Hello Folks,

Covid-19 update

Our big Locavore-wide update is available to read here, and the biggest vegboxes update is here, but here are the headlines for this week. As always, the situation is evolving quickly, so we’d appreciate it if you could read the following carefully.

• Easter & Veg Boxes: Expect Delays
  The global effects of Easter join the Hungry Gap and the pandemic as complications this week. Because many hauliers don’t work Easter Monday, and a lot of Europe totally shuts down for Holy Week, we’re expecting to get our produce this week a day later than usual. Your deliveries will be made on the same day as usual, but they will likely arrive later than you’re used to, especially if you get your delivery on Wednesdays. Our hardworking drivers are expecting to be out delivering until 10pm or later, so please don’t worry if your box doesn’t arrive before then.
• Streamlined Service: No Opt Out Lists
  Please remember that we aren’t currently able to honour opt-out lists- ie. any veg you usually request to not receive will now be included in your boxes. This is because we are running a reduced service during the pandemic to protect our staff and to enable us to concentrate on delivering to as many people as possible. I realise how frustrating it is to receive produce you can’t eat, and please know that we’re working on getting back to normal as soon as possible. Not offering opt-out lists means that we can have fewer packers in the packing shed at any one time, which means it is possible for them to work six feet apart.
• Packaging
  We are collecting veg boxes, milk bottles, fruit bags, and all the usual packaging. Although our drivers have gloves and hand sanitiser, most of them use their own vehicles so some of them strongly prefer to collect boxes that have been placed in binbags before collection, so please do this if you can, especially if your driver hasn’t been collecting your boxes. Additionally, please put your boxes out as early as possible and preferably at least 24 hours before collection to help make sure the boxes are as safe as possible to collect. Finally, if you or anyone in your household is ill, please don’t leave any packaging out until you are well and your government- recommended quarantine period is over. With these measures in place we feel that it is safe to collect packaging.

The Nice Bit

Sunshine through the window, buds on the tree, birdsong falling like blossom from a branch: there is spring just outside. And what did I tell you last week? The boxes are looking a little greener already, with chard from our very own farm in nearly every box, plus spring greens for the standards. What’s even more exciting is that the extra large veg boxes have the very first UK tomatoes of the year. You might remember these tasty Isle of Wight tomatoes from veg boxes of past years, and if you do you’ll know they’re worth the hype. Let’s hope the summer is a tomato-full one and that they appear in all our boxes soon.

What are you cooking? I’m still finding time in the kitchen a joy admid all the difficult days. It’s a good time to try something new, and our veg rewards experimentation. Don’t forget to share what you’re making in our Facebook group or on Instagram. Now is the time to bring in those fresh, vibrant flavours: mint and feta with your roasted beetroot, lemon on your leeks, chopped parsley in your grated carrot salads. Now we change from the carolus potatoes we love for mash and roasting to maris peer that are versatile but a little waxier and so suited to boiling- and perhaps a potato salad. The appearance of the first potato salad, and that lazy way of putting lunch together out of cold tasty things from the fridge, is when I really know the seasons are changing. What do you find yourself cooking at this time of year?

Flowers

The beautiful, Glasgow-grown, bee-friendly flowers our wonderful florist Kim grows are available on the Online Veg box shop or by subscription. They bring the scents of spring into your home, and are the prettiest way to cheer up. Email us for a dose of flowers with your veg box every week (or every other week).

Surveys

As you may have already seen on our social media channels, we are currently running an additional survey about the Covid-19 lockdown and our response to it. The survey is running as part of our Locavore Impacts project  and aims to find out more about the impact of the lockdown on our customers, as well as thoughts on how we have responded and suggestions for how else we might be able to help. If you have time to give us your thoughts and feedback you can find the survey here.  

If this gets you in the mood for something more substantial, the main customer survey is still open and available here  with a chance to win £20 in Locavore vouchers as a thank you taking part. 

Good Food Fund

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Good Food Fund over the past few weeks. It’s much needed and greatly appreciated.

If you’re in a position to, please consider donating to our Good Food Fund, which supports food banks and other schemes that fight food poverty. You can donate weekly by emailing us to add a donation onto your subscription, or you can make one-off donations on the Online Veg Box Shop. It’s important to look out for everyone in times like these. 

Monthly Specials

Monthly specials are currently suspended, except for meat boxes. We aren’t currently adding any of monthly specials to subscriptions, including meat boxes, but current meat box subscriptions will be fulfilled. The next box is in the first week of May.

Check out storage guidance here for helpful tips and tricks on how to prolong the life of your fresh produce. If you’re wondering where your veg comes from, have a look at these maps. You can also join your fellow subscribers over in the Facebook group for lots of tips, tricks, and recipe ideas.

To contact us, ring 0141 378 1672 or email us at subscribers@glasgowlocavore.org

In the veg boxes this week:

Subject to last minute changes

Small veg box	Farm	Organic Certifier
Potatoes (maris peer)	Skea Organics, Dundee	Soil Association
Carrots	Skea Organics, Dundee	Soil Association
Beetroot	Chapel Farm, North Berwick	Soil Association
Leeks	Pollybell Organics, Lincoln	Soil Association
Chestnut mushrooms	Orchard Organic, Armagh	Soil Association

Standard veg box	Farm	Organic Certifier
Potatoes (maris peer)	Skea Organics, Dundee	Soil Association
Carrots	Skea Organics, Dundee	Soil Association
Beetroot	Chapel Farm, North Berwick	Soil Association
Leeks	Pollybell Organics, Lincoln	Soil Association
Spring greens	Sampson, Cornwall	Soil Association
Chard	Locavore Left Field	Soil Association

Large veg box	Farm	Organic Certifier
Potatoes (maris peer)	Skea Organics, Dundee	Soil Association
Carrots	Skea Organics, Dundee	Soil Association
Beetroot	Chapel Farm, North Berwick	Soil Association
Leeks	Pollybell Organics, Lincoln	Soil Association
Spring greens	Sampson, Cornwall	Soil Association
Chard	Locavore Left Field	Soil Association
Chestnut mushrooms	Orchard Organic, Armagh	Soil Association
Watercress	John Hurd, Wiltshire	Soil Association
OR Bay leaves	Trinity Farms, Nottinghamshire	Soil Association

Extra Large veg box	Farm	Organic Certifier
Potatoes (maris peer)	Skea Organics, Dundee	Soil Association
Carrots	Skea Organics, Dundee	Soil Association
Beetroot	Chapel Farm, North Berwick	Soil Association
Leeks	Pollybell Organics, Lincoln	Soil Association
Spring greens	Sampson, Cornwall	Soil Association
Chard	Locavore Left Field	Soil Association
Chestnut mushrooms	Orchard Organic, Armagh	Soil Association
Watercress	John Hurd, Wiltshire	Soil Association
OR Bay leaves	Trinity Farms, Nottinghamshire	Soil Association
Vine cocktail tomatoes	The Tomato Stall, Isle of Wight	Soil Association

Small fruit bag	Farm / Origin	Organic Certifier
Apples (Story Inored)	Italy	CCPB
Oranges (Lanelate)	Spain	Caae
Lemons	Spain	Caae

Medium fruit bag	Farm / Origin	Organic Certifier
Apples (Story Inored)	Italy	CCPB
Oranges (Lanelate)	Spain	Caae
Lemons	Spain	Caae

Large fruit bag	Farm / Origin	Organic Certifier
Apples (Story Inored)	Italy	CCPB
Oranges (Lanelate)	Spain	Caae
Lemons	Spain	Caae
Grapefruit	Spain	Caae

Extra large fruit bag	Farm / Origin	Organic Certifier
Apples (Story Inored)	Italy	CCPB
Oranges (Lanelate)	Spain	Caae
Lemons	Spain	Caae
Grapefruit	Spain	Caae

Small supplementary veg	Origin	Organic Certifier
Cucumbers	Netherlands	SKAL
Pak choi	Netherlands	SKAL

Standard supplementary veg	Origin	Organic Certifier
Cucumbers	Netherlands	SKAL
Pak choi	Netherlands	SKAL
Garlic	Spain	Caae
Parsley	Locavore Left Field	Soil Associatio

Enjoy!

The Locavore Team