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| vegb:veg_box_schemes [2025/12/23 13:58] – Dave Darby | vegb:veg_box_schemes [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| # Veg box schemes | This topic is part of [[gt:food|Food & drink]] and [[gt:gardening|Gardening, smallholding & farming]]. |
| | ====== Veg box schemes ====== |
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| ## What are veg box schemes? | ===== What are veg box schemes? ===== |
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| Veg box schemes are a way of getting local farm produce delivered to your home or a local pick-up point - usually weekly or sometimes fortnightly. It's not just about vegetables, however. Boxes can also contain fruit, herbs, eggs, dairy produce, meat, honey or anything else you stipulate that you'd like from your local scheme, if available. And it may come in a bag by the way, as well as a box. | Veg box schemes are a way of getting local farm produce delivered to your home or a local pick-up point - usually weekly or sometimes fortnightly. It's not just about vegetables, however. Boxes can also contain fruit, herbs, eggs, dairy produce, meat, honey or anything else you stipulate that you'd like from your local scheme, if available. And it may come in a bag by the way, as well as a box. |
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| ### History | ==== History ==== |
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| In the 1980s, a couple of organic growers in Devon, Tim and Jane Deane, found that their veg travelled 50 miles to their regional organic co-op, then a further 200 miles to a supermarket depot, then back to a supermarket 10 miles away, to be sold at 4 times the price that they'd sold them to the regional co-op. They decided to have a go at selling boxes of seasonal, fresh fruit and veg directly to local customers, to reduce food miles and to see if they could keep more of the retail price. It worked, and after 2 years, they had 200 local customers. | In the 1980s, a couple of organic growers in Devon, Tim and Jane Deane, found that their veg travelled 50 miles to their regional organic co-op, then a further 200 miles to a supermarket depot, then back to a supermarket 10 miles away, to be sold at 4 times the price that they'd sold them to the regional co-op. They decided to have a go at selling boxes of seasonal, fresh fruit and veg directly to local customers, to reduce food miles and to see if they could keep more of the retail price. It worked, and after 2 years, they had 200 local customers. |
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| ## What are the benefits of veg box schemes? | ===== What are the benefits of veg box schemes? ===== |
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| The benefits are similar to those of [farmers](/farm/farmers_markets)['](/farm/farmers_markets) [markets](/farm/farmers_markets) and [community-supported agriculture](/comy/community). From an environmental perspective, food needs to be transported less; box schemes are mostly organic, so fewer pesticides are used; and there's less waste, as vegetables don't need to be perfectly shaped, as they do for supermarkets. | The benefits are similar to those of [farmers](/farm/farmers_markets)['](/farm/farmers_markets) [markets](/farm/farmers_markets) and [community-supported agriculture](/comy/community). From an environmental perspective, food needs to be transported less; box schemes are mostly organic, so fewer pesticides are used; and there's less waste, as vegetables don't need to be perfectly shaped, as they do for supermarkets. |
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| ## What can I do? | ===== What can I do? ===== |
| ### Finding a scheme | ==== Finding a scheme ==== |
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| There are several sites with listings of local veg box schemes, for example [here](http://www.findlocalproduce.co.uk/Veg-Box-Schemes), [here](http://www.foodboxfinder.co.uk/) or [here](https://www.soilassociation.org/organic-living/buy-organic/find-an-organic-box-scheme/) for specifically organic schemes, or search online for veg box and the name of your town. | There are several sites with listings of local veg box schemes, for example [here](http://www.findlocalproduce.co.uk/Veg-Box-Schemes), [here](http://www.foodboxfinder.co.uk/) or [here](https://www.soilassociation.org/organic-living/buy-organic/find-an-organic-box-scheme/) for specifically organic schemes, or search online for veg box and the name of your town. |
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| ### Joining a scheme | ==== Joining a scheme ==== |
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| Think about what you want and the questions you need to ask. Are you just after fruit and veg? Can you cancel your order when you go on holiday? Can you opt out of any specific foods (see below)? Do you have somewhere to leave your delivery, or is there a local pick-up point? | Think about what you want and the questions you need to ask. Are you just after fruit and veg? Can you cancel your order when you go on holiday? Can you opt out of any specific foods (see below)? Do you have somewhere to leave your delivery, or is there a local pick-up point? |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Using a scheme | ==== Using a scheme ==== |
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| If there's a type of food that your local scheme produces that no-one in your household will eat, you can ask them to leave it out of your box. But this is a difficult topic. Veg boxes are not like farmers' markets, for example, in that you can't choose what you're getting - you just get a selection of local food that's in season. So it's not good for growers to have customers that are too fussy. Fussy eating, as was pointed out by [one organic grower](http://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/disliking-food/?gclid=CIO17dmJsNMCFY8Q0wodRn0PVw), is a 'first world problem' - a luxury. She also, hilariously, advocated lying to your children if necessary - for example, 'you had this before, and you loved it', if they turn their nose up at unfamiliar food. She says it works. Actually, this isn't a trivial problem, because if your kids are really fussy eaters, they might be missing out on essential nutrients and vitamins. Tailoring boxes for specific customers is a logistical problem for growers, and can you really not eat fresh, local, seasonal food because your taste buds are too refined? Use some of the recipes provided, change your habits a bit, but also question whether your tastes have been manipulated by the modern food industry, which has made us more tolerant of a diet heavy in meat, sugar and fats, to the detriment of our health and the environment. Maybe it will take a bit of training - but stick with it a bit to see if you can rehabilitate your taste buds. But, if none of that works, most schemes will allow you to opt out of 2 specific food items. | If there's a type of food that your local scheme produces that no-one in your household will eat, you can ask them to leave it out of your box. But this is a difficult topic. Veg boxes are not like farmers' markets, for example, in that you can't choose what you're getting - you just get a selection of local food that's in season. So it's not good for growers to have customers that are too fussy. Fussy eating, as was pointed out by [one organic grower](http://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/disliking-food/?gclid=CIO17dmJsNMCFY8Q0wodRn0PVw), is a 'first world problem' - a luxury. She also, hilariously, advocated lying to your children if necessary - for example, 'you had this before, and you loved it', if they turn their nose up at unfamiliar food. She says it works. Actually, this isn't a trivial problem, because if your kids are really fussy eaters, they might be missing out on essential nutrients and vitamins. Tailoring boxes for specific customers is a logistical problem for growers, and can you really not eat fresh, local, seasonal food because your taste buds are too refined? Use some of the recipes provided, change your habits a bit, but also question whether your tastes have been manipulated by the modern food industry, which has made us more tolerant of a diet heavy in meat, sugar and fats, to the detriment of our health and the environment. Maybe it will take a bit of training - but stick with it a bit to see if you can rehabilitate your taste buds. But, if none of that works, most schemes will allow you to opt out of 2 specific food items. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Setting up a scheme | ==== Setting up a scheme ==== |
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| For farmers & smallholders: one hectare typically provides for around 60 veg boxes, but you won't be producing one or two crops - more like 50 is the norm. At some times of year, you could use polytunnels, get food in from elsewhere, or close down for a couple of months. Do your sums and see if the amount of land you have can cover your costs. Remember that you'll be spending time and fuel on deliveries, but if you can build a customer base, you'll have a guaranteed market without the price squeezes, cancelled contracts and food waste that you get when dealing with supermarkets. | For farmers & smallholders: one hectare typically provides for around 60 veg boxes, but you won't be producing one or two crops - more like 50 is the norm. At some times of year, you could use polytunnels, get food in from elsewhere, or close down for a couple of months. Do your sums and see if the amount of land you have can cover your costs. Remember that you'll be spending time and fuel on deliveries, but if you can build a customer base, you'll have a guaranteed market without the price squeezes, cancelled contracts and food waste that you get when dealing with supermarkets. |
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| ## Further resources | ===== Forum ===== |
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| | This topic belongs to the section [[gt:food|Food & drink]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/food). |
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| | It is also in the section [[gt:gardening|Gardening, smallholding & farming]] (Forum: [Gardening, smallholding & farming](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/gardening)). |
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| | ===== Further resources ===== |
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| - [Big Barn UK](https://www.bigbarn.co.uk/) - discover local food | - [Big Barn UK](https://www.bigbarn.co.uk/) - discover local food |
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| ## Specialist curators of this topic | ===== Related topics ===== |
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| | - [[smho:Smallholding]] |
| | - [[lifo:food|Low-impact food & drink]] |
| | - [[lish:shopping|Low-impact shopping]] |
| | - [[csas:Community-supported agriculture]] |
| | - [[farm:Farmers markets]] |
| | - [[soft:Soft fruit]] |
| | - [[frui:Fruit trees|Fruit trees & orchards]] |
| | - [[vegg:Vegetable growing]] |
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| | ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== |
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