The true cost of food
Our food is more expensive than non-organic food you might find at the supermarket. 'Cheap' food, from the industrialised food system that supermarkets support, only looks cheap. Really the costs have been absorbed by farmers and by the environment. The environment suffers from extractive and abusive practices which pollute our waterways, damage habitats and release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (Sustainable Food Trust, 2019), all whilst plunging 25% of farmers below the poverty line (Sustain, 2022).
Research has shown that for every £1 we spend on food in the mainstream food system, there’s £1 of hidden costs in damages to the health of humans and the natural world (Sustainable Food Trust, 2019). In comparison, organisations like ours have been proven to generate £3.70 of social and environmental value for every £1 spent (New Economics Foundation, 2021).
How we work out our prices
As well as selling all of the veg we grow on our own fields, we buy produce from other farmers, as locally as possible. We work closely with those farmers to make sure that we pay them a fair price for growing food in a way that's good for wildlife and the climate, as well as helping them make a fair wage.
To get to the price that you see on the website for the veg boxes, we set ourselves a budget to buy-in veg to fill the box and then add a bit extra to cover staff time and overheads. As we're a not-for-profit, you can rest assured that we keep our prices as low as possible and all of your money is going towards producing and delivering the food you eat.
The price and type of produce changes throughout the year, so the amount you get in your boxes will change a bit too. The boxes look their best in late summer and autumn when the harvest abundance means veg is at its cheapest, and the boxes can look a bit thin from April to June when we've eaten most of the crops that were planted the previous year, but the crops planted in spring aren't yet ready to harvest - making the costs more expensive (you can read more about this time of year here - 'What actually is the hungry gap').
Every now and again if the boxes start to feel emptier than we’d like, we review the buying allowance and slightly raise our prices to make sure you're getting a good amount of organic goodness delivered to your door. We'll always let you know about a price rise in advance via the website and in your order confirmation email.
