This Old Farm, Inc. — Local services in Colfax

LONG, BUT PLEASE READ We are a small farm specializing in pastured pork. Initially we were impressed with the business model and helpfulness over the phone, and we decided to use This Old Farm instead of the processor we have been using even though it was 2 hours from our farm. We dropped the hogs off, which went smoothly. 7 hogs were dropped off with multiple cut sheets as the hogs were for a total of 7 different customers. We waited anxiously for notification that our meat was ready. Once we received the notice that our meat was ready (Dec. 9), we began to prepare to make the deliveries. While going through each invoice, we noticed that at the bottom, under "extra notes" that our orders were not actually ready because they each contained smoked meat, and that This Old Farm would contact us when it was ready. Further, there was a $30 fee for storage beyond 15 days (and re-applied every 15 days). I contacted This Old Farm and was told that the smoked meat would "hopefully" be done by 12/27, which was beyond the 15 day period. Again, our farm is 2 hours away and we were not aware that there would be such a major time delay in the smoked meats. Our former (and future) processor did not call until the entire order was ready. We decided to pay the storage fee and wait as the cost of two round trips and delivery would be more expensive than the $30 fee. On Dec. 29 we were notified the smoked meat was finished. I called the them morning of 01/02 to confirm they were open and went to This Old Farm to pick up our meat and planned to make deliveries on my way back. Therefore, I had made arrangements with 5 of the 7 customers to make the deliveries. I arrived to pick up the meat and began to load the order. The employee that brought the meat from the cooler said that I had it all and asked me to sign the inventory form. I told him it didn't seem like enough meat and checked the form finding that he had not provided me with 5 items listed on the sheet ("BOX A,B,C,D,E). He went back to the cooler and returned with boxes labeled accordingly. I signed the inventory form, and left. I arrived at the first customer's house, an hour away from This Old Farm. As I unloaded the customer's order, I found that I did not have their bacon or Ham! I then spent the next 45 minutes unpackaging each invoiced package and found that I was missing a lot of smoked meat. I called This Old Farm and got voicemail. I left a message indicating my situation and called two more times getting an answer on the third. The employee said that the error had been noticed 10 minutes after I left, YET THEY DID NOT CALL TO TELL ME!!! I drove the 1 hour back to This Old Farm, got the rest of my meat, and rescheduled the deliveries. As I had left the voicemail with the office, I waited 2 days for a call from them with some sort of apology. After not receiving any communication, I sent a lengthy email explaining the error and further explaining how their error had caused problems with my customers and made our business look bad. Jessica (the head lady) tactfully blamed the mistake on me because I did not pre-schedule my pickup and because I signed the inventory sheet. Further, she suggested that if I wanted more reliable service from them, that I pay them to pack and ship the meat through Piazza Produce, so they can make sure they get it all packed. I had also explained that I wanted to give This Old Farm a chance, and that we have several hogs processed each year, but that I cannot have this happen again. Jessica did not attempt to re-assure me that I could trust them, and offered to make it right by crediting my account $35 for the fuel I used. Not to mention, that even though our orders were "ready", once I got there, I was notified that the Lard would be another couple of weeks. Jan 10 I was notified that the lard was ready for pickup -- it will not be picked up. All of our customers have complained that the Bacon and Sausage are too salty, and we agree. I have since heard from three separate parties that they have had similar...

I wasn't going to leave a review because last time I went there was several months ago. However, I was encouraged to go ahead and do so. I placed my order by phone (125#). I was told what would be $1/ # and what would be $1.50/#. 2 young boys helped load my boxes. I had 5 boxes total. I ordered 50# of chicken broiler bones and then the mixed boxes for the rest. It was right after Josiah (?) had quit. They didn't have all the chicken bb I ordered. She (? Not sure who) said they were off site in a truck. I told her I had ordered them over 2 weeks prior and they had plenty of time to get the product in the store. I was told the chicken bb were $1/# because I preordered them and they were on hand & there was excess. She asked me if I'd take necks and chicken feet in place of what they didn't have. She told me I could have the necks and feet for .75 a pound since it wasn't the frames I originally ordered. I told her that was fine. They filled one whole box with chicken feet. I paid while the boys loaded my boxes in my car. I didn't doubt they weren't giving me what I was supposed to be getting. I had been 3 times prior with no issues. I got home (2.5 hour round trip) & there are only 3 boxes in my trunk! I ordered 125# & I ended up with 63# of product! I called (same day), no answer. I called the next day, no answer. I left messages, no reply. I emailed, no reply. I messaged on Facebook, no response. Several days later I finally got someone on the phone. She insisted they loaded what I ordered and that Josiah took my order wrong. All I got was my 3 boxes of mixed items. The 2 boxes of chicken necks, the few frames they had and none of the feet were loaded in my car. My total order was over $100. $1/# for 75# & .75# for 50# + tax. She denied ever having the conversation with me she did in the store. She said there were never 5 boxes, that there were only 3 and that what I got was 75# at $1.50/#. We went around and around. She said they lost my original order (how convenient) and that I was wrong, she was right and that I got exactly what I should have. I was getting an average of 50-75# a month for my service dog. After that experience, I haven't been back and doubt I will. After reading recent reviews, I see there have been many mistakes made and it seems the treatment I received is now the norm. The customers are wrong and staff is right. Not a fan any longer. I can't believe the changes that have taken place. I advertised for TOF, sent people there by word of mouth and probably had 75 of my friends vote back during the contest (for a grant?). I've never had a business insist they were right and the...

This business has some of the worst customer service I've seen in a long time. We had a 1/4 cow processed there last year, and had no issues with it. This year, I called in the cutting instructions over the phone for a half cow. I paid over $900 for the half of the cow and needed specific cuts of meat because of the others paying for it. I wanted it trimmed medium fat, steaks 1.5" thick, and definitely fillet's instead of T-bones.

When it was picked up, I did not notice that the order was completely wrong until I got it home. The name on the cutting instruction form was not mine and it was the generic cut they do if no one sends in cutting instructions. I figured it was just a mistake and I got someone else's meat. No, instead, they lost the form I called in. Still to this day, I have not been provided with my cutting instruction form. Because they lost it, they assumed I didn't call in and cut it generically, so much of the meat was wrong.

I drove back up there to to drop off the cuts I did not want to be grounded up into ground beef. It's an hour drive one way and a huge inconvenience. In total, I drove 4 hours to try and fix their screw up. The only thing they were willing to do to make it right to the customer was to grind up the wrong meat with no charge. They asked what they could do to make it right. I suggested refund the processing fee (or at least SOME of it) and give me fillets from another cow. They refused to do it. Instead, the front office worker/manager placed the blame on the farmer who dropped off the cow for not putting my name on his owner form. What ever happened to the saying, "the customer is always right?"

They said they would call me when the meat was ground back up. I never received a phone call 2+ weeks later. I called in to check on the status and the person who answered the phone said she did not have record of my meat and would have to contact me back. She eventually did and said they had it and it was ready.

I've not been to another processor before, so I don't know how this business compares to other as far as quality of work, but I can tell you if your order is ever wrong, don't expect them to...