Organic Food Delivery in Delaware and the Philadelphia Area

Have you ever wondered if there was a better way to get your organic produce? Have you heard of organic delivery services, but figure that there isn't a local option here in Delaware? Would you like to buy all organic, but think it would cost too much? Then think again. Organic produce delivery is not only here in Delaware, it is cost effective, easy to use, saves time and promotes better cooking skills through an ever-changing variety of fruit and vegetable boxes throughout the growing season.

For busy families, seniors, disabled, or even city dwellers who don't own a car and can't transport a large load of groceries, organic delivery is an extremely important option. I first stumbled across this method of buying organic when I was pregnant and hyper-conscious of my food choices, yet too uncomfortable and tired to feel up to weekly shopping. At the time, I was interested in purchasing a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm share, yet put off by the large up-front costs. I wanted to be able to purchase by the week, have a say in the kind of produce I got so I didn't wind up with ten pounds of turnips, or cancel entirely if I felt that it wasn't working out for me. Enter organic produce delivery services.

Organic produce delivery services are local businesses who take the work out of shopping and send you boxes of fruits and vegetables every week. They can be large or small boxes, depending on your needs, and the offerings vary by week based on what's in season. You may even be able to request certain foods or ask that others (collard greens, bleh) not be included in your order. And depending on the service, you can also purchase organic dairy, organic honey, organic nuts, organic herbs, and organic juices. Organic delivery can be surprisingly easy on the wallet. Grocery store organic produce tends to be highly priced, and not only because of prices based on marketing. In order to have the kind of produce selection that consumers have come to expect, some of the fruits and vegetables must be shipped to the store from great distances, or even imported from other countries. Fruits and vegetables have specific growing seasons, and if you're looking for peaches in North America in the winter, you're going to pay a premium to get them. In contrast, most organic delivery services get their fruits and vegetables from local farms and orchards. In this way, cost is reduced because less money goes to shipping and transportation. Delivery services also tend to promote a more ethical business model by ensuring small local family farms are fairly compensated for their work. Less money is spent on logistics, advertising and overhead - therefore a greater profit goes to the growers. It's a win-win situation that is a vital component to a sustainable agriculture.

Here in the Delaware area, we have a huge community of farms to source from in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. I've tried a variety of organic produce options ranging from delivery to CSA, cooperatives, and farmers markets, so I'll review for you what I've tried, and what worked for me.

Door to Door Organics (http://east.doortodoororganics.com) is the largest and most well known of delivery services in the area. They also have services in Colorado, Michigan, and Kansas City, but the main service is here in the East and covers a very broad territory in the Mid-Atlantic area. Box sizes are "bitty," small, medium and large, ranging from $26 for the bitty up to $62 for the large. As weight and quantity is hard to judge, check out their sample menu list to get a feel for how high or low the prices are. Online ordering is secure, they have a great local delivery schedule, and if you happen to be out of their area, they ship UPS. It's been years since I ordered from them, and since then they've added the option to save more money by placing "cooperative" orders - get a bunch of your family and friends in on the deal, put in a large order and get it at a discount. Delivery for me was always on time, well packaged, and a fun thing to look forward to every week. Their produce was fresh, quality stuff - no blemishes, bruising, or bugs. I would have liked a little more variety - there were several weeks in a row with tons and tons of oranges and kiwis but little else - however, it's looking like they're increased their offerings. Bonus points for offering the amazing specialty add-ons of organic fair-trade coffee and organic wild Alaskan salmon!

My Online Organic (www.myonlineorganic.com) is a company based in Pennsylvania, focusing mainly on the Philadelphia area but with delivery options in Southern New Jersey, and it's not outside of the realm of possibility that Delaware deliveries can be worked out. I haven't tried them myself but they are worthy of mention because of their very broad selections, including dairy, pastries, pasta, and drinks (that's above and beyond the usual fruits and veggies). The basic boxes range from 24.99 to 44.99 for small, medium and large, and you can add on a la carte extras to customize your box. It's more of a "grocery" delivery service - the dairy, pasta, and baked goods are basically store brand organics - but still a great option for local organic deliveries.

Good For You Organic (http://www.good4uorganic.com/) down in Lewes, is a little local market that does a little of everything. I've been there on trips to the beach and it's a beautiful, homey market run by very friendly people. They have a 1 acre organic farm plot and get the rest from local growers. It's not the most economical option, but they do deliver and there's no delivery fee for orders over $100. If you're in the area, give them your business: they have recently been the target of vandalism and need community support to bounce back. Their shed and a portion of their fields were set on fire, as well as some truck vandalism before that. However, they are hard at work to ensure that this year's crop schedule gets back on track.

I would feel remiss if I didn't mention two options for buying organic produce that have worked very well for me: the CSA farm share and the cooperative market. I'm currently a member at Newark Natural Foods (http://www.newarknaturalfoods.com/), which has greatly expanded in the last few years. Members get discounts on purchases and additional discounts for any volunteer work done. During the growing season, they host a weekly farmer's market on Sundays and many of the local farms are represented there - it's well worth it. But by far, my favorite method of procuring organic fruits and vegetables - in a budget-minded manner - is buying through a CSA farm share. Community Supported Agriculture is a concept in which farms allow the public to buy a "share" of their farm and reap the rewards with weekly boxes of produce. You usually need to pick up the shares yourself, but some farms do have working agreements with organic-friendly shops that serve as drop-off or pick-up points. Last year I bought a CSA share at Highland Orchards (http://www.highlandorchardsde.com/), a local family farm in Wilmington that grows their food without pesticides, though they have not gone through the process of being labeled as a Certified Organic producer. $20 a week got me two stuffed shopping bags bursting with spinach, lettuce, kale, leeks, asparagus, carrots, sugar snap peas, strawberries, herbs, blueberries, raspberries, and the most delicious apples I've ever tasted. Their prices for organic fruits and vegetables are consistently competitive with any at Acme or Pathmark, and Saturdays customers can purchase fresh poultry as well.

Support local organic farms, eat organic by the seasons, and promote community through cooperative buying - all important ways to deliver not only produce to your door, but a sense of pride in green living.