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  • My Journey with The Organic Box in Edmonton

My Journey with The Organic Box in Edmonton

July 8, 2013 15 Comments Written by Judith Lam Tang

organic-box-juicygreenmom

By now, many Edmontonians have heard of The Organic Box. Essentially it started out as a produce delivery company that would deliver fresh organic produce to your home every week. Now it has grown to allow for lots of room to customize the box you receive, you can choose the size of your box and the frequency of delivery, and they sell way more than just produce. Some people may think it’s just a convenient service to avoid going to the grocery store. And that it must cost a ton of money to use the service. I have been a member since they first started back in 2010 and am still a happy satisfied member.

I was pregnant when I first heard about The Organic Box and my first reaction was: 1. This will be so convenient and I won’t need to grocery shop as much with the baby, and 2. This will be awesome for making baby’s first foods. So I signed up – at that time there were about 30 or so families signed up, and there was one old delivery van. At that time the box was a set list of items that they were able to get from local or close-by farmers. I was always impressed with the quality of the produce – if you wonder whether organic really makes a difference in taste and quality – it does. As The Organic Box grew to more and more members – from 30-something members to thousands – their ability to offer more variety and choices also grew. (They have several delivery vans now, decked out with reefer refrigeration units to keep your boxes in tip-top condition while they’re delivering). Now you can fully customize what items you want in your box to meet the standard price, and you can also do any add-ons you want. The add-ons offered allow you to save on going to the grocery store. Cereals, grains, baking supplies, bread, rice, milk and dairy products, chocolate, beverages, sauces, condiments, sweeteners, and now even organic meat and household cleaning products – these are just some of the offerings they have available. So should you sign up or shouldn’t you?

Things I love about The Organic Box:

1. It’s local – we are supporting our local economy, local farmers and producers. Not only that, but we are supporting them to be organic, healthy, and good to our environment.

2. It bridges the gap between consumer and producer. We’re used to shopping in grocery stores where produce magically appears, shiny and perfect-looking, and we have no idea where it came from unless it says on the sticker on the fruit. Danny and Miranda, the founders of The Organic Box, make sure that you know the people who are growing your food, where they are from, and what their philosophies are. Danny and Miranda have also recently acquired their own organic farm, Just-A-Mere Organic Farm in Creston, BC, and Danny drives produce back to Edmonton himself.

3. It is green in every way. Not only is everything they offer organic, but they practice what they preach in all aspects of their business. Their warehouse is run on 100% green electricity and green natural gas. They have a huge recycling bin outside the warehouse – recycling much more than they put in the landfill. They track the carbon emissions from their delivery vans and purchase carbon offsets. Their newsletter is available online so less paper is wasted.

4. It is a family-run business which means amazing customer service. They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you get something a little dodgy in your box, all you have to do is use their Rate Your Box form online to let them know. They give a credit for a replacement item in your next delivery. I have always received a response to any inquiry.

Things you need to consider before signing up:

1. Organic produce (as it isn’t full of chemicals to make it look pretty in a supermarket for weeks on end) doesn’t last as long. You need to consider how much produce your family consumes in 1 or 2 weeks. My family of 3 (myself, my husband, and my toddler) get the standard box every 2 weeks. On the second week we do need to get a bit more at the grocery store, but we find that the biweekly delivery works well for us.

2. How much do you eat at home? Is it enough to actually use the produce you get? I made a commitment to make more meals at home. I joined a meal-planning website, The Fresh 20, that provides weekly meal plans and shopping lists to go with them. When I joined for 1 year, I also got access to their archives, so I have been browsing through different weekly menus and picking and choosing what I want to make. This way, when it’s time to complete the Choose Your Box on The Organic Box website, I have 2 weeks of menus flagged, and their shopping lists to help me pick what produce I need. The Fresh 20 offers a classic menu, a gluten-free menu, and a vegetarian menu.

3. Sometimes you won’t always get what you want. Because The Organic Box is working with real people to get real food – things like hailstorms or other climate effects can impact the produce you get. If you go the The Organic Box facebook page, they will often post updates on the status of items – whether they are too damaged, or whether they might be substituted for something else. So there are times that you may not get everything you wanted in your box (they will put it in your next box or credit you back for what was missing). But that’s life, isn’t it? We should be okay with that. We’re just so used to being an instant gratification society that we forget that people actually have to work and the weather has to cooperate for good food to be grown and harvested.

Perhaps I am a little over-gushy about The Organic Box – but I have been a member since 2010, and have been thoroughly impressed by what I get, as well as the business practices. As they have increased their offerings, I’ve been able to reduce the time I spend in a grocery store. I frequently get dried fruit in my box because they have it in bulk, so it is less than you would pay for in a package at an organic store.

So is signing up for The Organic Box worth it? You need to decide for yourself, but for me – the answer is a resounding “yes”.

Would you sign up for a grocery delivery service?

 

(Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post, the opinions expressed are purely my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase products via these links, a small percentage of the sale will be given to me at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting juicygreenmom.ca!)

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15 Comments

11 Pings/Trackbacks

  1. RANT: Starting Them Young – how early eating habits determine the health of our children | juicy green mom RANT: Starting Them Young – how early eating habits determine the health of our children | juicy green mom
    July 17, 2013    

    […] year old, I was vigilant about what she ingested – it had to, had to be organic. That’s why I signed up for The Organic Box, so I could make her baby food and ensure she wasn’t getting any gross chemicals and GMOs. […]

  2. My Journey with the Organic Box in Edmonton | Blueway My Journey with the Organic Box in Edmonton | Blueway
    August 8, 2013    

    […] 3. Sometimes you won’t always get what you want. Because The Organic Box is working with real people to get real food – things like hailstorms or other climate effects can impact the produce you get. If you go the The Organic Box facebook page, they will often post updates on the status of items – whether they are too damaged, or whether they might be substituted for something else. So there are times that you may get every single thing you wanted in your box. But that’s life, isn’t it? We should be okay with that. We’re just so used to being an instant gratification society that we forget that people actually have to work and the weather has to cooperate for good food to be grown and harvested. Read more http://juicygreenmom.ca/my-journey-with-the-organic-box-in-edmonton/ […]

  3. Gardening for Beginners: Link Up | juicy green mom Gardening for Beginners: Link Up | juicy green mom
    May 27, 2014    

    […] doing anything else! So pin this one for the fall! Note: I used some organic garlic cloves from my Organic Box – I’ve heard other people say to ensure that you use organic garlic when you do this, […]

  4. Pesticides in Produce Shopping Guide @ewg | juicy green mom Pesticides in Produce Shopping Guide @ewg | juicy green mom
    June 3, 2014    

    […] What produce will you be buying organic from now on? If you’re in Edmonton, have you considered joining The Organic Box? […]

  5. fionag11 fionag11
    September 15, 2014    

    I’m a member too 🙂

    Reply
    • Judith Lam Tang Judith Lam Tang
      September 15, 2014    

      It’s so awesome, right??

      Reply
  6. Organic The Good Food Box Edmonton « Healthfood Tips Organic The Good Food Box Edmonton « Healthfood Tips
    September 17, 2014    

    […] My Journey with The Organic Box in Edmonton | juicy green mom – Things I love about The Organic Box: 1. … an instant gratification society that we forget that people actually have to work and the weather has to cooperate for good food to be grown and harvested. … 4 thoughts on ” My Journey with The Organic Box in Edmonton ” Pingback: RANT: … […]

  7. ethical deal: SPUD, vegan eye makeup, soapnuts | juicy green mom ethical deal: SPUD, vegan eye makeup, soapnuts | juicy green mom
    November 14, 2014    

    […] am a subscriber to The Organic Box and love it. SPUD sounds like it offers much of the same kind of thing – local and organic […]

  8. Greening Your Food: Queen of Green Coaching Project | juicy green mom Greening Your Food: Queen of Green Coaching Project | juicy green mom
    November 23, 2014    

    […] to you! Consider joining a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm. I personally subscribe to The Organic Box and go to farmer’s markets as well. If you’re in the US, GRACE Communications […]

  9. My Eco Friendly Costco Cartjuicy green mom My Eco Friendly Costco Cartjuicy green mom
    March 1, 2015    

    […] Rice Ramen (Gluten Free). This was SO EXCITING for me to see – I have gotten these through The Organic Box and at Blush Lane Organic Market in Edmonton, and Costco price is definitely better! My daughter […]

  10. bjaycat1985 bjaycat1985
    April 12, 2015    

    I agree with you about the Organic Box! I love them too. It’s a wonderful company. People think it’s so expensive to eat organic foods. This keeps me out of the grocery store and away from packaged “foods” I don’t need. I don’t buy lunches or supers out as often. I believe I break even money wise, but I gain in terms of helping the local economy and the earth, and my own health!

    Reply
    • Judith Lam Tang Judith Lam Tang
      April 12, 2015    

      Thank you for your comment – my sentiments EXACTLY!

      Reply
  11. How to Buy Organic Produce How to Buy Organic Produce
    July 11, 2015    

    […] Edmonton, we’ve been using The Organic Box – a weekly or bi-weekly delivery of groceries (started with produce and now they include all […]

  12. Why Choose The Organic Box? REVIEW & INTERVIEW Why Choose The Organic Box? REVIEW & INTERVIEW
    November 12, 2015    

    […] I have been a subscriber with The Organic Box for 5 and a half years now, and I have not regretted one minute of it (read about my journey here). […]

  13. My Favourite Green Things: Christmas GIVEAWAY My Favourite Green Things: Christmas GIVEAWAY
    November 12, 2015    

    […] know that I have been a subscriber with The Organic Box since they started out. And I LOVE it (check out my journey from then to now). What started out as a produce delivery service now includes pretty much everything and anything […]

  1. RANT: Starting Them Young – how early eating habits determine the health of our children | juicy green mom on July 17, 2013 at 4:06 PM
  2. My Journey with the Organic Box in Edmonton | Blueway on August 8, 2013 at 12:07 PM
  3. Gardening for Beginners: Link Up | juicy green mom on May 27, 2014 at 8:08 AM
  4. Pesticides in Produce Shopping Guide @ewg | juicy green mom on June 3, 2014 at 8:01 AM
  5. Organic The Good Food Box Edmonton « Healthfood Tips on September 17, 2014 at 6:33 AM
  6. ethical deal: SPUD, vegan eye makeup, soapnuts | juicy green mom on November 14, 2014 at 11:02 PM
  7. Greening Your Food: Queen of Green Coaching Project | juicy green mom on November 23, 2014 at 4:33 PM
  8. My Eco Friendly Costco Cartjuicy green mom on March 1, 2015 at 3:21 PM
  9. How to Buy Organic Produce on July 11, 2015 at 1:49 PM
  10. Why Choose The Organic Box? REVIEW & INTERVIEW on November 12, 2015 at 8:20 AM
  11. My Favourite Green Things: Christmas GIVEAWAY on November 12, 2015 at 11:38 AM

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judith lam tang juicygreenmom

Hi! I'm Judith. I'm passionate about green, toxin-free, healthy living. I share my journey and experiences on Juicy Green Mom so you can feel empowered, enlightened, and inspired to make educated eco-friendly product and lifestyle choices.

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