If you’re being a good citizen and staying home (thank you!), you might be worried about having access to enough fresh fruits and veggies during the quarantine. Although supplies at large grocery stores somewhat hit or miss, there are luckily plenty of other options out there.
Now, you might be thinking, “I’ll just get frozen or canned.” And if that’s all you have access to, that’s fine. Frozen fruits and veggies are good for you, but if you want to get all the real health benefits from your food, then fresh is where it’s at. While the science is split about whether fresh produce is healthier than frozen or canned goods, packaged goods tend to lose nutrients through the freezing or canning process.
So, how and where can you get fresh produce during the lockdown? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Delivery
There are a multitude of delivery services out there. The options are nearly endless. The challenge, though, is that with the lockdown, many farms and CSAs are being overwhelmed with subscriptions. Some services were designed with delivery in mind, but others are community supported agriculture (CSA) organizations that are possibly having to do deliveries for the first time.
A few fruit and vegetable delivery services you might want to check out include:
- Farmbox Direct
- Norman’s Farm Market (thy also do pickup see below)
- Washington’s Green Grocer
Side note: We’re also a fan of Hungry Harvest, which seeks to eliminate food waste and hunger by delivering fresh fruits and veggies to SNAP recipients and those living in food deserts. Unfortunately, they’ve had to pause new sign-ups since the start of the outbreak, as the demand for their services have been too high!
Farmside Pickup
Some farms are allowing you to pick up produce from them directly. Many have instituted specific safety measures to limit their workers and customers from exposure. For example, Norman’s (mentioned above) is asking customers to display their name on their dashboard and to stay in their car while workers bring them their order.
You can find a fairly extensive list on LocalHarvest.org, searchable by zip code or town. Just remember, you’ll need to order in advance and not all farms are offering this service.
Farmers Markets
According to the state of MD, farmers’ markets are considered essential businesses and are staying open during the lockdown. You can find a list of farmers’ markets near you here.
Remember, whether you go out to a farmers market or to a farm to pick up veggies, please try to maintain appropriate social distances and wear protection.