If you want to get in touch with the seasons, eat sustainably and cook with food that genuinely is fresh from the ground, an organic veggie box is the answer. Picked and packed on the day of delivery, you’ll often get surprise ingredients according to what the farmer has harvested that week, encouraging you to experiment with new recipes. But the best is that by joining a veggie box scheme, you are directly supporting small local farmers, encouraging more people to farm organically and contributing to our food security.
Wild Organics
One of Cape Town’s original organic box schemes, 11 years on Wild is still working with its original organic farmers and offers a further range of produce including dairy, dry goods and free-range meat, all selected for healthy food choices and sound environmental farming practice. Order their standard weekly veggie bag or make up your own order adding breads, canned goods and even prepared meals according to the availability each week. Deliveries are on Wednesdays to a collection point or to your door.
Harvest of Hope
Micro-farmers in Cape Town’s townships are trained to grow organic vegetables by the Abalimi Bezekhaya non-profit organisation. The harvest from their community gardens results in income generation and food security for the farmers, mostly women, as well as plentiful veggie boxes delivered weekly to collection points for the Harvest of Hope members. There are regular Tuesday tours for those who’d like to visit the gardens and learn more. The scheme has recently extended to the Northern Suburbs in partnership with Green Monday.
Eric Swarts CSA with Fair Food
A community supported agriculture (CSA) scheme gives you a whole season’s produce delivered weekly to your door from the farmer you are supporting. Members pay for the whole 13 weeks in advance allowing the farmer financial security to grow his farm. Fair Food SA are working with experienced organic farmer Eric Swarts in Stellenbosch and organise various opportunities for members to visit the farm, meet the farmer and see their veggies growing. The next available season runs from June to August with a limited number of members, so sign up early.
Wild Organics
021 510 5447
Harvest of Hope
021 371 1653
CSA Fair Food
079 783 1947
Words: Kit Heathcock
Images: Supplied
