Information about our Veg boxes
BOX CONTENTS
Our aim is to offer a veg box that represents the best of seasonal, local produce. Everything comes from our farm on Belfast Lough at the appropriate time of year, so you can expect salad, beans, peas and courgettes in the summer and roots, kale and cabbages in the winter. We try to vary your veg box each week, but there are some staples that we grow really well and include often. A veg box typically includes:
- A bag of our mixed salad leaves
- An allium(see below)
- A legume (see below)
- A root, ie beets, carrots or turnips,
- Plus a couple of additional items from the below list
WHAT WE GROW
Alliums - Spring onions, red/white onions, garlic, leeks, shallots
Legumes - Peas, runner beans, french beans, mangetout, broad beans
Squash - courgettes and winter squash
Brassicas - cauliflowers, cabbages, broccoli, turnips, kale, kohlrabi
Umbellifers - carrots, parsnip, celery, celeriac, fennel
Beetroot & Chard
Greens - lettuce, rocket, spinach, mustard leaves, pak choi, lamb's lettuce
Other items, such as rhubarb & Jerusalem artichokes.
Herbs - often available as an extra, see below.
WHAT WE DON'T GROW
We currently don't grow any indoor crops such as tomatoes or peppers. We also don't grow fruit or potatoes. However we do sometimes source these items and sell them as extras, see below.
EXTRAS
We offer some items which can purchased weekly with each box, these include our own eggs and herbs plus produce sourced from local growers such as potatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms and tomatoes. We will let you know the availability of such items at the beginning of the week and we would need any orders to be made by lunchtime on Tuesday
WASHING
All of our produce is sold unwashed. We recommend washing produce thoroughly before use.
PACKAGING
We try to minimise our use of packaging as much as possible. The produce is delivered in a net bag, if you return these to us we will reuse them.
Some of our produce such as tender leaves are sold in recyclable LDPE plastic. Whilst other products are delivered without being packed in plastic, they might benefit from being placed in a reusable plastic bag or sealed container before being refrigerated.
STORAGE
Almost all of our produce is delivered to you fresh from the field and will last a long time if stored correctly. Most items benefit from being refrigerated in a sealed container, especially herbs and other tender leaves. A refrigerator dries the air as it cools which is why a sealed container is important.
A useful trick for bags of salad or herbs is to place a piece of kitchen roll in with them. This will help regulate the moisture, improving the shelf life of the leaves.
Garlic, onions and potatoes last longest in a cool dark place. Garlic and onions can also last a month just sitting on a kitchen counter.
Whilst tomatoes will keep for longer in the fridge, we recommend keeping them at room temperature which improves the flavour.
FLEXIBILITY
By subscribing to the scheme you are committing to support a local business for the full 16 weeks. However, we do offer some flexibility should you be away or otherwise unable to receive a veg box. You can have the box delivered to a friend or relative at any time. Alternatively you can exchange up to three deliveries for credit. With this credit you can:
- Order an extra veg box another week
- Purchase veg from us at market
- Put it towards a future subscription such as our Autumn Veg Box
Please let us know before Tuesday if you wish for credit or redelivery.
SUBSTITUTIONS
We are typically very busy on the farm and are unable to customise veg boxes. However, for those that have committed to supporting our farm through a subscription, we will endeavour to make small changes upon request.
EGGS
We also have a flock of laying hens on the farm. At times we may include eggs in the veg boxes. You can opt out of eggs using the option on the order form or by telling us at any time.
DELIVERY AREA
We deliver to Ballycarry, Ballystrudder, Whitehead, Eden & Carrickfergus. We will also make stops in the surrounding areas when they are on our delivery route. If you are not sure if we will deliver to your address, feel free to get in contact.
DELIVERY DATES & TIMES
Delivery will be on Wednesday evening from 5pm - 9pm. Our route typically passes through Ballycarry, Ballystrudder, Whitehead, Eden & Carrickfergus in that order, so if you are in Ballycarry expect an earlier delivery, and for Carrick a later delivery.
DELIVERY SCHEDULE
This summer we will be doing 16 deliveries with Wednesday as our normal delivery night. The only exception will be half way through the scheme when we will be taking a 10 day break. Our 8th delivery will be a day early (Tuesday 30 July) and there will be no delivery the following week. The usual schedule will resume on 14 August. Full schedule below:
1 Wed 12 June
2 Wed 19 June
3 Wed 26 June
4 Wed 3 July
5 Wed 10 July
6 Wed 17 July
7 Wed 24 July
8 Tuesday 30 July
--- Break
9 Wed 14 August
10 Wed 21 August
11 Wed 28 August
12 Wed 4 September
13 Wed 11 September
14 Wed 18 September
15 Wed 25 September
16 Wed 2 October
DROP OFF POINTS/FARM COLLECTIONS
We currently do not use any drop off points. Our farm doesn’t have direct access to a main road so we are unable to offer collections at this point.
PAYMENT
Once you have ordered a veg box we will send you an invoice. You can either pay up front or choose to pay every four weeks. Bank transfer is our preferred payment method but you can also pay with cash/cheque/card on delivery of your first box.
REGISTRATION
If you are ready to subscribe simply click the below button and fill in our registration form.
