Since we offered citrus fruit from Putt Family Farm in recent weeks, members have been asking for us to source other items we don’t grow in western Pennsylvania: ginger, mangoes, bananas, avocados, pineapples and more.
This week, you’ll see we are starting to answer that call! Mangoes, pineapples and ginger are all being added this week, and we will continue to expand our offerings in line with your requests.
When we started distribution in Pittsburgh two years ago, this would not have made sense to me. We were about sourcing from local farms only and there are other places to buy these other products.
However, as our members have started to rely on Harvie as a grocery store, our sourcing must change. We want Harvie to be your main grocery solution and if you eat avocados three times a week and Harvie does not have that, it’s a barrier for your use of Harvie.
In our sourcing standards letter last July, I wrote “When a product you need is not available locally, we’ll find the best version of it that we can according to our standards.”
So as we look at these new items to include in your Harvie deliveries, we are thinking about the best way to source these items. In that spirit, I wanted to offer the perspective that Lancaster Farm Fresh, a cooperative that we work with for many of our local items this time of year shared:
“We source from farms/farm distributors regionally and internationally that share the same values as we do: organic & sustainable growing practices. These are mostly small to mid-sized farms, never large agribusiness operations. Note that buying regional produce supports our farmers! Our regional programs keep us and our farms afloat when local crops aren’t abundant and still supports our smaller family farms and our mission.”
Right now, we have ginger, mangoes, and pineapples available for purchase. In the coming weeks, look for more announcements of new products sourced in a similar manner.
At Harvie, we believe in supporting small farms and producers while feeding you the best food possible. I’m excited that we are able to bring you these new products while continuing to support small and local producers here in Western PA.
Let’s eat!
-Simon
Want to read more about Harvie’s values? Click here!