For many, trekking to the grocery store or the farmers market during a pandemic can be problematic for a variety of reasons. Maybe you don’t want to be around that many people at once or perhaps you just don’t like other people touching your fruits and vegetables. Enter farm-fresh produce boxes that you can pick up at a specified location or have one delivered to your home. Many programs are under the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) umbrella, which means that a group of people subscribe to receive weekly or bi-weekly produce boxes from local farms, which supports the farmer and ensures that customers in the community will receive nutritious produce. Here are four companies/farms that will gather the goods for you.
Bird Dog Produce
At Bird Dog, you can build-your-own box from a tantalizing line-up of fresh fruits and vegetables. Subscriptions start at $40 and go up to $60 depending on how many pieces of produce you order. Here’s how it works: You select your produce, determine frequency (once a week or every 2 weeks) and choose a delivery date. They also offer four one-time boxes: Fruit Basket, $45; Kids Snack Pack, $35; BBQ Box, $35; and Smoothie Box, $35. And if you aren’t happy with anything in the box, Bird Dog will replace it for free. For every five boxes sold, Bird Dog will donate one box to a Phoenix-based charity. birddogproduce.com
Blue Sky Organic Farms
Blue Sky offers two CSA farm box subscription options, Classic, which includes six to seven fresh organic produce items, $24; or Petite, with four to five items, $16. You can pick up your box of 100 percent USDA certified organic produce weekly or bi-weekly at eight locations across the Valley or at the Blue Sky Farm Store in Litchfield Park. blueskyorganicfarms.com
Maya’s Farm
Subscribers of Maya’s Farm CSA commit to six weeks for $200. Depending on what’s available and seasonal, members will get their weekly share of vegetables, herbs, flowers and eggs. Maya’s has eight pick-up locations, including Ollie Vaughn’s Kitchen and Bakery, Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market, Tarbell’s Wine Store and Maya’s Farm. mayasfarm.com
McClendon’s Select
Order a McClendon’s Select Grab-and-Go box online for Wednesday or Saturday pick up in Phoenix or Peoria. McClendon’s offers three sizes: Box A, $30; Box B, $50; and Box C, $70. Box C includes a loaf of Noble Bread and goat cheese. You can also customize your own box for $60. mcclendonsselect.com
