South Coast Environment Society | Content

The Riverton Organic co-op has trialed providing Organic Harvest Boxes over the winter months. It went well, and if we can find enough volunteers we would like to continue this project in November. If you would like to be involved, please contact Robyn or Leah at the centre (03) 2348717 or send an email to organicfood@sces.org.nz

THE IDEA:

The Harvest Box is a way to connect local growers with local consumers, and through this process to build a sustainable food network in Southland. Farmers can produce confidently, knowing they have a market, while the rest of us can consume local organic food, supporting other Southlanders and the environment at the same time. We hope to have 100% Southland produce in each box eventually, however, while the numbers of Southland organic producers get established we are topping up the boxes with produce from the Co-ops already well established network of New Zealand Organic growers.

In your box you will also get a newsletter each week. This tells you what vegetables you have in your box (and which ones are from Southland growers), along with recipes and ideas for how to cook them. From time to time the newsletters will also feature profiles of the local farms involved, Southland activities such as community gardens and markets, and information on Organics.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Each week the vegetables and fruit in the box will vary, depending on what is in season and what is available. Staples like potatoes, carrots and onions will be in nearly every week, while items like feijoas and strawberries will only feature occasionally. Boxes are delivered each week on a Thursday, they will arrive 'after work', between 6 - 8pm. You can pay the South Coast Environment Society via internet banking (call us for details), or you can give us cash at the door when we drop the box off.

We are trialling three sizes of vegetable and fruit box:

Small (~2ppl) $35
Medium (~4ppl) $55
Large (~6ppl) $70

As well as a Fruit only box for $25

EXTRAS:

If you want extras in your box (dried goods, eggs, eco cleaning products, etc…) we can also put these in. You need to call us at the centre on Wednesday, for delivery on Thursday. We prefer if you set up a credit with the Co-op for this option, however if you just want to trial getting a few products we can put them in the box and receive cash when we drop them off.