Mid-Atlantic area farmers are preparing their seasonal produce for their neighbors in Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and in Danville, Virginia, through the Foodie Club, a monthly subscription service pilot program that will launch on Sept. 6.
“The Foodie Club is a collaborative effort of local farmers who will harvest fresh fruits and vegetables for customers,” said Deborah Morton, owner of Mor-Farms in Crystal Hill, Virginia, which will supply customers in Danville. “This program will benefit the local economy and provide healthy food options for the community.”
For a monthly subscription of $20, customers register online to purchase weekly or monthly boxes of seasonal produce, locally milled grains, teas or infused honeys, small-batch sauces, pickles and preserves. Customers can select the Family Box for $45 that feeds four people, the Grab & Go Box for $40 that feeds one to two people and the Senior Box for $35 that feeds one to two people 65 years and older.
The Foodie Club also accepts payment through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The club is a pilot program of the 2020 Farmers Co-Op, a national cooperative created in 2020 by seven farmers who wanted to promote agricultural opportunities for small-scale and socially disadvantaged farmers, said Sharon Mallory, the executive director of the cooperative and one of its founding members along with Morton.
“Small farmers face many challenges in maintaining and sustaining productive farms,” Mallory said. “Bringing the farming community together in a cooperative gives them the power to help each other thrive. The Foodie Club enables our members to pool their resources to make this pilot program a success.”
Boxes will be available for pickup on Saturdays from 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. starting Sept. 27. Boxes will be available at the Danville Farmers Market, 629 Craghead Street, and Upper Marlboro at 15800 Nottingham Road.
Customers can subscribe to the Foodie Club through the 2020 Farmers Co-Op starting Sept. 6.
All farmers supplying the Foodie Club are members of the cooperative, which is based in Nathalie, Virginia.
Mark and Lona Chandler, a husband and wife duo and owners of Chandler’s Gardens and Greenhouses in Scottsburg, Virginia, said they have been serving the Danville community at farmers markets for more than two decades.
For the Chandlers, joining the Foodie Club will help them reach more customers.
“Because we offer seasonal produce, our customers will have the opportunity to try fruits and vegetables that they might not have eaten before,” the husband noted. “We hope the Foodie Club boxes encourage our customers to eat healthier, try new recipes with their produce and share these recipes with their friends.”