able to receive fruit from a farm that I have a connection to gives me great pleasure.
Crowd farming offers a positive solution to a sustainable future, and as a consumer we can help by sharing the load, and more importantly, by spreading the word.
Kind regards,
Ginny
Hello Ginny,
it is wonderful to read that you are so interested in the topic and that you, like us, are concerned about the future of our planet. We are happy that you are part of our project and hope that this will continue for a long time.
We wish you a great start into spring 🌺
Jan, I read your review dated 19 January 23. I don’t believe you can attribute any blame to Crowdfarming for delays in delivery caused by the UK postal workers strike!
Any order I have made has arrived promptly with the product in great condition.
Happy customer from Ireland
Dear Crowd farming. I love the aspect that the fruit I buy is organic and tastes wonderful. I wish I had found your site earlier
I wish you every success for the coming year
Thank you so much for your comment! We really appreciate that you are a part of CrowdFarming, Janet! 💚🌱
I fully support what you are doing with organic foods direct to the customer. Obviously this is an uphill battle because of very cheap inferior processed foods available in supermarkets.
Sustainable recipes and tis on preserving or storing excess fruit is a useful tool too.
Thank you for your kind words and support, Denise! We’re glad to have you as part of our community and appreciate your dedication to sustainable, organic farming practices. 🌞
Buenas!
Nosotros seguimos haciendo pedidos de crowdfarming sin parar, y creo que vamos a empezar con pedidos grupales pronto, en mi barrio.
Algo interesante sería hacer una comparativa de lo que cuestan las frutas orgánicas en cada país y así mostrar el coste. Cuando hice los cálculos, me salía igual, incluyendo el transporte. Pero claro, los aguacates de crowdfarming nunca estaban malos y aquí si.
La opción de hacer pedidos del mismo agricultor para poder bajar el coste del transporte sería fantástica.
Y, sinceramente me encantaría poder ayudar a daros más voz en suecia, nadie os conoce. Sería interesante tener una persona que se dedique a vender los productos a empresas. Las empresas piden fruta semanalmente para sus empleados, y por que no pedirlas a vosotros?
Por otro lado, hay asociaciones de vecinos que quizá estarían interesados en pedir juntos.
Me encantaría ayudaros a expandir en Escandinavia!
Saludos
¡Muchas gracias por tu comentario! Nos complace leer que te gustan los productos de CrowdFarming y nos entusiasma la forma en que nuestros CrowdFarmers aportan ideas para ayudarnos a difundirlos. Hemos lanzado recientemente un servicio para empresas, puedes echar un vistazo a esta página: https://business.crowdfarming.com/en.
Mientras tanto, queremos agradecerte tu interés e implicación en nuestro proyecto, es muy importante para nosotros saber que nuestra filosofía se comparte poco a poco y que nuevos CrowdFarmers se unen a esta revolución agrícola 🌞🌱
I would be happy to forward a sales letter from you to all my email contacts ( private & business) about your direct sales of your products. I am always telling my friends how good your products are, so perhaps a sales / promotion from you to encourage new customers through your existing customers might work ?
Thank you for your enthusiastic support and willingness to help spread the word about our platform, Kevin! 😊 We greatly appreciate your willingness to share your positive experiences with your friends and contacts. We don’t currently have a referral program or work on promotions, but we do believe that word-of-mouth is a powerful tool for raising awareness about sustainable, direct-to-consumer farming practices. By encouraging your friends and contacts to support farmers directly through our platform, you’re helping to make a positive impact on the environment and support small-scale farmers around the world. We’re grateful for your support and thank you for being a valuable member of our community.
I think the future should only contain 1 type of every produce and all should either be local and organic grown or at least every thing from abroad should be organic. It should also be sustainable. I was went into a farm shop in England where I was able to buy small amount of the various types of fruits and vegetables. I really hate when I have to buy 5 organic bananas when I know one will not last. I also like the idea of planting on rooftops etc in order for people to pick directly from the soil the feeling and the smell make one day
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas with us about the future of food production and sustainability, Pia. We share your commitment to promoting sustainable farming practices and supporting local, organic growers. At CrowdFarming, we work closely with small-scale farmers around the world to connect them directly with consumers like you, promoting a more sustainable and ethical approach to food production. We believe that by supporting local farmers, we can reduce our carbon footprint and promote more environmentally-friendly farming practices. 🌱
Wir wurden jedes mal mit der Belieferung sehr überrascht, natürlich positiv. Sehr gute Ware, biologisch sehr gut, gute Verpackung und sehr termintreu. Da es immer um gute Bio – Ware handelte, konnte man z. B. die Schale für weitere Dinge – Tee u. A. einsetzen.
Macht weiter so, Ihr seit auf den richtigen Weg.
Das freut uns sehr zu hören, Bernd! Vielen Dank für deine Worte und die Unterstützung! 😊💚
wonderful work. thank you xxxx
Thank you for your support!
Thank you for your update. Keep doing the good work. Keep the faith!!
Thank you for your support! 🌞
Thanks for the update. I hope you will continue with all your work. The possibility of having summer fruits is very exciting Thanks again
Thank you for your support! 🌱
Thank You for the news!
Hope 2023 will be moderate qs to heat and rains!
All the best to You all co-operating in the front line within that organic unity.
Thank you for the trust and your support! 💚🌱
I love what you are doing and am trying to spread the word amongst friends and family in the UK. I’ve had produce delivered from you for the last 18 months and apart from a hiccup early on – which was quickly resolved, deliveries have been excellent. Please keep up the good work.
I love the fact that producers are getting fair payment for their wonderful produce and we’re getting delicious and healthy food at a great price.
Thank you
Dear Tina, thanks for supporting us and spreading the word among your friends and family in the UK. We’re committed to fair trade and ensuring our farmers receive fair payment for their hard work. We’re glad you’re enjoying their delicious and healthy produce. Thanks for being a part of the CrowdFarming community. 🌞🌱
I hope We can consume more ecological products and minimize waste in our consuming. I am happy for crowd farming!
And we are very happy that you are a part of it! 😊
I have been buying fruit from CrowdFarming for about a year, and I had just a couple of papaya that were damaged but I still ate most of them! The fruit generally arrived more or less when it’s due and the quality and taste is amazing. I can’t enjoy citrus fruit from anywhere else now, and the avocados and pomegranates have been so delicious and kept very well in the fridge. Thank you to you and all farmers who are doing such important work. Please keep doing what you’re doing, and good luck and best wishes for 2023 ❤️
Thank you for your kind words and continued support, Lesley. 😊 We’re thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying your harvest and finding it to be of high quality and taste. We appreciate your patience and understanding with any occasional damages that may occur during the shipping process. Our farmers work hard to grow these delicious fruits and we’re honored to be able to share them with you. 💚
Sadly I don’t think it is by accident that the Organic Food Market is not directly supported by The Governments or Mass Food Industry as a whole…whilst I do believe non-organic crop production is detrimental to our soils and ecosystem…the fact is the Governments support this method because of sales of all the pesticides….herbicides, GMO etc…the devastating problem of healthy food production and its distribution and consumption could be better advertised and supported by the health industry and Media to make the public aware…but THEY the Ruling and largest Corporations don’t actually want the public to be well and healthy…I’m sorry if this sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory…but it is the Truth…all Governments are in Cahoots with the WEF the IMF, UN and World Health Organisation…and Pharma/Agro/Petro Corporations and in Control of how the Human Herd is educated (indoctrinated) and what food goes in the Peoples mouths and where…..if you really still believe in the Climate Change fraud…which has been created and propagandised over 2 or 3 decades to now give the Controllers the imperious and outrageous assumption to take control of our weather and spray our sky with chemicals and block our SUN altering natural weather patterns in favour of earth balancing herself and sustaining all life…Frequencies along with various chemicals are manipulating weather all round the world creating adverse weather conditions where ever they choose…Flooding, Freezing, Drying out, high winds, scorching, altering the Ecosystem and effecting pestulance and natural health of all life here..
The Controllers manage the Masses as their (live stock) to trade or cull as they see fit to suit themselves..until the masses wake up and see what really is going on.. and take back control of their consciousness and minds which have been sabotaged by Technology..Televisions, Radios and phones and chemicals and metals in medications, the health and survival of the human race is and has been (over the past century) targeted by the Eugenecist rulers to cause depopulation of such a scale to near extinction…They are calling it a Reset…
Thank you for sharing your concerns about the mass food industry not supporting organic food production, as well as the negative impact of non-organic crop production on our environment. While we are unable to weigh in on your claims about governments and corporations controlling our food and weather patterns, we agree that it is important to raise awareness about ethically harvested food production and fair distribution to ensure the well-being of humanity and the planet. At CrowdFarming, we strive to support sustainable and organic farming practices and provide consumers with high-quality and healthy produce. 😊
Inflation in the UK is over 10%. People are budgeting and organic food can be relatively easily substituted for non-organic, saving money. I agree with lowering taxes on organic food. There should be zero tax on organic food. But tax on food here is already low, so the impact is probably small. There should also be (EU) grants and subsidies for organic food production. Same as for ‘green’ energy.
I am very happy with Crowdfarming products and wish you much succes! Once the recession is over (2024?) organic food consumption will increase again.
Thank you for your comment and support of organic food, Mariska. We also agree that subsidies and grants for organic food production would be beneficial, as it would encourage more farmers to switch to organic farming and help to reduce the cost for consumers. We appreciate your business and hope to continue providing high-quality organic products for you in the future. 😊
thank you for the oportunety to write a little. Next year I will stop ordering fruits. This season has been awfull, the first box of clementimes was a very bad quality. the fruits were dry, and to throw out. the avocados were very unripe and damaged by transport or low temperature, also have to throw them away. next delivery of clementine, came when we were at holyday, half of the box became rotten maybe from minus degrees. beside half of my deliveries came to a postoffice, the rest to my homeadress. I prefer homeadress, because we have 8 km to the postoffice, but i have had no choice.
We are so sorry to hear that you’ve had a negative experience with your fruit deliveries. We take all feedback seriously and strive to ensure that our customers receive high-quality produce. Please reach out to our customer service team to address any specific issues you’ve had with your orders, and they will do their best to make it right. Thank you for your support and feedback. 😊
My husband and I virtually live off your products, and welcome every new product your farmers can supply. With your beans, lentils, pasta, salt, coffee, tea, olive oil, vinegar, walnuts, almonds, onions, garlic, shallots, sweet potatoes, chocolate, goat and cow cheeses and – in season – boxes of citrus, avocados, artichokes, and of course mangoes – plus more that I’ve forgotten – we are living extremely well. It is wonderful to know that while doing so, we are also contributing to the survival and, we very much hope, expansion of small organic farming. Never, never quit!
yours sincerely,
Madeleine & Steen, Sweden
Thank you for your kind words, Madeleine and Steen! We’re thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying the products from our farmers and that you’re able to live well while supporting small organic farming. We’re committed to continuing to provide high-quality, sustainably-grown produce and other products, and we appreciate your support. Thank you for being a part of the CrowdFarming community! 💚🌱
Please, keep thinking positive. I am really thankfull to be able to buy your fruit.
The impact of you selling and us buying is important even if lots of people still do not understand.
The fact that your organisation exists, and that we can be a part of it, gives me a good feeling. So please do not give up! The world needs you!
For the first time we now had kiwi’s – I was a bit unsure about it, but it turned out very well. One off these days olive oil will arrive too – for the first time 🙂
And your oranges have become a part of our household really 😉
And what you did for the refugees was really beautiful!
Thank you for your positive feedback and support, Myriam! We appreciate your kind words and are glad to hear that you enjoy your harvest. We will continue to work hard to provide high-quality organic produce and support small-scale farmers. 💚
Thank you so much for this update. It is so refreshing to know of your wide values and to feel in contact with the growers of the products we enjoy
Thanks for your comment and the support, Susan! We love to hear that you are a part of CrowdFarming! 😊
I love crowdfarming and the wonderful produce and service you offer, looking forward to using you more often in 2023 and will be spreading the word in the U.K. my mixed avocado and lemon box last week arrived smoothly and in perfect condition 🙏🙏
Thank you for your kind words and support! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your mixed avocado and lemon box and appreciate you spreading the word about our service. We look forward to providing you with more delicious and sustainably-grown produce in the future! 🌞🌱
Von wo wird geliefert Spanien und Italien.
Heinz Friedrich.
Hallo Heinz, danke für deinen Kommentar. Wir arbeiten mit mehreren Landwirten aus verschiedenen Ländern zusammen. Auf unserer Webseite hast du die Möglichkeit, die Projekte nach Erzeugerland zu filtern. 😊
Am pleased to know that your ideas/dreams are proving doable and that you will continue onwards and upwards. I was drawn to your initial correspondence and wished you well at the start. I am hoping to be able to support you but would only manage to order in comparatively small amounts although it might be possible to share with family. Will keep watching your progress and wish everyone concerned every good wish for a successful and ‘fruitful’ New Year-Ano Nuevo.
Gillian Sandow
Thank you for your support and good wishes, Gillian! Every order, no matter the size, makes a difference in supporting organic farmers and promoting sustainable agriculture. Sharing with family is a great idea and can also help to reduce transportation emissions. We look forward to serving you and your loved ones in the future. Thank you again for being a part of the CrowdFarming community! 💚
Please don’t give up. We have received several boxes of clementines, sweet potato, mangos and avocado from CrowdFarming farmers last year and these are the best and most delicious fruit and vegetables I have ever tasted. The boxes are sometimes too much for one family, so we share it among friends which is wonderful and makes us all feel good.
Thank you for your comment and support for CrowdFarming, Polly! It’s great to hear that you have enjoyed the produce from our farmers and that you have been sharing it with friends. We appreciate your efforts to spread the word about our mission and hope that we can continue to provide you with high-quality, delicious produce in the future. 🌱😊
I am really happy that you guys got together to create CrowdFarming. The fruit i have received has all been delicious. My only issue has been some of the poor handling and poor packaging – meaning that much of it is damaged beyond consumption. Obvs bruised apples are put out for birds but damaged oranges are not eaten by any wild creatures in UK. I try to eat any good part of any fruit that I can so long as I can cut well away from the mouldy parts. I photographed the last batch of oranges but of course with all oranges tipped together into one box, for their journey, and all being covered in sticky juicy mould 6 more (so far) have also had considerable mould. That means after the in edible part, I can only eat a maximum of 60% of each orange. I am not asking for refund. I am BEGGING that you all take greater care to pick, and correctly package the fruit far more carefully. I have taken the time to prepare a minimum design you could try to prevent such damage in future. Our first box of apples this season, had clearly all been bruised before being packed as the bruises on each apple did not align with other apples – and that time the packing wasn’t too bad. Since then all deliveries have had almost no packing. I am so sad when I see fruit damaged and wasted. I have written to the apple farmer via head office but not sure if received yet. I also wrote to the orange farmer with drawn diagram of packing suggestion. PLEASE make sure that all farmers receive this asap. I have not heard back from farmers yet. Sadly, we have had to buy some apples from a local shop until we can get some more through CF.
We are sorry to hear that you’ve had some issues with the handling and packaging of the produce you received from CrowdFarming. It’s great to know that you’re enjoying the fruit, but it’s important that it arrives in good condition. We understand that you’re not asking for a refund, but instead asking for greater care in handling and packaging the fruit. We will make sure to pass on your feedback to the corresponding team, as well as your suggestion for improved packaging. They will appreciate your feedback and take it into consideration to improve their processes. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and suggestions, Jane. 🌱😊
Hey!
I have both appreciated and been satisfied with everything I bought from you. It is extremely important for Europe’s soils and climate that you exist and are allowed to develop your concept. I’d rather pay directly to the grower than to a bunch of middlemen.
Right now I wanted to buy olive oil but there are only seasoned varieties except one that contains six liters. It is, of course, far too much for two people.
I would prefer unseasoned olive oils. I like to do the seasoning myself as needed.
With kind recards
Anja
Thank you for your feedback and support! We’re glad to hear that you’ve had a positive experience with CrowdFarming. Regarding the olive oil options, we appreciate your input and will definitely take it into consideration when selecting and offering new products. We always strive to provide a variety of options to meet the needs and preferences of our CrowdFarmers. Thank you for your suggestion, and we hope to continue providing you with high-quality, sustainable products in the future. 😊
Please keep going, I talk about my positive experiences of crowdfarming to everybody that I know. I share fruits from my order with friends and collegues to inspire them to by from crowd farming.
Thank you for your support and for spreading the word about CrowdFarming, Therese! We appreciate your help in growing our community and promoting sustainable agriculture. Together, we can create a better food system that supports farmers, protects the environment, and provides healthy and delicious produce to people around the world. 😊
Thank you so much for what you do. I was recently in communication with yourselves concerning a delivery of avocados & oranges. I was disappointed in the size of half of the order of avocados. However, I must apologise; the avocados, now ripe and although small are delicious and excellent quality. The stones, like the fruit, are small so the amount of flesh to eat is really good.
So once again, apologies for my lack of trust in the product. I hope I didn’t cause any anxiety to the growers.
Kind regards
Lucy Glendinning
Thank you for your feedback, Lucy. We appreciate your honesty and we are glad to hear that you are enjoying the avocados despite their size. We understand that as consumers, we are used to seeing fruits and vegetables that meet certain size and appearance standards, but at CrowdFarming, we prioritize sustainability and supporting small-scale farmers. This means that the produce may not always look uniform or meet traditional size standards, but we assure you that the taste and quality are never compromised. Thank you for your support and we hope to continue providing you with delicious and sustainable produce. 🌞🌱
You are doing so well – I hope we can weather the economic crisis together. Thank you. And the podcast is excellent.
Thank you for your support. We’re glad to hear that you like the podcast!
I have repeatedly tried to order lemons for delivery to Scotland but the system has failed every time… I will continue to try ..
Unfortunately we cannot offer deliveries to the Scottish Highlands. This may also include some particularly rural postcodes. The reason for this is mainly the cost as well as transit times; currently our carriers charge more than the normal rate for these areas and we do not want to pass these surcharges on to the customer, since that would seem unfair to us. Do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone to check if your region is part of it.
My complaint is that deliveries to Hungary either come by the Austrian Post or Magyar Posta. They give no prior notice of delivery. You are unable to set a clear date and time for delivery. My last order was delivered rapidly from Germany and then was held by Magyar Posta and ever delivered.
I think your products are excellent. I want to buy from an independent producer.
But there is no point in mế ordering if deliveries are always messed up.
I am afraid that I will not order again if you insist on using the hopeless national postal services.
Thank you for your feedback and we apologize for the inconvenience caused by the unreliable postal services. We understand how frustrating it can be to have delivery issues and we are constantly working to improve our logistics. Unfortunately, as you mentioned, we cannot control the way postal services operate, but we do provide estimated delivery dates to try to give you an idea of when your order should arrive. We will continue to do our best to ensure that our deliveries are prompt and reliable. Thank you for your support and we hope to be able to serve you again in the future. 😊
You are doing a great job. The mixed boxes are more suited to our small household. This means that we can order more frequently. Best wishes for 2033. x
Great to hear, that you like the mixed boxes! Thank you so much for your support, Linda! 😊
Hello Gonzalo, thank you for efforts! The economic crisis and fears of recession may have had an impact, but keep it going! CrowdFarming is doing great and we need more!
Thanks for your comment, Claudio! We highly appreciate that you are a part of CrowdFarming! 💚🌱
Hi
without being a conspiracy theorist. the agri chemicals industry is HUGE and it is in lockstep with so many other aspects of big business. They have enormous lobbying power with the governments of the world. and can persuade the lawmakers that their way is the only way. It’s not for me to suggest that brown envelopes change hands or holidays and conferences in exotic places . but it is a possibility and would reinforce the message.
So our return to earth friendly agriculture has to be for the time being an underground movement. It’s not a bad thing to be under the radar while it grows anyway. I did hear one experet sugest that if as little as 10% of the population swap to organic produce , it will no longer be viable to run agriculture on the agrichem paradigm. maybe a little optimistic but you never know till we get there.
With regard to your deliveries please remember the crop and mother nature determine if you can meet the human imposed delivery dates. Do what you can but don’t stress about it. and your 2% other logistical issues would be a dream come true for many businesses out there especially in this era. You’re doing great. And if you are a farmer you’ll know that whatever you do, some years are just better than others. The weather that suits one crop isn’t great for another. wheat likes early rain potatoes like constant but gentle rain pumpkins like later rain and so on.
Wishing you continued successes
billyo
Thank you for your comment and your support of sustainable and earth-friendly agriculture. We agree that the agrochemical industry has significant lobbying power and that there is much work to be done to shift towards more sustainable and organic farming practices. Regarding our deliveries, we understand that crop and nature can impact our ability to meet delivery dates, and we do our best to communicate with our customers and provide estimated delivery dates. We appreciate your understanding and encouragement. 🌱🌞
I have had 2 orders of oranges from Spain, both of which have arrived in great condition and in good time. We have been happy to support the direct sales of oranges to enable the farmers to get a better deal for the work they put in and to ensure the fruit is grown organically to allow the ecosystem to flourish at the same time as produce a crop. The orangea have been delicious!
Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us! We are glad to hear that you have enjoyed the oranges from Spain and appreciate your support of direct sales to farmers. We believe that supporting organic farming and sustainable practices is not only good for the environment, but also produces high-quality and delicious produce. We hope you continue to enjoy the fruits of our labor and we look forward to serving you in the future. 💚🌱
Unfortunately in UK there are matters bigger than put organic food on the table. it’a a sad decision to make…you guys still pricey…promoting that we can actually buy directly from farmers is not really making the cost drop. Instead you’re prices are the same of Riverford if not more. Also Supermarket have started sell “Organis soil association” products more and more…start to look around and drop a good 15% and you’ll see more sales goes out.
Thank you for your comment and feedback, Stefano. We understand that cost can be a barrier for some consumers, and we are constantly striving to find ways to make our products more affordable while still ensuring fair compensation for our farmers. Our pricing is made by the farmers themselves and reflects the true cost of organic, sustainable, and ethical farming practices, which unfortunately can be more expensive than conventional farming methods. We believe that buying directly from farmers and supporting small-scale, sustainable agriculture is not just about putting organic food on the table, but also about investing in a more resilient and equitable food system. We also offer transparency about our farming practices, which is not always the case with larger corporations or supermarkets. 🌱🌞
Love your concept, ethos and product. Been a regular since we discovered it and it’s our main choice when sending gifts – 15kg of citrus is a lot more impressive/satisfying to give & receive than a box of chocolates and it feels to buy from the farmers through you.
Hugely impressive effort with the refugee initiative, a direct way to help.
Plse carry on doing what you do, it’s beneficial to all and, having found it, we’d be lost if you stopped!
Marc
Hello Marc,
We are biggest fans of your idea to give away fruits, because what could be nicer than sending loved ones something healthy and tasty. We hope that you will never have to do without us and that we will never have to do without you. We hope you know how important your contribution is to farmers and the environment. We send you many sunny greetings! ☘️☀️
I am so proud of all of you. You are doing such a great job. Helping the environment and health of people. If I can do something back (being more then a costumer) let me know.
Hello Sophia,
Thank you very much for your support, because both we and especially the farmers live through you and your purchases are us, through which you not only secure jobs, but also have a positive impact on the environment of our planet. We can’t ask for much more and hope that we will be supported by you for many more years.
We send many sunny greetings ☀️
As a newcomer to Crowd farming in 2022,I have been seriously impressed with the delivery of any of the products I have chosen to buy.Boxes have arrived either on the date specified or within only a couple of days.
I think you have been hard on yourself when many of the factors in the international postal systems are completely out of your control, including the on-going effects of brexit.
It speaks volumes for your business model that only 3 farmers have given up in 5 years.You should be very proud indeed.
I’m looking forward to buying more products in 2023 and giving a market to more producers!
Thank you for your positive feedback and support, Karin! We’re glad to hear that you’ve been satisfied with our delivery and products. We always strive to provide the best possible service, but sometimes factors outside our control can affect delivery times. We appreciate your understanding in this regard. Regarding our prices, we understand that they may seem high compared to some other options on the market, but we believe that it’s important to pay farmers a fair price for their hard work and to support sustainable agriculture practices. We do our best to keep our prices competitive while also ensuring that our farmers are paid fairly. 🌱💚
Gonzalo I have nothing but praise for your scheme.
I love being able to order quality foodstuffs that support the farmer directly. I hope Crowdfarming carries in the great work.
Pratima Mitchell
Thank you for your kind words, Pratima! We appreciate your support and are glad to hear that you are enjoying the quality of our food and the direct support of our farmers. 🌞🌱
I have just finished making 35 jars of home made Marmalade using the organic bitter oranges from Antonio Bettiglieri they arrived in excellent condition and work out no more expensive than those I can buy at our nearest shop some 25 miles away. Thank you for helping to save waste and producing an excellent product. I would have sent a photo but sadly no facility on this site.
The Farmer Antonio Bottiglieri will be so happy to hear you’re enjoying your bitter oranges – we’ll pass your feedback on. Enjoy your home made marmalade ! 💚
ordered my first box of clementines to be delivered sometime in december,it arrived later than date given but no surprise there with the postal strikes etc, was surprised to find it had come through germany ? lost about 25% of clementines , but the flavour from the others was fantastic, better than shop bought as was promised, gave some away to friends & they are now looking into crowdfarming products, we might even join together to share instead of trying to eat kilos of the same produce at a time as I know that tends to turn me off .
anyways, first purchase I will give 70% success, roll on my/our next purchase.
great idea best of luck for the future .
Hello Jack,
Thank you for your motivating words!
We hope you know that you can always complain if an order is not well received. We are really pleased that your order still convinced you and that you even advertised for us among your friends. We hope that we can continue to send you flawless products for many years to come, and wish you a good start to the spring. 🌺☀️
We wish you a good start i
I bought avocado 22/10 2022. I haven’t god any yet and I don’t know when it will come? This is second time I write. Waiting for an answer!
Hello Kjell,
we are so sorry to hear that! We would really love to help you. Could you please contact our customer service so they can get to the bottom of the cause? +44 20 3318 4317 (Monday to friday 9-18.30h)
We send sunny regards ☀️
Dear CrowdFarming people, you are on your hard way to such an amazing mission! I bought only twice some amazing oranges and olive oil to Latvia, and all those little tiny details like a super strong cardboard box telling me how it could be reused – I admire your work!
From your podcast and letters I learned so much about the real situation with organic farming in Europe, exciting stories about farmers on their pages, there is so much love in it.
So guys, please do not stop, do not give up! Even if sometimes it is really hard, please keep up this amazing work!
I wish I could meet your team on my next trip to Madrid!
All the best!
Hello Karina,
You can’t imagine how beautiful and motivating it is to read your words. We assure you that we will continue to push our project with a lot of motivation, we have set ourselves the goal to create the most sustainable food chain and we are not yet where we want to see our project. However, we are sure that with people like you as CrowdFarmer, we can make it💪.
We send you many sunny greetings to Latvia! 🌸
Thank you so much for the opportunity to buy organic food, that does not grow in my country, because of the climate.
I am very proud to be a part of this community, and will continue to support Crowd Farming.
I hope you will continue to grow, and I will be able to buy your lovely tasteful oranges, lemons, avocadoes and other fruits and foods.
Thank you again
Sylwia
Hi Sylwia! We’re glad to hear you’re happy with our service! Reading comments like this reassure us all our hard work is worth it, and we are constantly striving to improve! 🌞