A few weekends ago, my family with a couple other families were looking for some place to go, get some fresh local produce, and experience something fun and interesting with the 3 children we had with us. We were looking for a local farm to let the 20 month old kids see and experience. After driving to a couple of places, we went here.
Beautiful part of East Medford - great views, nice farmland with flowers growing.. They have a great outdoor seating area, I guess they do something on Friday evenings... Just our luck we missed out on whatever fun they do.
Anyhow - we arrived here, got out, realized it was a honor system for purchasing whatever they had available, we also noticed that their outdoor area had a chain on it and said closed... We walked around, checked out the area but became so happy with the view and the kids broke into the area and were down on the grass running...
We decided to let the kids play for a little bit before we left, we made sure to not make a mess and to just chill for a few minutes...
Right as I was putting our 20 month old in the car this woman drives up, some of the others were inside the "closed" area. This woman rushes to where the rest of us were and the very first thing out of her mouth was an insult, "Do you know how to read?", she said in a very condescending tone.. Immediately the people there were feeling bad - we knew we had "violated" the closed sign, and yes, technically it was trespassing... we got that but were honestly just looking around thinking how much we'd love to go there on a Friday to see what goes on there...
Needless to say, the insults continued to pour from this woman's mouth, no amount of apology from us really mattered, it was obvious she'd been called down there before because of people loitering, etc... I totally get that - we were in the wrong.... the point of this review is not to say we were right in what we did...
Had we been anything but really nice people, we would have taken her "bait" and fought with her... How utterly foolish of this woman?
A few of us work in the food industry here in the rogue valley, I personally have over 20 years in the organic food industry, working with local farmers - Dunbar Farms had always been a name that I felt good about - but this one encounter....
What made me write this review is the e-mail I got from Porters for their "cork and fork" event - featuring produce from Dunbar Farms... Needless to say I and my friends will not be participating in any even where Dunbar Farms is present...
Asking 6 adults if they can read, when all are college educated and half hold master degrees is extremely insulting - in this day and age where I have the choice below the "SHARE ON FACEBOOK" my review - I would think if a company wants to live in this new modern age, that they learn now to "Think before speaking"... maybe my personal small amount of patronage will not make a difference, but mine with all my friends knowing about my experience might...
Oh - and since my wife and I will be small business owners here in the Valley, and since we will be looking for a good local farm to assist us in producing high quality foods from local farmers, I know that I will not be contacting Dunbar Farms, even if they are the cheapest out there - doing business with them and this woman is one thing I will not do...
Oh, and how did we come to be inside the closed area??? well, when you are next to the freezer that has the bread and other things in it, there is a door... It was open so we made our way into the other area looking around... The folding glass wall was open between the seating area and the serving area... there was very little indication that we shouldn't be there from that entrance way...
So, Dunbar Farms - I'm stupid, my family is stupid, we are illiterate, we are a bother, we're not worthy of your kindness.... With that, you are not worthy of my patronage, nor are you worthy of any good praise or any kind words... When I hear "Dunbar Farms" I'll always be reminded of this horrible experience... it's truly amazing what 2 minutes can do to turn potential customers away for good... read more