Imperfect Produce

Dear Liza,

One of the things we wanted to do when we moved to Portland was live healthier. This would mean more walking, less driving. More veggies, less meat, and as much organic produce as we could find.

These are good goals! We ARE walking a mile or more every day, and only drive when we go for weekly groceries or leave town.

But organic produce at the market is expensive. We were looking for ways to eat well for less money when we met some fellows from Imperfect Produce at the Belmont Street Fair. They sell produce that is “Imperfect” and is rejected by the supermarkets because it looks weird. They also sell “surplus” which just means there was too much of something and it was going to be thrown away.

We could sign up for just a few deliveries to try it out…so we did! We set up an every-other-week system so we wouldn’t be swamped with more food than we could eat.

We have had two deliveries so far, and we are very pleased. There several reasons.

1. The veggies, though maybe too big or small or weird shaped, are fresh, organically grown, and delicious.

2. The packaging (unlike Blue Apron and other food-to-home deliveries) is minimal AND the boxes are returned and reused. Less waste!!

3. The price is right. We paid about $16.00 for about 12 pounds of veggies, including cucumbers, carrots, squash, avocados, and Earthbound Farms organic Romaine from Carmel Valley.

4. We get to customize our box. We don’t need to take anything we don’t want, and get what we DO want.

5. Getting packages is just fun, even when they are vegetables.

I will let you know how this all goes, but it seems like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Love,

Grandma Judy