Website
FarmFreshToYou.com
Owners
Noah Barnes, Thaddeus Barsotti, Freeman Barsotti

Located in the Capay Valley, northwest of Davis, and appearing regularly with a booth at the Davis Farmers Market, Capay Organic is a local, second generation, family run farm that was founded by UC Davis graduates who were original members of both the Davis Farmers Market and the Davis Food Coop.

The Capay Organic family farm is nestled in the Capay Valley just off the Vaca Mountains, just west of Esparto. They are known for their monthly "Second Saturday Farm Tours" and as part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, they deliver organic fruit and vegetable boxes regularly throughout Davis. Through this CSA, called "Farm Fresh To You," the Barsotti and Barnes brothers delivers organic fruits and veggies straight from their farm to members' doorstep. While there are many different types of CSAs throughout Yolo County, only Capay Organic delivers their CSA boxes directly to Yolo county residents' front door. They also allow members to customize their deliveries by excluding any fruits and vegetables that members don't like. Additionally, the farms allows members to put the service on hold at any time to accommodate members' vacation breaks. Members can schedule deliveries from the farm weekly/bi-weekly/or every fourth week, and unlike many other CSAs, members do not have to commit to the deliveries for any particular length of time. There are several sizes of boxes - Small / Regular / More / Monster, with the Monster being the biggest and best value. There are different types of boxes including Mixed Fruit and Vegetable, a Raw / Salad Box where no cooking vegetables are included, Mostly Fruit, All Fruit, All Vegetable and a 100% Capay Valley farms only box. Members can start and stop deliveries as they wish. Every now and again the farm runs promotional deliveries, where they will send out the first box at a substantial discount. (Generally, this discount is $10 off the first box. Currently the promotional code to receive a discounted first deliver is 9141). The farm also has regular promotions for referring a friend, and for submitting recipes to the community newsletter that Thaddeus writes weekly that are also included in the box.

The farm often refers to "Eight reasons for joining Farm Fresh To You":

  1. Eat More Healthily. Having produce delivered to your home on a set frequency is essential to obtaining the recommended 7-9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

  2. We Are the Farm. Unlike many produce delivery services who buy produce from a warehouse and repack it, we have been growing organic produce for our customers since 1976.

  3. Nutrition. Grocery store produce is often over a week old, losing more nutritional value each day after harvest. Our produce is picked daily and delivered fresh from our fields to your family.

  4. No Commitment Required. Unlike most CSAs, "Farm Fresh To You" requires no commitment and allows you to cancel or suspend deliveries.

  5. Flexibility. Choose the delivery frequency that fits you best: weekly, every other week, every 3rd or every 4th week delivery. Going on vacation or need a break from deliveries? No problem, just let us know when you would like to resume.

  6. Customization. Customize your standard delivery to exclude items you do not wish to receive or add additional servings for items that you would like more of.

  7. Variety and Selection. We have several services to choose from which helps fit your individual needs. We also work with neighboring organic farmers to ensure year round variety of fruits and vegetables.

  8. Convenience. No more driving and parking for your vegetables, it comes delivered to your doorstep. A great way to save time going to the grocery store or remembering to pick up your produce at a specific time and location.

About the owners

Noah Barnes was born in Davis, CA and graduated from UC Davis in 1996 with a degree in Agriculture Economics and German.

Thaddeus Barsotti was born in Capay, CA and graduated with a degree in Agriculture Engineering from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and in 2003.

Freeman Barsotti was born in Capay, CA and attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. He graduated in 2005 with a degree in Bio-resource and Agricultural Engineering.

Eating is an Agricultural Act

In April 2010, reacting to concerns that aside from the "Valley Only" box, where all the produce is grown in the Capay Valley, the fruits and vegetables delivered in the remaining "Farm Fresh To You" CSA are not 100% grown on the family farm, Thaddeus responded with this note to members:

"Eating is an Agricultural Act" By Thaddeus Barsotti

Hello members of Farm Fresh to You.

I was asked recently exactly how our CSA was an example of an alternative distribution system. I immediately thought of the Wholesale Produce Market.

The Wholesale Produce Market, found in most large cities, is a step in the traditional produce distribution system. Products from all over the world arrive at this hub before being sent off to the next step in the system. Produce arriving at this market has been through at least one other facility and often several other facilities. This produce is then delivered to a retail store (in the best case scenario – otherwise, it may be shipped to an additional facility). Once it arrives to a retail store it is purchased and consumed. The consumer has very little knowledge of the product and the face of the farm has been lost. The consumer also has no idea how fresh the product is.

Our system is alternative because the product comes directly from farms, with names and faces. The produce is assembled into mixed boxes at our farm's facility. The night it was packed, the produce boxes go in a van (as part of an efficient, optimized route) and are delivered directly to the consumer's door. The miles the produce travels is minimized, the time that passes from harvest until the customer receives it is much less and the consumers know where it came from and who grew it.

By supporting our CSA, you are supporting an alternative distribution system, cutting out old-school middle men and supporting farmers directly. Wendell Berry once said, “Eating is an agricultural act” and I couldn’t agree more. By supporting an alternative food production system, you are changing the face of agriculture in the United States.

Media

Capay Organic and their CSA have been featured several times in the Davis Life Magazine. http://www.davislifemagazine.com/2010/05/capay-organic-farm-tour/

More media can be found at the Farm Fresh to You news site http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index2.php?cmd=inthenews

Comments:

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2010-05-26 16:50:56   The cost is a little steep for me, currently, but I like the sound of the service. These guys are really friendly. A couple of them stopped by my old apartment a year or two ago with a flyer and discount code or something, and we talked for a bit. Sounds like the sort of place I'd like to support, and I do love me some fresh fruits and veggies! Someday, maybe... —TomGarberson

2010-05-26 20:19:02   As for the value, it's one of those things you have to think about. People regularly spend $100 at the supermarket, but then balk at $25 at the farmers' market for several bags of veggies.

If you use about two-thirds of the box, it's a great deal compared to comparable California produce at the Co-op. I say California produce because I get the regular box, which often has contents from throughout the Golden State...not necessarily "local." Nevertheless, fresh corn from the Imperial Valley probably has a smaller footprint than any processed food obtainable in a box right now. But, Capay Organics lets you limit your selection to only local produce, which is ambitious but admirable.

Anyway, that's the problem. Big Ag likes to nickle and dime us and makes it seem like local local and organic produce is expensive when, indeed, it's a very affordable alternative. Try Capay Organics or any local CSA. Find the one that works for you... —ScottLay

2010-06-20 10:25:32   This page should be split into two businesses. One is "Capay Organic", which is the farm, and the other should be "Farm Fresh To You" which is a separate business run by the owners of this farm. —AmandaAbughosh

2012-04-28 00:31:56   How is Farm Fresh to You still in business? Everyone I every knew who got their boxes cancelled. The prices were nuts - 25$ for a handful of out of season apples and bunch of kale. And the quality was so hit and miss. Half the time the fruits were green and unripe, and the other half the time they were moldy by the end of the day. And finally, Farm Fresh to You is NOT a CSA. It's a fruit and vegetable delivery service like Planet Organic or the Fruit Guys. I wish they would stop making false claims about where their fruits and vegetables come from, because most of the fruits and vegetables in the boxes that they deliver does NOT come from their farm, or from any local farm for that matter. If you want local fruits and vegetables, shop at the Davis Food Coop instead. You'll get a better deal, a better seasonal, local organic selection and better quality. —ChuckFrank

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