Fresh, Local Produce Delivered to Your Door & A Food Gal Giveaway
There’s a new organic produce delivery company in town.
And its name is Full Circle.
You may remember reading a couple months ago about how I got to try out the service for a test run. It was definitely convenient to find a box on my doorstep each week, brimming with seasonal veggies and fruits.
The company, which started in Carnation, WA, launched its service in the Bay Area earlier this summer. It delivers as far north as San Rafael, east to Concord and south to San Jose.
You choose the size of box to be delivered each week, depending upon the size of your household. I chose the smallest option, the “Seed Box†($20.95), which is perfect for one or two people and comes complete with enough produce for about 15 servings total.
What’s particularly helpful is that you can customize your box. If there’s someone in your family who hates beets or broccoli, you can opt never to have that included in your delivery.
You also can check your online account a few days before each delivery to see what your next box will likely contain, making it easier to plan your meals or shop for additional accompaniments at your local grocery store.
What’s more, you can add gourmet grocery items to your box at an additional cost. Full Circle collaborates with a host of artisan producers, many of them organic, to sell everything from bread to artisan jams to fresh, pasture-raised chicken. I ordered the wild shrimp once and they were nearly lobster-like in their succulence.
Moreover, you can put your deliver on hold or cancel your subscription at any time.
Want to give it a whirl? Keep reading…
Contest: Five Food Gal readers will get a chance to win two weeks’ worth of Full Circle produce deliveries for free. Essentially, you’ll win an $84 credit to use after creating an account. The credit is enough for two free boxes of the largest-size delivery, the “Harvest,” which will feed 3-6 people. Or if you have a smaller household, you can stretch the credit out for a longer period of time by choosing a smaller-size box of produce. After your credited amount runs out, you can either choose to continue the service by paying for it on your own or you can choose to cancel your subscription.
Entries are limited to those who live within Full Circle’s delivery areas in California, Washington state, Idaho and Alaska. Click here for more details.
Entries will be accepted through midnight PST Sept. 1. Winner will be announced Sept. 3.
How to win?
Who doesn’t like receiving something wrapped up in a box? Just tell me about something you’ve gotten in a box that was memorable, special or a complete surprise. Best five entries win the produce box deliveries.
Here’s my own answer:
“When I was a kid, we’d often spend Christmas Eve at my Aunt Rosemary’s house. My Mom’s side of the family would gather there to exchange presents. That particular year, when I was in second grade, there was a rather large box under the tree for me from my Aunt Stella. I always looked forward to her presents because she used to work for the company that distributed Charles Schultz’s Peanuts toys. Over the years, she had given me a little bean bag Snoopy, as well as small plastic figurines of Snoopy, Lucy and Charlie Brown. When it came time to tear open the package, I couldn’t wait to see what was inside. It was a large, soft, furry Snoopy with a big black nose and a real leather collar around his neck. I hugged him for dear life. And when I did, I heard my Aunt tell my Mom, “I thought she was old enough now for one of those.” Which only made the moment more special, of course. Because not only had I just gotten the best toy ever, but I was now a grown-up — well, in kid terms. At that age, that’s as good as it gets.”
Winner of Last Week’s Contest: In the previous Food Gal contest, I asked you about a time that you outdid yourself as a fashionable foodie. The winner will receive a pair of general admission tickets to the 3 p.m. Sept. 8 fall fashion show at Santana Row in San Jose.
Congrats to:
Sharon, who wrote, “About a year ago, I joined Dishcrawl, a bay area startup company taking foodies on food adventures in cities all across the US and Canada. During our Mountain View launch, I was a true fashionista. I had injured my foot during a beach run two days before the launch but had to be on my ‘A’ game to host over 120 foodies on a Dishcrawl through 4 restaurants including the Michelin star Chez TJ. A couple of hours before the event, I went to the doctors and recieved crutches, a cane, and a boot. With my diva red dress (I am rarely seen dress less) I sported the fashionable boot (way hotter than the aged cane look or sickly crutches). I felt like a rock star regardless of my limp and hop through Castro.
I look forward to the opportunity to win these tickets to check out ANTM’s winner and to wine n dine on Santana Row. ( Did I mention I’m a huge ANTM fan and would name my daughter if I had one Adrian or Elyse after the first seasons winners.)”
That is so cool that you can omit things you don’t like. I might have to try this out in the fall. 🙂
What a great way to deliver the best produce to the people! 🙂
I will never forget my husband’s Christmas gift in a box to me when we were engaged. At the time, I was studying hard in a Master’s program to become a children’s social worker. His gift consisted of a child sponsorship in my name (education, clean water, food to a child living in an impoverished area), a handmade magnetic framed photograph of the child, and a Threadless shirt depicting world hunger. I could not think of a more meaningful gift. Each month, we would try to write and send gifts to the sponsored child on our dates… the gift that kept on giving!
My wife loves surprises yet is horrible at keeping secrets. For my Birthday one year, before we were married, I didn’t know of any party or surprises coming my way, usually I can tell if she is up to something. This year she was in Los Angeles studying while I was in the Bay Area, I figured this year would be a calm birthday year. I came home early that day from work and started my post work-routine of changing and lounging in front of the couch. Soon I heard rustling sounds in the background and begin to check it out, but could not find any animal or source of the noise. I retreated back to the couch and before I knew it uncontrollable giggles were coming from a corner of the room. I knew something was up and searched my whole messy room and living room and in a pile of my trash was a large box, rustling back and forth. I opened it to my delight and to my surprise was my then girlfriend and soon to be fiancé. Memorable? Absolutely. Special? For Sure. Surprise? How could it not be!
I just signed up. Can’t wait to get my first box next week!
Ahhh! SOunds awesome! I wish they delivered to NYC!
Hmm a memorable box – the first thing came to my mind was all the boxes that my mom sent to me when I first started my college life here. She wasn’t sure what I can buy so she put cup noodles, some snacks, all kinds of Japanese condiments, medicines, etc. It was like a supermarket in a box. I told her I can live without it, but she kept sending some boxes full of stuff throughout my first year (then she occasionally sent some boxes afterwards). The time shipping cost more than what was inside and that was the crazy part. Now being a mom I really appreciate her thoughts and I will never forget that moment when I first opened the box… when I think of memorable, surprise, special box, it’s my mom’s crazy boxes of Japanese goodness. 🙂 She still sends me sometimes too…but now she send me things that we can only get in Japan. 😉
My best “in a box” story: When I was six, I was incredibly attached to a tattered bunny-blanket that I called, creatively, “Bunny.” Bunny and I were inseparable, and I like to think I offered him just as much security as he offered me. One day, in an attempt to (justifiably) wean me off of Bunny, my mom decided to strike a deal: I could keep Bunny with me for as long as I wanted — as long as I stayed out of trouble in the classroom. Chatty child that I was, I came home the very next day with a polite note from my teacher regarding my “excessive socializing” during class. And just like that, Bunny was gone. Or so I thought. Twelve years later, a Freshman in college, I received a care package from my mom. It in I found everyone’s favorite homemade Tollhouse cookies, a week’s supply of Maruchan Ramen bricks & haw flakes, hair barrettes — and Bunny, cleverly clutching a note. “Phew, thought I’d never escape Mom’s undies drawer. Figured you might need a buddy now that excessive socializing is not frowned upon but encouraged.” My partner in crime was back.
A little cliched, perhaps, but nonetheless memorable. Naturally, a Christmas gift story. I was probably about 5 or so. I wasn’t a terribly active kid, so I typically wanted your standard issue plastic figures/toys/playsets/etc. I would’ve been ecstatic to receive gifts that fell entirely in that category. Particularly, I remember asking for some huge, expensive, playset of one of my favorite superheroes of the time, Captain Power – now, as an adult, something I recognize and acknowledge as an expensive hunk of useless plastic, but as a child, of course, the object of my imagination. On Christmas morning, I found a large box under the tree, which I was sure was this very playset I’d asked for. However, when I unwrapped it, it was instead my first bicycle. Not going to lie – at the time, I was a bit let down. But that all went away when I first was able to ride that bike on my own (after plenty of trial and error, of course). That first ride on a bike, with no training wheels and no help from your parents, is an unreplaceable childhood memory.
When I was younger, my mother formed the endearing habit of giving me themed socks for every holiday. The habit lead to many an incongruous outfit—Thanksgiving turkey socks in August, heart-covered Valentine’s stockings for the first day of school, etc. This habit continued as I grew up and went away to college via care packages. Even if my mother was too busy to send a full-fledged care package, I might receive a padded envelope containing a lone pair of sparkly, bat-winged Halloween socks. During my senior year, my parents moved to South Korea to teach at an international school. You can imagine the interesting socks I received from their adventures abroad. What’s more, I finally got to return the favor and send care packages to my mother with the best selection of holiday themed sockwear.
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