For quite a while now I have been wanting to try out one of the many fresh fruit/veggie home delivery services that exist in the Reno area. I have had many a client tell me about the various produce services they subscribe to, but, as always, I never quite seem to get around to doing the research and legwork necessary to find a service that works best for my family. Until now.
Over Christmas break, I had a friend introduce me to Basket Case and it was pretty much love at first sight. Here is how the company website describes their service:
Basket Case Organics is Washoe County's home, office and co-op delivery service of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. Each week of the year we deliver the freshest organic goodies directly to your door at very competitive prices, usually lower than in-store prices.
The fruits and veggies are all organic but they are not all locally grown. I know that it would be best if it was all grown locally, but I am a busy wife/mother/business owner and I am not perfect. And on that note, I have accepted my flaws and simply go on doing the best I can. . . And I do try to eat locally as much as I can . . . and to patronize small locally-owned businesses . . . and recycle, even if it means I have to carry trash all over town . . .
Here is a quick summary of the process for those of you who are like me and want things spelled out for you:
- First you sign up online (basic contact info) and choose the basket-size and weekly or bi-weekly delivery.
- You get an email that tells you what your delivery day and time is (and gives you a run-down of how the process works).
- A few days before your delivery day, you get an email with a link to the pre-selected produce list. You check out the list and make all the additions and substitutions you want (for us that means adding A LOT of fruit). This is also the time when you can opt to skip your next delivery.
- Once you have finalized your list, you get an invoice with a link that allows you to pay online (or leave a check for the delivery person).
- You get an email the day before delivery reminding you to put out your empty box from the last delivery (you pay a deposit for the box with your first order).
- You happily go to you front door where Basket Case has removed your "old" box and replaced it with a new one filled with beautiful, fresh fruits and vegetables!
There are 3 sizes of "baskets" (we chose the medium sized Bountiful Basket) and we chose to have our box of yumminess delivered every-other-week (their bi-weekly service). I was out of town for our first delivery, but I did get a very happy phone call from my youngest son describing in great detail everything in the basket.
The problem with our first Bountiful Basket was that my kids ate all the fruit in less than a week. Clearly we need to make adjustments until we figure out the right size basket and the right frequency of delivery.
There are a few things that I really appreciate about Basket Case Organics and here they are:
- I can make substitutions and additions to their pre-made baskets (with many services "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit" as my kids would say. This is understandably so because the produce is locally grown and you are simply getting what is in season). Variety and freshness is my goal right now, so being able to customize is very appealing to me.
- I can pay online via pay pal instead of signing up for an automatic bank withdraw (this also allows for the flexibility of adjusting the amount of produce I get in each delivery). I also have the option of leaving a check on the doorstep on the day of delivery.
- I can choose to skip a delivery if we are going out of town or something comes up (and we all know that for this family, something ALWAYS comes up.
I have to say that another really cool part of the whole process has been sharing it with my 5 year old. He loves reading through the list and making adjustments. We talk about how much we should order, what we wanted more of last time, and what dishes we might cook with our produce. Eric loves putting the old box out on delivery morning and coming home after school to inventory and unpack the new stuff. What more can I ask for than spending time with my child talking about fruits and veggies???
Alright, check them out, friends!
http://basketcaseorganics.com/index.html
In Health,
Yo
