Like other grocery delivery services, produce delivery services ship food right to your door, but they generally limit their offerings to fresh fruits and vegetables.
These boxes are a great way to save money on fresh food, try new and seasonal produce, and save time shopping.
While some services focus on fruits and vegetables that cannot be sold due to minor blemishes or size irregularities, others focus on shipping products of the highest quality possible.
Healthline put together this list of the best produce delivery services based on the following criteria:
- Variety of products. The produce delivery services on this list offer a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Availability. Although there are several local and regional produce delivery services in the United States, this list only includes those that are available nationwide.
- Sustainability This list highlights services that use reusable, recyclable or biodegradable packaging.
Here are the top 6 farm produce delivery services of 2021.
Better overall
The FruitGuys
FruitGuys is a delivery service that offers fresh produce and healthy packaged snacks for individuals, families, and even schools and offices.
With locations nationwide, each box arrives at your door in 2 days or less to ensure quality and freshness.
When ordering, customers choose between boxes of organic or conventionally grown produce, with the exact selection varying by region and time of year.
Fruit and vegetable boxes start at $ 32 each for 16 servings. Shipping is free for most areas, but can cost up to $ 10 for certain locations.
While the shipping boxes are recyclable, the company’s internal box return program is temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The best budget option
Misfit Market
Misfits Market takes organic fruits and vegetables that cannot be sold in grocery stores due to their physical appearance and offers them at a discounted price.
While the product may have been rejected due to physical blemishes, deformities, or irregularities in size, it is still perfectly safe and delicious to eat.
Customers can choose between the Mischief Package, which offers 1 to 2 servings of 12 types of products in each shipment, or the Madness Package, which offers 2 to 4 servings of 14 types.
At $ 22 and $ 35, respectively, plus $ 5.50 shipping per box, Misfits Market is one of the most affordable product delivery services.
In terms of sustainability, all packaging is eco-friendly or reusable, including the company’s bags of biodegradable products.
Best for ‘ugly’ products
Imperfect foods
Formerly called Imperfect Produce, Imperfect Foods is another produce delivery service that offers fruits and vegetables that cannot be sold in grocery stores for superficial reasons.
However, in addition to producing, the company recently expanded to offer additional grocery items, hence the name change.
Prices start at $ 22 for a 17 to 19 pound box of fresh seasonal produce, plus $ 6.99 for shipping.
Meats, plant-based meat alternatives, eggs, dairy, pantry staples, snacks, and beauty products can be added for an additional cost.
In addition to reducing food waste, Imperfect Foods prioritizes sustainability by using minimal packaging materials that are recyclable or reusable.
Best organic
Farmbox Direct
Farmbox Direct offers customizable boxes of organic or conventionally grown produce.
In addition to choosing from all conventional or organic products, customers choose from three order sizes as well as the type of product delivered: only fruits, only vegetables, or a combination of both.
The company also offers three juice boxes each week for those who have a juicer at home.
Prices range from $ 33 to $ 57.95 per box. Once you’ve made your selection, you can add other grocery items to your order for an additional cost.
Deliveries typically arrive within 1-5 business days and can be shipped throughout the continental United States. While shipping is free, there is a $ 5.98 handling fee on all orders.
Farmbox Direct packaging is environmentally friendly, and both the boxes and packaging materials are fully recyclable.
Best for unique finds
Tropical fruit box
Although more expensive than other product delivery services, Tropical Fruit offers specialty products that you cannot get from other companies, such as mangosteen, rambutan, and red bananas.
Don’t be fooled by the name: in addition to a wide selection of fruits, Tropical Fruit Box also offers hard-to-find tubers such as cassava, taro, and bitter melon.
To order, simply choose one of the company’s single-type or assorted product boxes, or get creative and select your own custom mix.
Prices range from $ 49 to $ 149 depending on the size of your order. Shipping is free, but you can pay more to expedite your order.
Products are shipped in recyclable cardboard boxes and packed with other recyclable and biodegradable packaging materials.
Of the highest quality
Farmer Jones Farm
Farmer Jones Farm is part of a larger company called The Chef’s Garden, which has supplied products for fine dining restaurants for over 30 years.
While not organic, the farm prides itself on offering high-quality fresh vegetables grown in a regenerative farming style, meaning that the crops are rotated to maximize the health and mineral content of the soil.
Farmer Jones Farm also stands out for the quality of its vegetables, with reviewers pointing out how consistently fresh and delicious the produce is.
The company offers a variety of mixed vegetable boxes to choose from, starting at $ 69 per order with free shipping.
You can also purchase selected individual vegetables along with honeycomb, teas and jams, all of which are grown or made on the company’s farm.
Farmer Jones Farm primarily uses recyclable or reusable materials, including cardboard boxes, paper bags, shell containers, box liners, and ice bags.
When choosing a product delivery service, the first thing to consider is the delivery area.
While the companies on this list offer nationwide shipping, many other produce delivery services are only available in certain regions.
One benefit of a regional delivery service is that it is more likely to ship to your home faster and offer locally grown produce. However, certain areas can only be served by larger companies nationwide.
You’ll also want to choose a produce delivery service that aligns with your values.
For example, if organic products are important to you, several companies, such as Farmbox Direct and Misfits Market, offer exclusively organic shipping.
Likewise, if sustainability is a high priority, you’ll want to choose a box that uses recyclable, reusable, or minimal packaging, like Imperfect Foods.
Alternatively, if you prioritize local purchasing over home delivery, you may consider purchasing a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box from a local farm.
While many farms don’t deliver directly to your home, CSA boxes are a great way to enjoy locally grown fruits and vegetables that are as fresh and in season as possible. In addition, you will be supporting farmers in your community.
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