For about a year, I've wanted to join a produce co-op/online farmer's market. I like the thought of someone delivering fresh produce to my door on a weekly basis. I usually buy produce on a weekly basis so it doesn't go bad and a co-op allows me to grocery shop less, while also shopping local.
I am a huge supporter of buying local. If you don't know, I'm a consultant for mostly rural local governments (cities and counties) throughout North Carolina. North Carolina, specifically most of eastern North Carolina, gets its economy from farmers, so the more we buy local, the better off our state is! In addition, eating local produce can be better for overall health. During grad school, I did an independent study on community health planning while working with Pitt County (where Greenville and ECU is located) on the Community Health Plan element of their Land Use Plan update. Almost every study I found listed having local and online farmer's markets as one of the ways to make a community healthier. They provide easy access to locally grown foods in areas that might be food deserts and help support the economy. It's such a simple and easy thing to do to make my life, and possibly the lives of others, better.
Why now?
So why am I just now joining a produce co-op/online farmer's market? Because for just me, it was too much food! Before getting married, I struggled to cook on a regular basis. I'd cook one, maybe two meals a week, but I mostly lived off frozen foods and Progresso soups. I always thought it would work better once Aaron and I got married and I was right. A small box, or one that is equal to food for one person, is perfect for us. We get some weekly staples (like bananas and strawberries) and I get ingredients to make another meal or two. We still supplement from the grocery store and BJs, but it has reduced my trips to the grocery store and how much we spend overall, which I wasn't expecting.
Why Papa Spud's?
I did a bunch of research. I looked at Backyard Produce first. They were the first ones I found and I was intrigued, but the price of their "Just for One" box was $25/week. That's a lot out of a single person's grocery budget. My friend Crystal recommended Papa Spud's. Their small box is $18.36 ($15 of credits and then $3.86 for tax/delivery). Their credit systems are very different: the Just for One box is 40 credits and the small box is 15. So I took one of my regular deliveries and broke it down.
The quantities are the same. Backyard Produce didn't have green beans, so I couldn't account for their points. Based on their points system (ie - onions are pretty cheap and are 6 points), I can easily assume that I was able to get another product with Papa Spud's and still have 0.5 credits to carryover to the next week than if I used Backyard Produce. I also can put my box on hold as many times as I want with Papa Spud's. That is a big factor for me. I can make it weekly or biweekly or put it on hold for a month, with no extra charge.
The one thing that Backyard Produce has going for it that Papa Spud's does it not is the service area. Papa Spud's only delivers to the triangle area. Backyard Produce delivers to many areas in North Carolina including Charlotte, Wilmington, and Fayetteville. They still have a very good product, I just find Papa Spud's to be a better alternative for us.
The Economy of Produce Co-op
When I told my friend Graham that I was starting this, he said, "You are weird. We have one of the best farmer's markets in the south!" Yes, we do. But it's not convenient to me. I have been to the state farmer's market once in the 5 years I have lived here (true story). For me, one of the biggest sellers of the produce co-op/online farmer's market and Papa Spud's is that they deliver. That is time that I can put back into my schedule, which currently, is priceless.
So here are my first two boxes:
The first box I got as part of a Living Social deal. I had 4 extra credits than the usual 15 and they gave us an extra bunch of bananas and a carton of cherry tomatoes. The second box is what I would get with a normal set of credits.
For Papa Spud's, you count one credit as $1. I find this very easy to monetize. I can look at something and easily decide if it is worth the assigned credits or not. For example, they have strawberries for 6 credits. I know for a fact I can get a pound of strawberries for $4 or less at the grocery store. Some things just don't make sense to buy this way. However, I did use 9 credits ($9) for pimento cheese ravioli made in Durham and it was worth every cent. I got two onions for $2. Also worth it.
I mentioned above that I'm actually spending less on groceries overall. Grant it, this has just been two weeks for us and we've been pretty busy, but I have cooked most meals. I think because I try to use the box to account for the majority of at least one meal, sometimes two, it allows me to be less tempted to buy in the grocery store. I'll have to revisit this in a month or two and see if this still holds true or not. Right now, though, I'm spending about 25% less on groceries, including the cost of the box.
Have I actually used it?
Yes! I was most worried about this - that I would get the box and the food would go bad. Sometimes I buy produce and forget about it. It goes to waste and I truly, truly hate it. I think waiting until it was more than just me was the best thing to do as I now cook for two (ahem - more like four to six) and not just one. Also, getting the box has made it more fun. I don't always use the items the week that we get them, we're actually about three to four days behind, but it works. Here are some of the meals we have done. The items from our boxes are underlined.
Why now?
So why am I just now joining a produce co-op/online farmer's market? Because for just me, it was too much food! Before getting married, I struggled to cook on a regular basis. I'd cook one, maybe two meals a week, but I mostly lived off frozen foods and Progresso soups. I always thought it would work better once Aaron and I got married and I was right. A small box, or one that is equal to food for one person, is perfect for us. We get some weekly staples (like bananas and strawberries) and I get ingredients to make another meal or two. We still supplement from the grocery store and BJs, but it has reduced my trips to the grocery store and how much we spend overall, which I wasn't expecting.
Why Papa Spud's?
I did a bunch of research. I looked at Backyard Produce first. They were the first ones I found and I was intrigued, but the price of their "Just for One" box was $25/week. That's a lot out of a single person's grocery budget. My friend Crystal recommended Papa Spud's. Their small box is $18.36 ($15 of credits and then $3.86 for tax/delivery). Their credit systems are very different: the Just for One box is 40 credits and the small box is 15. So I took one of my regular deliveries and broke it down.
The quantities are the same. Backyard Produce didn't have green beans, so I couldn't account for their points. Based on their points system (ie - onions are pretty cheap and are 6 points), I can easily assume that I was able to get another product with Papa Spud's and still have 0.5 credits to carryover to the next week than if I used Backyard Produce. I also can put my box on hold as many times as I want with Papa Spud's. That is a big factor for me. I can make it weekly or biweekly or put it on hold for a month, with no extra charge.
The one thing that Backyard Produce has going for it that Papa Spud's does it not is the service area. Papa Spud's only delivers to the triangle area. Backyard Produce delivers to many areas in North Carolina including Charlotte, Wilmington, and Fayetteville. They still have a very good product, I just find Papa Spud's to be a better alternative for us.
The Economy of Produce Co-op
When I told my friend Graham that I was starting this, he said, "You are weird. We have one of the best farmer's markets in the south!" Yes, we do. But it's not convenient to me. I have been to the state farmer's market once in the 5 years I have lived here (true story). For me, one of the biggest sellers of the produce co-op/online farmer's market and Papa Spud's is that they deliver. That is time that I can put back into my schedule, which currently, is priceless.
So here are my first two boxes:
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| Box 1: Two bunches of bananas, 2 lbs of sweet potatoes, 4 ciabatta rolls, cherry tomatoes and pimento cheese ravioli |
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| Box 2: 1 lb of strawberries, 1 lb (2) onions, green beans and 7 oz of mozzarella cheese |
The first box I got as part of a Living Social deal. I had 4 extra credits than the usual 15 and they gave us an extra bunch of bananas and a carton of cherry tomatoes. The second box is what I would get with a normal set of credits.
For Papa Spud's, you count one credit as $1. I find this very easy to monetize. I can look at something and easily decide if it is worth the assigned credits or not. For example, they have strawberries for 6 credits. I know for a fact I can get a pound of strawberries for $4 or less at the grocery store. Some things just don't make sense to buy this way. However, I did use 9 credits ($9) for pimento cheese ravioli made in Durham and it was worth every cent. I got two onions for $2. Also worth it.
I mentioned above that I'm actually spending less on groceries overall. Grant it, this has just been two weeks for us and we've been pretty busy, but I have cooked most meals. I think because I try to use the box to account for the majority of at least one meal, sometimes two, it allows me to be less tempted to buy in the grocery store. I'll have to revisit this in a month or two and see if this still holds true or not. Right now, though, I'm spending about 25% less on groceries, including the cost of the box.
Have I actually used it?
Yes! I was most worried about this - that I would get the box and the food would go bad. Sometimes I buy produce and forget about it. It goes to waste and I truly, truly hate it. I think waiting until it was more than just me was the best thing to do as I now cook for two (ahem - more like four to six) and not just one. Also, getting the box has made it more fun. I don't always use the items the week that we get them, we're actually about three to four days behind, but it works. Here are some of the meals we have done. The items from our boxes are underlined.
- Box 1
- Pimento Cheese Ravioli with Prego Tomato, Garlic, Basil Sauce and Ciabatta Bread
- Pizza with goat cheese and grape tomatoes
- Chicken with green beans and sweet potatoes
- Shrimp corn chowder with Ciabatta Bread
- Box 2
- Caprese Salad Pasta with Mozzarella and Grape Tomatoes and Onions
Should I and How Do I?
I'm not going to lie, I think a produce box is a big commitment. It's a weekly delivery system and it's about $20 coming out of your budget a week. So, here is what I would (and did) consider:
- Do you cook a lot? Are you going to use the box for ingredients for meals? If so, do you typically use fresh produce or do you get frozen/processed?
- Do you eat fresh produce? The one thing I love about Papa Spud's (and BYP has this too) is that there is more to choose from than just produce, but those items are expensive. We get one fun item a week. The first box was the ravioli, the second week was the mozzarella and I just ordered some bacon and cheese scones for our third box. These items are all between 5-9 credits, ranging from 1/3 to 3/4 of my credits. The boxes are mainly for fresh produce, so if you aren't using them for that, don't do it. Also, in the winter, the amount of fruits you can choose from is very small (bring it on summer!!)
- So you answered yes to one of the first two questions, how much do you need? For a family of two, we use the small box. With Papa Spud's, I can always add credits if I want. I haven't yet, but with the pasta being so awesome, I probably will. I haven't decided yet if we want to move up a box size or not. Moving up a size would give us five more credits a week. I really haven't decided if we need that on a weekly basis or not. Unless you are straight paleo, cook all the time, or just love fresh veggies, I would go a box size down from what they recommend. You can always move up to the next size.
- Who do I go with? Research them!! I can give you my opinions, but if you are going to pay for something on a weekly basis and commit to them, you need to do some research. If you're in the Triangle, I would recommend Papa Spud's based on my research and my (albeit small) experience with them. If you're in Fayetteville, Backyard Produce is a very good option. But, research for yourself!
(Shameless plug) If you want to try out Papa Spud's or think this is something you want to do, then use my link to try it out!
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