J.R. Organics CSA

We’ve belonged to JR’s CSA for 3 years now and love it. My favorite thing about JR’s is that the produce is all organic, super fresh, and full of flavor.
All of our meals taste so much better when we use their produce over the stuff at the health food stores.
I love the variety that comes in the box and how nice they are about placing our box on hold when we travel. They also provide lots of great recipes and resources.
Joe and JoanE, and the entire family at JR’s is super nice, helpful and really makes eating local, healthy produce easy.
I highly recommend them, Thank you JR’s:)
Oh, and they host the best farm tours, with all the strawberries you want!

We love our CSA box! We’ve been buying produce at their stand at our local Farmers market every week, and finally signed up for the CSA box after weeks of buying really superior food from them. I’ve been thinking about joining a CSA for years, and this was the right fit for us. The choices in box size and frequency is great. Also, you don’t have to buy for a whole season or some long period of time. They have options for as few as 2 weeks, so if you know you’re going on vacation or just want to do a trial to see how it might work for your family, that’s a great (and affordable) option. I love supporting local organic farmers — not just large corporations, especially such friendly, helpful people. Our box always has a good variety of vegetables AND fruits (the berries are so good!) and things we really do eat. We usually get one item we haven’t tried or rarely eat, but part of the fun is that we get to try the new things. Their website and weekly email (if you want the option) offer links to recipes for the lesser known items. They offer a door to door delivery service now as well, so if you’re concerned about getting to your pick up site each week, that option is available. I would pay above market price for their CSA box, but luckily, I don’t have to. The prices are less than going to the local grocery store and buying organic. Win-​win!

I love JR Organics. We did their CSA for over a year while living in LA and couldn’t have been happier. Their selection is awesome and seasonal, of course. If you do a pickup at a farmer’s market, they give you the option of switching out any produce you don’t like. For instance, I hate any melon, so in summer I was able to switch out the melon for more greens, or whatever they had available.
They give you your food in a big tub that you bring back each week or every other week, depending on how often you get the box. Their website shows you what to expect in your next delivery and gives some great recipes to try out with you food.
I highly recommend trying as CSA as you will try new foods you would likely pass up in the grocery store. It is also a great way to support local farmers and organic produce!
It is very cost effective if you actually use everything you get and great fun. If you are looking for a solid CSA in SoCal, you’ve found it!
I went to the strawberry picking event at their farm a couple years back and loved it. It was very special getting to see exactly where my food was coming from. They did a presentation of how they grow everything, what they use, etc. and then gave us a walking tour of the property, set us loose to pick strawberries, then feed us (even had a few vegan options), with the food they grow on site.

Great service, amazing produce. I really enjoyed the CSA experience. They let you switch out items that you don’t want and the produce is high quality (best strawberries ever!)
However, I cancelled my account after a few weeks for two reasons:
1. Too lazy to pick up my box every week
2. (more importantly), the price was not a great deal. I calculated the amount of stuff I got compared to getting it at Whole Foods and it was about the same, maybe costing a little more from JR Organics.
I go back there once in a while to buy some items a la carte, but disappointed that they couldn’t offer a better deal for their CSA boxes (especially since we would be buying a lot more of the produce than just shopping for single items).
Other than the price, I have no complaints.

This company is the BEST! Look for JR Organics at your local Farmer’s Market and attend their Farm Tour. Great Family and healthy, organic veggies!

This is our first CSA and are we ever glad we selected JR Organics! After exploring and researching several we went with a family run local provider. Excellent product, great service, and the best price/​value around. I went to their farm tour in May 2014 and was I thoroughly impressed. Great people who really care about delivering a healthy, fresh product grown organically.
I recently had a situation that required a call to their customer service and it was handled extremely well. Our bi-​weekly box is a treat and we look forward to discovering peak of the season freshness. If you’re looking for a CSA, this is the one!

I don’t know why I waited this long to write a glowing review. I have been a member of JR’s CSA for over a year. I visit their stand weekly at the farmer’s market. Their service and quality are impeccable.
About one month ago my wife and I visited their farm up in Escondido where we got a lovely tour, got to pick, consume, and take with us as many strawberries as we could carry (they gave us baskets), and were treated to the most delicious spread of at least a couple dozen organic dishes. All this cost us was $ 5.
The owner, Joe, and all his staff that we have interacted with are very friendly and helpful. The food is the highest quality local, organic produce you can get. It is also the best tasting. On top of all this, the cost is often less that the price of non-​organic produce at the supermarket. We’ve brought at least a couple dozen friends to the market with us to introduce them to the CSA program and can’t recommend JR enough.

Community Supported Agriculture is something I’m passionate about so I recently coordinated CSA delivery at work. Everyone was super excited the first couple of weeks but I wasn’t sure if the orders would continue. They did… why…because JR Organics offers an excellent product at a great price! We are all so impressed week after week. Everything is crisp, fresh and tastes DELICIOUS! Oh, and did I mention ORGANIC? JoanE has been an absolute pleasure to work with and made the process so easy. Huge GREEN thumbs up!

This is the first CSA my husband & I have ever gotten and we are BIG FANS! It’s super-​easy to sign up online and the weekly emails with a list of everything you’ll have in your CSA plus recipe suggestions is very useful! Also, there are numerous pick-​up locations to choose from. Most importantly, the food is delicious!

I join CSAs because I like them in principle. I love the idea of supporting local farmers by buying from them directly. I love the idea of limiting transportation costs — environmental and otherwise. I love eating organic produce.
The downside to CSA of course is that you can’t select what items you want. I don’t mind being limited to what is available locally — we live in San Diego County, after all. I would, however, rather have more say in how much of each item I get. I’m usually able to give what I don’t want to a friend, which helps me feel better about it.
With all that said, this is a nice CSA. The food is fresh and tastes better than what you would find in most grocery stores. It is packaged well and is there as promised. It is reasonably priced. If you are thinking of joining a CSA, I would encourage you to do so. This is a good choice.

This CSA is well worth it! The boxes are full of in season greens, fruits and veggies. Joe is very accommodating and eager to answer any questions about how he grows his crops.
The annual farm tour is well worth the minimal cost of admission and a meal is provided! With JR ORGANICS I feel like a part of the family!

I love my CSA. It’s such a great value and selection. They gladly let you swap items. One time all my apples went bad within 2 days and they let me get an extra item the following week I had a pick-​up. Everyone is always so nice and friendly at the booth. I truly enjoy the experience. While they may not remember my name, they recognize my face when I show up to pick up my CSA so that adds to the relationship with J R. I would recommend this. They have different sizes and delivery locations and frequencies to make this ultra convenient. I get a pick up every 2 weeks and everything is so fresh, it lasts the 2 weeks no problem. Plus, I love their blog on their website. I learn about new produce I’ve never even heard of and how to cook it!

This is not my first CSA, so I know a thing or two about service. You can NOT beat JR’s. From weekly newsletters, to the great farmer’s markets’ staff people, to amazing recipes, to other community-​supported events, to add-​ons during peak season, to fresh organic flowers… the list of amazing benefits never ends! Obviously the produce is always the best.
The price is comparable with other CSAs, and much cheaper than organic produce from those «chain groceries». One week I did a pound-​for-​pound cost comparison of what came in my box vs. Vons conventional, Vons organic, and Jimbo’s organic. JR’s beat them all by $ 6, $ 15, and $ 1 respectively.
They have a ton of options for box size and delivery timing, so you can play around with what works for you and get more or less each month depending on your needs. So, see, summer is coming, and all those melons and tomatoes are coming, so you may want to get the biggest box possible each week… even if you’re a single gal like me.

I have been signed up for a week and already went through my small box. Amazing! So fresh and I can’t get over how yummy everything was. Excited to see whats in next weeks!

This is one of the best kept secrets in San Diego County on fresh veggies, ALL ORGANIC. Fantastic CSA box. They are very generous — giving you lots of fresh veggies and fruits. If you don’t like a thing or two in your box, you can trade it with something they have in the trade box. Wonderful system. Just find a pick up location nearest to you. It’s worth the money. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to infuse their diets with lots of fresh food. They do a terrific job.

I love my CSA box. They also have a yearly farm tour open to memebers which I attended yesterday, and I had a great time. They served us the tastiest free lunch I think I have ever had.
Small farms like this are constantly in danger of folding due to competition from Mexico, where the regulations arent as strict and they can do everything cheaper (and sometimes less responsibly). If you want support California farms and know exactly how and where your food is grown, a CSA membership is a perfect solution.
JR Organics always does a great job at planting interesting veggies you cant get at the store. Heirloom beans, radishes, and the orange and yellow watermelons are always fun.
What to know before you sign up:
–If you pick up at a farmers market, they will allow you to exchange anything you think you might not eat.
–CSA boxes take some effort. I usually spend at least an hour washing and storing everything I get in my box as soon as I bring it home to make sure that everything lasts. Keep in mind these arent the kind of veggies that have been treated with chemicals and/​or genetically modified to sit in a grocery store for a month, and they have to be treated differently. But, if you put in the little extra effort, they will last, and the taste and peace of mind is worth it.
–We are a two person household, and I get a small box every week and we dont have a problem finishing it, but we do eat a lot of veggies. When I renew I think I am going to go to a large box every two weeks, just because my pick up location is out of the way and its a little difficult making it out there every week. Not to mention sometimes I get jealous when the large box people get cool veggies I dont get!
–They love their CSA members! Come join us!

Completed our 4-​week trial membership, and we are fans. Really enjoy the fresh fruits and veggies — amazing how much better they taste when they are fresh. This is a new experience for us, but we are sold, and decided to join this CSA. We pick up at the Temecula Farmer’s market. The staff is friendly. We always get an e-​mail letting us know what will be in the next box so we can start planning meals, and though a couple of items have been left out, they are more than happy to replace it the following week. I can say that the beets, carrots, apples and strawberries are EXCELLENT (my favorites so far). Take a chance on a trial membership, you will be glad you did.

Decided to try a new CSA last week and I have to say that JR Organics roxx.
I have tried 2 other CSA’s in SD this year and in comparison this one gives you a great selection of fresh organic f + v and you can trade something out if you don’t like it. Plus they are as rural as it gets so you don’t have to worry about traffic pollution.
They don’t quite give you the volume that Suzie’s (or the little goodies like jam, and sprouts) does, but much much more that Garden of Eden «GOE» — I felt really ripped off by GOE and the service was atrocious. Still waiting for a refund from them. I will be trying Be Wise shortly to compare before I make my final decision. It is great that you can trial these CSA’s to see which one you like best
Some highlights this week were the green avos and purple carrots — so cool. The baby lettuce was amazing too.
To sum up:
1. Responsiveness A++
2. Professionalism A++
3. Variety B+
4. Freshness A
5. Being part of a great CSA and giving back to San Diego A+++++

I get a CSA box of produce every other week. I pick up at the Mar Vista Farmer’s Market. I love it!
You get a selection of produce that is picked for you. You can exchange two items each pick up. Today I didn’t want leeks or peas, so I got an extra spinach and lettuce (both of which are AMAZING!)
Today I cooked a squash that I got two weeks ago and it tastes amazing with nothing on it! Will probably add a little salt, butter and marjoram (courtesy of this week’s pick up!)
They have the best lettuce of any place I’ve ever shopped at, store, farmer’s market, garden, the BEST!
I love supporting small family owned farms. You want to make a difference? Spend your money in ways consistent with your values! Money makes it all happen.

Community Supported Agriculture: Serving up sustainably farmed, organic, farm-​fresh produce delivered to your neighborhood in a weekly box.
A great value — about $ 30 per week for a large box of fresh produce. They pack what’s in season — you might even try a few new veggies along they way!
I’ll post pictures of my delivery box to give you some idea … YUMMY!