I’m so sorry for my absence.
If you didn’t already know, life gets busy sometimes, and it’s hard to find time to write blog posts. I found this out first hand the last couple weeks! I’m back now.
Even though I’ve been silent on the blog, I’ve been busy planning away (and posting a lot on the Hens and Honey Facebook page. Go check it out if you haven’t already.)
Since I’ve talked to you last, I’ve attended two beekeeping classes, ordered a nucleus colony (nuc for those bee-fluent readers out there), ordered my bee hive, realized I need to order a couple more components for my bee hive, continued to plan the new chicken coop and run, worked to start moving my existing raised garden beds to a new sunnier location, started some tomato, pepper and broccoli seeds indoors and started planning for the 9 fruit trees I ordered to be delivered in March. So, things are a wee-bit busy around here.
Anyway, I wanted to stop in today, though, and share my excitement for Wednesdays. I love Wednesdays, and it’s not just because it’s hump day. It’s because it’s the day we receive our organic co-op fruit and veggie box. It’s like Christmas every week. See look at this:
$25 mixed fruit and veggie box – all organic, provided by Ozark Organics
How can you not get excited about a huge box of completely organic fruit and veggies, delivered right to your office every Wednesday for less money than you could buy the stuff at the store. It’s amazing, I’m telling you.
So this colorful collection of organic food is provided by Ozark Organics, a local organic food co-op ran by Bob and Wendy Seymck who also own Willow Mountain Mushrooms. They source as much of the weekly box components as they can locally, then fill in orders with small farm producers and finally they buy things not available locally or small-scale from larger organic producers. Each week, we get an email with the weekly breakdown, but honestl, I like to be surprised, so I don’t usually peak at the list.
Buyers have the option to order a “half-share” for $25 (this is what I get) or a “full share” for $50. Of those options, you can specify if you want a mixed fruit and veggie box (this is what I get), fruit only or veggie only. A juicing box is also available for $35.
Ozark Organics delivers these gems each week to our town of Gainesville, where most people meet at a pick up point. However, if you’re lucky like me and work on the town square, they will deliver your box right to your office.
They also service Willow Springs, West Plains and Mountain Home, Ark. See their website at www.ozarkorganics.org for more information on pickup points and times.
Now, onto the good stuff. Here is a little breakdown of what this week’s box included:
One pound of carrots
Four apples – Okay, five apples, but I ate one while I was at work
two oranges, one grapefruit, one kiwi
two red onions
two roma tomatoes and two red bell peppers
a bunch of rainbow swiss chard
one large head of broccoli
one bunch of five bananas
one large head of buttercrisp lettuce – with the root attached, check out the next photo
lettuce with the root attached.
The lettuce just may be my favorite part. It’s hydroponically grown by a local farm called Five Oaks out of Branson. It’s delivered with the root still connected. Each week we plop it in a little jar of water and sit it out on our kitchen counter. It not only serves as food but also kitchen decor! It stays fresh for weeks there, but it usually gets gobbled up way before that.
You can also add on pasture raised pork, beef, chicken and free range, non-gmo eggs to any order. Since our freezer if full of pastured meat and we have our own little flock of egg producers, I haven’t taken advantage of this option. We buy in bulk from some of the local meat producers that Ozark Organics utilizes, so I know that it’s quality stuff.
With the weekly organic produce box, our freezer garden fare and frozen meat, we hardly ever go to the grocery store, which is such a freeing feeling.
Do you take advantage of a local co-op or CSA? I’d love to hear about it.
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