We Went Comparison Shopping
We know the Good Food Box is a great deal, but to prove it we went comparison shopping. We price matched the contents of our February boxes. Even we were surprised at the savings.
Here’s the Regular and Snack Box value compared to the $18 Good Food Box:
My, how we’ve grown!
Did you know that when we started the Good Food Box program in 2005, we packed 35 boxes. In February 2023, we packed 478 boxes! We now have pick up locations in Orillia, Brechin, Coldwater, Cumberland Beach, Hawkestone, Warminster and Washago. In addition to our loyal customers, we also have up to 16 area groups that order boxes for their local communities.
We have our own fitness program!
Our produce arrives in bulk from our supplier. That means that for 400 Regular boxes, there are 400 ten-pound bags of potatoes! Our volunteers move almost two tons of potatoes into and out of our packing locations each month. Plus all the other great produce you get each month.
We get around.
While we are officially called the “Orillia and Area Good Food Box” we serve a wide geographical area! Our customers are from Orillia, Brechin, Coldwater, Cumberland Beach, Washago, Chippewas of Rama First Nation, Oro-Medonte, Severn, Ramara, and Coldwater – and more than a few places in between.
The Good Food Box Program is also available in Barrie, Midland and Collingwood area. Look them up!
We like to give.
Every month, the Good Food Box steering committee donates a number of boxes to families who need them. We often have customers who donate some or all of their box to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank, and any unclaimed boxes go to the food bank as well. It goes around and comes around. Often, recipients of donated boxes become customers, to take advantage of the great produce. If you want, you can donate a box, or designate a box as a gift for someone you know.
What’s with the bags – I thought I was getting a Good Food BOX?
Glad you asked!
- All of the fresh produce is packed for individual customers in rigid bins on our packing line, to make sure the contents are not damaged. We line the bins with fresh liners each month for customers to transport their goods home.
- Our bags are sourced locally from PolyEthics in Orillia. This makes our carbon footprint very small. We work with PolyEthics to make sure we are purchasing the right product in the right quantities for our needs. PolyEthics is the first manufacturer to use 100% recycled material to create 100% degradable products which are 100% recyclable!
The bag liners are made of 100% recycled plastic. No harmful ingredients or processing residues can harm your fresh produce. - We use a fresh unused liner for every Good Food Box each month. We understand that some customers want to reuse the bags, but we can’t accept them for packing.
- Customers can repurpose their bags at home for lots of uses: to store out of season items; collect recyclables for pickup; make a craft dropcloth – anything you want! Rest assured that if your bag does end up in landfill, it will degrade in 3 – 5 years to raw materials of water, carbon dioxide and inert compounds that are non-toxic. Any clean plastic bags can be returned to PolyEthics for recycling.
- Visit http://www.polyethics.com/ for more information
