Produce and Packaging Policy

Produce

Variety - throughout the season we pack potatoes and carrots weekly and aim to include either bulb or salad onions. Other 'staples' such as courgettes and tomatoes are packed weekly during their season. At the same time we ring the changes so that you don't get overwhelmed with a particular product. To this end we grow several different varieties of many crops, for instance four types of tomatoes and five types of lettuce. We also grow several vegetables that seldom or never appear in the shops - all from organic seed. In these cases we offer guidance as to what they are and their use. If you are unsure what something is or what to do with it, please feel free to give us a call on 01392 832729 or have a look at our Veg Glossary

Quantity - at first you may find that vegetables arrive in larger amounts than you are used to dealing with. It is our experience that most households adjust to eating more vegetables and feel the better for it.

Quality - is a word with many meanings! With fresh produce it usually refers to appearance and we do our best not to pack things that would be unacceptable in a shop on cosmetic grounds. More important is internal quality - taste and food value - and here we believe that you can expect high standards throughout.

Bought-In Produce - We aim to grow almost everything ourselves (at Northwood or The Barton) but in case of partial or total crop failures we sometimes have to buy from other local growers or a local wholesaler. The only exceptions to this are Swedes (after three years of crop failures) which we purchase from Philip Chappel from Bratton Clovelly (near Okehampton) and bulb onions after Christmas, as we are unable to grow and store them to last all year.

Packaging Policy

Packaging should only be used if it is absolutely necessary; this is usually when packing small leafed items or items that may be in danger of wilting. Large leaved produce such as kale can be freely bunched together and placed in the corner of the box. When required Shillingford Organics uses the following types of packaging for veg box contents:

1. PAPER BAGS:
Paper bags are used if the produce being packed is dry.
For example; sprouts, purple-sprouting, mushrooms.

2. PLASTIC BAGS:
Plastic bags are used if the produce being packed is wet.

Currently we use plastic bags during the winter when packaging most of our salad leaves. This is because it is extremely time-efficient. Wicketted plastic bags are bunched together on a steel wire, making it easier to pull them off and fill. Naturally, if there were a similar system for paper bags we would prefer to use it.

Paper bags must always be used instead of plastic, where appropriate.

 


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