Martin B Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Hi everybody, Is anybody on one of those veg box scheme thingys? Whilst providing veg for the immediate family via my allotment, I still have a lot of spair stuff and somebody has approached me about selling veg to them. Accoridng to some kind of allotment hoodoo I can't sell veg for a profit, but I can ask for a donation? Is this right. If you don't mind me asking, how much do you pay for the veg box per week? Also, what do you get in it and what quantities? I'm not going in 'big scale', but I am thinking about supplying the one family who have asked. I don't want to be ripped off or rip them off so all ideas, contributions, facts and opinions welcome. Thanks, Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 (edited) Why don't you Google veg. boxes Martin? - you should get a good overview then. And don't forget to check what your particular allotment group say in their rules. Edited October 9, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted October 9, 2007 Author Share Posted October 9, 2007 £10-15 seems to be the going rate. When I signed up for the allotment, I was just told that I can't sell vegetables to restaurants, organisations etc but I could pass it on for private use in return for a donation. I was just wondering whether this is a national thing or just my specific branch. I think I could have worded the question better now that I read it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkleeeeee Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 i used to get a veg box a few years ago. it was organic veg, five or six varieties plus potatoes for £15. we lived in the city then and i worked full time and unfortunately leaflet delivery people used to take the veg out of the box on the doorstep. so i stopped it. also one week we got eight huge beetroot . hubbie and i couldnt eat all of them, then we got the same the following week. it ment that we had less of the things we did eat so i had to go and buy more veg from the shop and we had beetroot going bad in the fridge (they only lasted a few days). you could have a look at how much the veg is in your local farm shop and make yours slightly cheaper so they feel they have got a good deal and you will get a good reward. i use the local farm shop all the time now, its a farm cooperative so there is alot of variety. they even sell washing powder and toothpaste (obviously not a produce from the farms but they are eco friendly) they are cheaper than the supermarket for alot of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I have just stopped having an organic veg box - I paid £9.99 a week, and it had about six things in. Potatoes, onions and carrots every week, couldn't tell you how much - only a couple of pounds of spuds I think, I sometimes had to buy more. Then there'd be three or four 'seasonal' veg - peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, leeks, are just some of them. I gave up because I felt the quantities were getting less, and the quality was so poor - some things were rotten on arrival, others didn't last more than a day or so, and I couldn't get through them. I know it's been a bad summer, but I didn't feel that excused delivering damaged and mouldy veg! I used to use another scheme a few years ago, and I abandoned that one for similar reasons to sparkleee - a beetroot the size of a baby's head! There's only so much beetroot a girl can eat. There you go Martin - quality and variety are what customers want! Good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I bought from a local shceme a few years ago. I cancelled it because even though the stuff was very nice, the root veg was absolutely covered in mud, and as the stuff was sold by weight, we were paying for very expensive dirt. £10 - 15 is about right Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I get my box from Able & Cole - just the mixed box for 1 person (CTB hates veg), it costs £10. I get 8 different items and I'm happy with the quantities - six carrots, eight potatoes, six bananas etc which is just about right to last me the week. One of the nice things about it is sometimes getting something out of the ordinary - it's like a cookery challange and I get to try different things I wouldnt normally buy. Make sure your produce is fresh and good quality and I wish you success Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I get one on an as & when basis,from Riverford. A mini is about £7, & a small (which is still big) is anout £9 I think. We generally get a mini every couple of weeks to supplement what we are getting from the garden, plus an extra fruit box which is lovely. The down side is that whatever I have ready to harvest is also in the boxes, as its so seasonal. So I end up with heaps of carrots or whatever to use up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairy&cake Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 supply me martin!!! We used abel and cole, but theres was also covered in mud , i mean covered in thick stuff. I cant believe the deiiference in prices!!! Tesco now do one aswell, wanting to join on the band wagon! i laughed at them! I used to pay £14 a week, and to be honest i didnt get much, abotu 6 mushrooms, 5 carrots, 2 leek, 5 potatoes, come lettuce and a cucumber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I won't get one - they're far too expensive, Rosie and I would never get through what they supplied, and I'm never in for them to deliver it I just buy what I want from the farmers' market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blonde Chicken Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Hi Martin Similar to Sarah I use Riverford. We have a small box once a fortnight and it costs £9.50. We always get potatoes, carrots and onions and then ab out 4 other seasonal veg. The biggest draw back is you have no control over what you get we have had some weird and wonderful things over the last year but also A LOT of cauliflower - a personal hate of mine. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueSteve Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I deliver veg boxes!! (the company has been mentioned a couple of times above! Based in Devon!) I have had a veg box for 3 years now (apart form summer we have enough from the allotment!). Large costs about £14 and contains almost enough for our family of 5 vegetarians. We do eat veg everyday though. Guess it depends on how much you eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I won't get one - they're far too expensive, Rosie and I would never get through what they supplied, and I'm never in for them to deliver it I just buy what I want from the farmers' market. I'm with you on that Claret! We'd never get through one either, and it's much easier just to nip down the road to the fruit and veg shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymama Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I got a box from a farm 25 miles away, but rapidly became dissolusioned. Half the veg had been flown in from Greece and Spain! Not quite what I wanted. I can't manage without banana's and garlic, but apart from that am quite prepared to take seasonal limitations on the chin. Will try another when I move cos I won't have the space to grow much bar herbs and maybe toms on a sunny windowsill. (temporary situation - developing a house for sale next spring) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I've considered getting a box delivered but still unsure whether it would be worth it. I would only want veg as I am very picky about fruit - I eat every type of fruit but am one of these irritating people that likes everything just how I like it so prefer to choose my own My OH's mum used to get a box from one of the companies mentioned above (she lives in the South West) but the order was mixed up so many times and the final straw was when when she wrote to ask for a refund for a box she never received the company accused her of being a liar (yes, in writing too! ) and said they would refund her purely as a gesture of goodwill on their behalf. It was such as shame as the quality looked great. Maybe I'll take the plunge one day - I would love lots of beetroot - i LOVE beetroot!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 ............I would love lots of beetroot - i LOVE beetroot!! You should have said earlier Looney, i had loads!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 does anyone know where Riverford get their produce from? I like the sound of their scheme but I'm in Essex, I don't want organic produce shipped up from Devon - that defeats the object! I'd rather buy local than buy organic, if I have to choose. I did contact them, and to their credit they rang me the next day and said they'd reply by email. Nothing since then! I suspect they have local suppliers, but they don't make it very clear. I may try emailing them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Olly, do and internet search and see if you can find a local supplier. We have a few local companies - Chipping Norton Organics, North Aston Organics (milk from their own herd too) and Arujo Organics. All within 10 miles of us. NAO also have a stall at one of the local farmers' markets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 http://www.rivernene.co.uk/find/index.php?PHPSESSID=dbb854b7d121fe2a05ecf8382c93a2af Olly - are you covered by this map? You should be able to find your local Rivernene (Riverford sister company) distributor by typing in your postcode. Give them a call. If ours are anything to go by they will be very helpful and answer any questions you have about food miles etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Thanks Tina - and yes, I am right on that map. However when I put my postcode in, it said 'we don't deliver to this area' and switched me back to Riverford! I'm sure Yaxley (know it well!) is about 75 miles away, whereas Devon is a lot lot further! I'm going to try emailing them again, I am sure they will actually supply from somewhere local but I'd like to find out the details. Thanks, anyway - I will report back if I ever hear from them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 OK, I emailed Riverford again and they replied very quickly. The veg is all from Devon I quote "We go to great lengths to grow the produce locally, even when we can buy in at a lower price, and I doubt whether there are many box schemes with a higher content of UK and local organic produce. The better local box schemes would certainly beat us on the issue of food miles but their smaller scale means that they normally have a more restricted range and supply a more cabbage and rooty box. The issue of food miles for example is one that Guy has continually agonised over. Riverford vegetables accumulate about 140 miles from farm to fork, compared with 500 miles for supermarket vegetables (300 miles to the pack house in west Wales or Lincolnshire, 150 miles to the supermarket's depot and an average of 50 miles from depot to store) .The comparison is much more extreme if you consider imported produce which will travel thousands of miles. Only 15% of what we sell (including fruit) is imported compared to 40 to 70% for supermarket organic produce. That is without considering the car journey to the supermarket. Our vehicles are routed as efficiently as we can and statistics have shown that any incoming goods brought in on vehicles which deliver out from here, including the collection of bananas, oranges etc which come from the continent, equate to each veg boxes travelling less than half a mile (.46 mile). Much of what they say is true. However, I can walk to my local Waitrose, and they do stock some (not all, by any means) local produce. The farm shop has organic produce but it's not all local, and it's a 9 mile drive. Now I can't decide what to do! Top marks to Riverford for their prompt and honest response, though. It's not easy being green, is it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
