Update: The Little River Coop is still selling produce boxes and offering contactless pick-up. Check their website to see what's available.
Most grocery stores these days are madhouses with ransacked aisles where you’d half expect to see tumbleweeds rolling through. Fortunately, there’s a smarter way to stock your fridge during the coronavirus pandemic: farmers’ markets.
But how do you shop when all of the local farmers’ markets are shutdown? Digitally, of course. Urban farm Little River Cooperative is simplifying the process by allowing customers to purchase online from some of Miami's top farms and pick-up from a designated, unmanned location. (Read: no human contact.) The coop is stepping in to help local harvesters unload their surplus bounty, which normally would’ve gone to their restaurant clients and, at the same time, bring affordable, high-quality veggies to the community while we self-quarantine.
Here’s how it works. You’ll visit the Little River website, decide on the number of salad boxes you’ll want to buy and pay online. Each box is filled with organic produce from French Farms, such as lettuce and radishes; vine-ripened tomatoes from the Michael Borek Farm; and a variety of herbs grown at the co-op’s nursery.
To eliminate the risk of contamination, only trained staff will handle the sanitized items and pack them in a box—all while wearing N95 masks and gloves. Wrapped and labeled boxes will be placed in a large, unattended cooler that will be parked at a predetermined spot in the Biscayne Park neighborhood so that each person can go pick up their own purchases. (The exact address will be emailed to customers.) Sanitation sprays will be on hand for you to spritz the cooler’s handle before and after—natch.
The flash sale will go on from sunrise Friday, March 20, through Saturday, and as long as produce continues to be harvested and is available. Be sure to check their Instagram and website for the latest info.
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