Vegetable box customers await refunds after farmer cancels program

Dozens of people who invested in a vegetable box delivery program in the Annapolis Valley have been left with no veggies and plenty of questions after the farmers took their deposits and then cancelled the program.

Quick Draw Farms is registered to Rebecca and Colby Penman in Nictaux, N.S., southeast of Middleton, but the farm's Facebook page says the business is located in Port Lorne, N.S., which is on the Bay of Fundy between Bridgetown and Middleton.

In February and March, Facebook posts on at least four different Halifax-area buy, sell and trade pages encouraged people to sign up for the program, promising weekly deliveries between May 1 and Oct. 15.

The posts offer spots for a deposit of $50, with weekly costs ranging from $15 to $50, depending on the amount of food delivered.

The posts, made by a Facebook account in the name of ColbyBeckie Penman, note that payment can be made by credit card, cheque, cash or email money transfer.

But some would-be customers say they paid amounts ranging from $50 to several hundred dollars and have not yet received veggies or a full refund after the farmers announced they were moving to Alberta.

Farmers uprooting to Alberta

Kelly Shellnutt, who lives in Lawrencetown on the Eastern Shore, saw one of the Facebook posts and decided to sign up for deliveries so she could support local farmers and receive healthy, fresh food. Correspondence from the farmers noted that 2017 would be the third season they have run the program.

Shellnutt initially decided to send only the required deposit of $50, but later changed her mind and paid for half a season in order to get a promised discount. She said she sent $125 on about May 9.

"Five days later, there's a message saying that her husband had gotten offered a great position out in Alberta, and with much hemming and hawing, they decided to take the offer and we would be getting our money back," Shellnutt said.

"In the last 24 hours, everything in our life has taken a major turn," reads the message to customers on May 13. "We want to thank everyone for joining us in what was going to be a great year, but when we looked at this opportunity, it's one that we just cannot pass up."

The message notes that the farmers plan to refund money in the order it was received.

'I just got burned'

Shellnutt said when she read that message, she immediately thought, "I just got burned."

"I was like, OK, I'm not going to see any of that money ever again," Shellnutt said.

Liz Nell of Lower Sackville paid $351 for the full season. She received a partial refund on June 23 and the rest of the refund on July 2.

Robyn Ingraham sent $50 as a deposit.

When she received the message notifying her that the program was cancelled, Ingraham said she was initially willing to give Quick Draw Farms the benefit of the doubt.

"I was like, you know what? Whatever, things happen."

But Ingraham tried contacting the farm through Facebook, text and the phone, and she hasn't received a response.

"I don't really know what to make of it," she said.

RCMP complaints

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Dal Hutchinson said police have received two complaints about the farm — one on June 14 and one on June 18. The police are not currently investigating because one complainant subsequently received a refund and the other chose not to proceed with a criminal investigation.

A comment from the farm on June 18 notes that the farmers spoke with the RCMP and told officers they expect to pay everyone back by the end of July.

"If the date I have given you of the end of July comes and goes and you are still not refunded, then yes, by all means, take action," reads a note posted on June 29. "If you choose to listen to all the rumours and drama, that is your choice, but all you are doing is making an unpleasant situation (that I am doing everything in my power to fix) even worse and more stressful on everyone involved."

Calls and messages from CBC News to Quick Draw Farms were not returned.

'Life went sideways on us'

The farm's Facebook page is filled with comments from people who say they paid up to $475 and are waiting on refunds.

Some commenters say they have received refunds or partial refunds, and updates from Quick Draw Farms indicate the farmers are trying to sell equipment in order to pay customers back.

Posts from ColbyBeckie Penman on the same Facebook buy-and-sell groups offer a generator for $350 and a water pump for $350.

"I want you all to know that I am refunding you as fast as I possibly can," reads one of the replies from Quick Draw Farms. "I apologize. I have never had to close down a complete business before, and I may not have done everything in the best order, but I am really trying, and unfortunately learning as I go.

"I really hope you can try and understand that I don't want to hold you up financially. I know that it is the least of everyone's concerns, but life went sideways on us. I'm trying my best to get things right and getting the refunds done is first on my list."

A post from the farm in mid-June says there were 102 refunds to do and they were about two-thirds of the way through them.

Doubts about legitimacy

Shellnutt said she and others have been left wondering whether there were ever any vegetables planted.

"If you were doing a [community shared agriculture] program and it was supposed to start, let's say, mid-May, wouldn't you have planted something?" she asked. "Wouldn't you have been able to show, 'Hey, I did start this?'"

Shellnutt said several people have asked for proof that vegetables were planted, but they haven't received any.​