We’re excited to have launched three sizes of organic FruitBoxes to our not-for-profit Box Scheme, so we now offer fruit, as well as your vegetables, through us all year round. Our FruitBoxes are made up from organic fruit, responsibly sourced from European farms, and Fairtrade bananas most weeks from the Dominican Republic.
Why do we have to import fruit but not veg?
We have to source fruit from Europe as it’s a lot harder (and sometimes even impossible) to grow a wide variety of fruit all year round in the UK. Therefore, we source our fruit from farms in the UK and Europe through an independent wholesaler – Perry Court, which are part of A G Brockman, a family-run farm in Kent. The only exception we make is Fairtrade bananas, a popular fruit which can’t be sourced from Europe, so they have to come from further afield.
Still very local veg…
When it comes to our vegetables, we are consistently firm with regards to our sourcing – we use as many vegetables as possible from our own farm in Sutton and others from farms in the UK, such as A G Brockman and Ripple Farm Organics, which are situated nearby in Kent. Sometimes, we have to source from other areas of the country, such as Lincolnshire and Norfolk to ensure a wide variety of vegetables in our VegBoxes but we never import vegetables from outside the UK. However, for fruit we have to take a different approach in order to maintain a wide variety throughout the year.
Why we have decided to sell fruit…
Our customer feedback showed that they, like us, eat fruit and we all eat it year round. Even the most dedicated local-food eaters among us probably find it difficult to forgo the odd avocado or cut out bananas altogether (of course, if you do, we salute you!). Whether you purchase your fruit from a supermarket, an independent grocers or a farmer’s market, for the majority of the year a lot of it will have been grown abroad.
How does selling fruit help the farm?
Our farm is an inclusive, welcoming space for the community to learn new skills, get exercise and make friends. We are passionate about sustainable agriculture, supporting land-based employment and education. We have two apprentices, 35 weekly volunteers and regular groups from schools, disability colleges, vulnerable adults that are referred to us, and community services. Our farm heavily relies on the income from our not-for-profit VegBox Scheme to support it financially, so expanding this scheme to incorporate fruit helps us to raise more funds through the VegBox Scheme by selling a product that you probably purchase elsewhere anyway. In buying your fruit from us along with your vegetables, you’re continuing to support your local community farm and all that we do in a positive way.
How to order…
If you’d like to add a fruit box to your regular order, visit our online Farm Shop to place an order or login to Your Account and update your basket, proceeding all the way through to complete a new direct debit authorisation.