Earlier this year I wrote about Community Supported Agriculture [1] (CSA), which provides fresh farm-to-table produce. CSA is a model of cooperation that benefits farmers and local citizens. Local farmers, who might have a difficult time selling crops by themselves, band together in a service that provides weekly boxes of their produce to the community. Interested consumers enroll for a weekly or bi-weekly box, which either gets delivered to a central location, delivered to your door, or picked up at the farm. Most CSAs are city, regional, or state specific. Now there is a national alternative.
FruitGuys [2] is a green and sustainability-focused company that delivers farm-fresh, organic and conventional produce across the country. Originally started as a fruit delivery service to offices, FruitGuys has expanded to home delivery and, taking it one step further, it will be adding veggies to home deliveries. During peak season 70-90 percent of the fruit mixes they offer are locally grown within the regions they serve (East Coast, Midwest, West Coast) and literally go from the farm to home or office within 3-4 days. And all fruit is packed in earth-friendly crates, constructed with recycled cardboard and printed with soy-based inks.
This San Francisco-based company brings healthy food into the office environment in an effort to help corporations boost wellness programs and feed hungry workers. This service is available nationally. A natural extension is to bring the same service to individuals. You can have fresh produce boxes delivered to your workplace, your home, or to a dorm for that hungry college student. Currently the individual delivery is only available in the San Francisco Bay Area, but 2009 is a roll-out year for this service, adding a different part of the country every few weeks.
You can get fruit only, fruit and vegetable, or vegetable only boxes for either $24 (small, 16 servings) or $32 (large, 25 servings). The produce is guaranteed fresh and arrives at the “breaking end”of ripeness. This allows you to enjoy produce when it should be eaten, not when it is rock hard or underripe.
The FruitGuys also has developed a Farm Steward Program [3] to support sustainable small family farming. The goal of this program is “to help the farmers we work with achieve sustainable farming practices,” says program manager Bridget Meigs. In the past, the program has set up hives for one grower, assisted in planting new fruit trees for another, and built bat houses to encourage a higher bat population to keep insects down around fruit trees.
FruitGuys also donates approximately 90,000 pounds of fresh fruit a year to non-profit groups and regional food pantries nationwide. During the holidays, clients can participate in this program by signing up for their Donate-A-Crate program, which provides crates of food to needy families. So in addition to making their clients’ lives better, FruitGuys also works with its growers to help bring you better fruit.
So, what are you waiting for? Now is the time to contact your local CSA, [4] FruitGuys [2], or head out to your weekly farmer’s market. Get the best produce for your family and keep those independent farmers in business.