Yes that is ice on the veggies!
We’ve been getting shipments of fresh organic fruits and vegetables from Full Circle Farm the last few months, resuming service after over a year. We stopped service previously after helping to bring Full Circle Farm shipments to Tok with others in the community including the tireless efforts of Francine at the Tok General Store because the shipments in winter were arriving frozen. The truck (from an Alaskan shipping company) that brought the boxes of fresh produce to Tok from Anchorage where they are flown in from Washington State didn’t realize the devastating affect of Interior winters on the contents in the boxes.
We resumed recently when we heard that the truck drivers learned their lesson finally after much spoiled produce and were putting the boxes in their cab. All was well and earlier this winter, we had a few great deliveries, savoring the fresh and diverse offerings. But now, for a second box in a row, we are getting produce that is frozen solid including tomatoes, tangerines, apples, pears, mushrooms, carrots, beets, kiwi and potatoes. The boxes are in the back of the trucks again.
The vegetables will fare better upon thawing than the fruit which will turn to a semi liquified state (applesauce and pear sauce may be in order before they competely spoil). The shelf-life of the veggies thawed, however, will be just a few days.
While Full Circle Farm has a 100% satisfaction guarantee which is greatly appreciated, it is discouraging to get half-edible but great looking produce at a time in the year that every little bit of “sunshine” counts. Well, you do what you can do and get what you can get in these parts.
I’m off to sautee some frozen rainbow chard.
Got produce?
Living in Tok Alaska: City Girl Meets Rural Alaska 
Polly
/ January 21, 2011I am a member of FCF as well and I know what you mean. However, I just get one shipment a month. I go to town once a month and buy from Fred Meyers organic section. However, I was thinking that perhaps we can put together a list of names of organic food people here in Tok. When one of us goes to Fbx. – we can pick up some organic at Fred Meyers. Just a thought. I do not think it has to be big – 2-3 people. I don’t want to take business away from FCF but for those of us who do not get weekly boxes.
Samantha @ Mama Notes
/ January 24, 2011Hello fellow Alaskan mama! 🙂
I need to look into this place…. Fred Meyer has a POOR selection of produce!
Polly
/ February 16, 2011True, but they sometimes have great produce. WHen I go to Fbx., I can have a set of names and numbers to call when I run into good organics. Just a thought.
Leah Enquist-Harmon
/ April 26, 2011We certainly understand how difficult it is to bring fresh produce up to Tok.
My husband and I drive the Big Orange semi-truck up to Alaska about 3 to 4 times a year, stopping in Tok first. We always have to protect the precious load, from the outside temperatures when it’s to cold or to warm, and long bumpy roads, it’s always challenge. We hope to stop in Tok this trip. We are planning to be there in about 5 days but when my husband was driving the truck down to get our first load of produce, a week ago there was a mountain of snow in the parking lot by the Tok RV Park, where we usually park to set up our produce stand. We thought we would make a trip a little earlier this year than years past. The weather has been very gloomy in Montana. We have seen some beautiful sunshiny days there in Tok under the crystal clear sky. I hope the temperatures have been warm enough to melt the snow so we can see the friendly people of Tok.