Organic food delivery may conjure up images of fresh local produce delivered straight from the farm to your door, but sometimes the delivery comes from afar or even from your local grocery. In metropolitan Washington, D.C. all 3 types of organic food delivery are available, with examples of each following.
Sligo Creek Farms Offers Fresh Local Organic Produce
Sligo Creek Farms began in 2008 as a certified organic grower using a community supported agriculture business model. Sligo Creek Farms sells shares to people willing to assume both the risks and rewards of its farming operations in Central Maryland. Sligo Creek’s Olney farm is certified organic while its Bowie farm is not certified organic but uses sustainable growth practices. Share purchasers can choose all certified organic produce, all sustainably grown produce or a mix. The purchase of a full share fee entitles the shareholder to one paper grocery bag of produce per week for the farm’s standard 23 week growing season, while one-half share entitles the shareholder to one-half of a paper bag of produce per week.
New this year, Sligo Creek Farms will offer spring and winter extension seasons, each for an additional fee, for those committed to year round fresh organic fruits and vegetables. The farm already offers a 5 week fall extension season.
What does it mean that Sligo Creek Farms’ produce is organic? The farm uses no synthetic fertilizers, no herbicides and no pesticides and commits to environmentally sustainable farming practices.
Produce varies by season, spring, summer and autumn, with all seasons including a selection of legumes, salad greens, cooking greens/brassica, roots, and herbs while all seasons except spring feature fruit family members that many consider vegetables (such as tomatoes, squashes, sweet corn, peppers) as well as strawberries and melon.
What kind of produce might one expect from Sligo Creek Farm? The spring sample crops include, among other vegetables, shell and snap peas, baby Asian greens, spinach, arugala, garlic scapes, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, carrots, lemon grass, basil and dill.
Sligo Creek Farms delivers produce to multiple central distribution points around the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area for pick-up, rather than literally to the shareholder’s door.
John Brill, owner of Sligo Creek Farms, has a strong commitment to community. In fact, I met him because he donated a farm share to the school auction I was running last year. He also supports the local area community by offering sliding scale memberships, by selling his organic produce at affordable prices in moderate and low income neighborhoods, and by donating produce to charities.
Door to Door Organics Delivers Fresh Produce Directly to You
Door to Door Organics is a nationwide produce delivery service that establishes relationships with regional farmers and delivers their produce within the region. For the Washington, D.C. area, Door to Door supplies organic produce grown by Mid-Atlantic region family-owned, certified organic farms.
Buyers choose a box size based on the number of people they expect the produce to feed. After reviewing the seasonal standard assortment of organic vegetables and fruits included in Door to Door shipments, buyers can customize the box, including choosing all fruit or all vegetables rather than a combination.
The large box offered by Door to Door Organics costs $61 including shipping and typically includes 5-6 organic fruit types and 9-10 varieties of vegetables. Washington DC residents who ordered the standard assortment large box this week received carrots, chard, collards, eggplant, green leaf lettuce, parsley, russet potatoes, yellow and zucchini squash, tomatoes, Braeburn apples, Fair Trade bananas, strawberries, Valencia oranges and D’Anjou pears.
Washington DC area deliveries are made on Wednesdays, and any order customization must be completed by the Sunday prior to delivery.
Peapod by Giant Delivers Both Organic and Non-organic Produce and Groceries
The Giant grocery chain runs the Peapod delivery service in the Washington, D.C. area, delivering the items Giant sells in its grocery stores. Grocery shoppers interested in having organic fruits and vegetables delivered to their house can type “organic” in to the search lists to see what organic produce Giant offers.
The minimum Peapod delivery order is $50 and the delivery fees range from $9.95 for an order under $75 to $6.95 for an order over $100.
Sources: http://www.east.doortodoororganics.com/; http://sligocreekfarm.com/Home_Page.html; http://www.peapod.com/site_frameset.jhtml?NUM1=1238788314275.
