Annette N.
Yelp
As a person with long and real commitments to local farms, I write with a heavy heart that we will no longer buy the products from nor deal with this company. Here is why. On September 21 I and my wife and our niece were scheduled to attend the day-long cheese-making class at Valley Shepherd Creamery. We learned of this class by our frequent patronage of their products at their stands both at Union Square and at the Natural History Museum Farmers Markets.
On June 30, we paid $465 for the 3 classes for the September classes. We bought so early because we had 3 reasons for wanting to attend, and we didn't want to be left out:
1) we try to learn all we can about what our farmers do and the miracle and process of learning to make cheese seemed to offer a special opportunity;
2) we try to support local farmers and we were willing to pay what strikes us as serious money ($465) to do that;
3) I particularly was hopeful that our niece who has a passion for cheese might fall in love with the process and decide to make cheese-making her life's work.
On September 20, we confirmed that the car we had rented (for approximately $225, bringing the anticipated total for the day to at least $690, which to us is a significant outlay. We knew it was going to be a great day.
At about 5:30 on the morning of Sept. 21, when we were rising early to go to the classes, I almost fell down when I attempted to get out of bed. The room was spinning. I tried and I tried to make the world stand still. It wouldn't. I had Vertigo and there was no way that I was going to be able to travel to the Creamery nor would I be able to make cheese, nor could I be left alone. I stayed in bed and cried.
My wife, more resilient and practical than I, called Valley Shepherd Creamery, to notify them that we weren't going to come. There was no accessible and visible phone number on their website which took one to a human being, nor was there more an visible and accessible email. We finally found an email that seemed possible and wrote in my name to Deborah VanSickle:
Dear Deborah,
We have a reservation for 3 for today's class-which we have been looking forward to for months--and sadly we cannot make it. One in our party has vertigo and she can't be left alone. Would you please call me. We would like to reschedule and we don't know what your policy is. We are so sorry and truly wish we could be there today. (She gave our phone number).
Thank you.
We heard nothing until Sept. 24 when we received this:
"Sadly, our policy is clear. There is no reschedule or refund 30 days prior to class date. Class not attended today (PLEASE NOTE...this was now 3 days after the class) would be forfeited.
Class starts at 10 am today."
Again, she sent this to us 3 days after the classes were scheduled.
In retrospect, if we had heard from the Valley Shepherd people in a timely way that they would not give us any chance to reschedule, it is possible that our niece, perhaps even with friends, would have gone to the class.
This was not to be, because we didn't hear from them and we could not imagine such inflexibility and inappropriate greed and meanness from people in the local food movement.
Since then I have asked repeatedly for some flexibility, some kind and humane approach to a problem that I see as much theirs as it is mine. I was very sick (the Vertigo lasted 3 days).
As I see the situation, Valley Shepherd had opportunity costs...perhaps, yes, they could have filled our places, and perhaps some hard costs (our lunches?) but it is against all the green market and local movements stand for to think that they are entitled to $465.
Even the national and public traded car rental company which has a 24 hour cancellation policy had sympathy for my illness and forgave us the full $225 fees which by their policy were due. A big corporate entity acted with compassion; Valley Shepherd Creamery did not.
I have asked both by email and at their NYC markets (Union Square and the Natural History Museum) that we be allowed to attend another class...even in January, when the demand logically cannot be as strong. They don't even answer me.
If you are a believer in the local food movement, including the humane treatment of animals and other live creatures (including humans) and the ethics implied in the Green Movement, I urge you to consider the above conduct of Valley Shepherd Creamery, prior to patronizing any of their facilities or purchasing any of their products.
