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Enjoy a box of seasonal farm veggies every week, available for delivery or pickup.

WHO: Farm Fresh RI has organized the Veggie Box subscription program for local businesses and organizations that want to connect employees with fresh, healthy food from local farms. It’s like a CSA program, except there’s less of a time commitment and instead of picking boxes up at the farms, the food can be delivered through the Market Mobile.
WHAT: The Veggie Box program is available for businesses and organizations that have ten or more people who are interested in participating. Customers pay $20 per box every week, and Farm Fresh RI will coordinate drop-offs (in most parts of Rhode Island) or pickups at central locations. The veggie box will be filled with ten to fifteen pounds of eight to ten varieties of seasonal fruits and vegetables from local farms.
WHEN: The program takes place from July 10 through February, but you can choose how long you want to participate. “Normally a CSA is a season-long commitment, but with this program you can sign up for four to eight weeks, and see what works for you,” says Hannah Mellion of Farm Fresh RI. Some participants split the box with another person, although coordination of box pickup and splitting is the responsibility of the customer.
WHERE: Contact Farm Fresh RI here to determine if your workplace is eligible for drop-off. Each business should have an onsite coordinator who can help organize delivery and pickups. There is pickup available at the Newport YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newport County, the West Bay Family YMCA in North Kingstown and in Providence at City Hall and Eastside Mart. Farm Fresh RI is accepting new organizations that want to host the program.
WHY: “We ran the program last year with about twenty businesses, and we received positive feedback,” says Mellion. “People told us they were cooking a lot more and trying new recipes, and hosting dinner parties using the veggies from the program.” Farm Fresh RI also provides an email newsletter with information about the weekly share, including stories about the farms and recipes.
HOW: Up to eighteen farms participate, including Allen Farms, Four Town Farm, Schartner Farms, Simmons Farm and many others. It gives farms that do not have CSAs a chance to reach the consumer through a similar program.