Find out all about my experience and impressions with this honest review of Farmbox Direct.
How can I be sure that Farmbox Direct reviews are honest?
This seems like a good place to start.
I can’t speak for ALL bloggers out there, but in general, most abide by some simple cardinal rules:
- We only put our personal endorsement on products that we have tried and can personally vouch for.
- Complimentary merchandise is never a guarantee of a positive review.
Disclosure: I have written this honest review of Farmbox Direct after receiving a complimentary Medium Organic box.
I have placed a link below so that, if you choose, you can click through and purchase a Farmbox of your own (I will earn a small commission).
However, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Now, let’s get to that Farmbox Direct review. Here are some questions you might be asking:
What is Farmbox Direct?
Farmbox Direct is a produce subscription service created to bring the freshest produce possible to folks who might not have easy access to wholesome, farm-fresh bounty.
Farmbox Direct is headquartered in New York, NY. However, they work with local farmers in your area to source produce, which reduces the carbon footprint of your shipment.
Is Farmbox Direct worth it?
I’ll level with you, folks: I’m a big fan of going to the grocery—better yet, the Farmer's market—and picking out produce myself.
It’s a whole process for me: smelling, comparing color and weight, squeezing…
But it’s also important—both because it’s better for the environment and in light of the current public health crisis—to keep trips to the store to a minimum.
I can live off what’s in my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer for weeks on end (see Easy Pantry Meals).
But that doesn’t include fresh produce: I freeze or make stock with anything not used up in about a week.
So to me, it’s obvious why Farmbox Direct is the perfect solution.
Plus, I’m never creative at all about the produce I buy at the market. Farmbox Direct forced me out of my “fruit and vegetable comfort zone.”
Now we have added new favorites to our standard rotation of vegetables.
Unpacking the box was a delight: I felt like a kid at Christmas. The assortment of produce was absolutely beautiful:
How does it work?
You get to choose whether you want your shipment to contain locally sourced fruits, vegetables, or a mix.
You also pick the size, and whether you want "all natural," or "only organic." (More on this below)
As you can see in the photo above, my Medium Organic Farmbox Direct box included mini sweet peppers, oranges, yellow onions, potatoes, cucumber, Brussels sprouts, pears, apples, avocado, red grapes, kiwi, grape tomatoes and lettuce.
Do I get to choose the fruits and vegetables in my Farmbox?
Yes and no.
You can choose an all fruit, all vegetable, or mixed box.
Once you get an email from Farmbox Direct notifying you of an upcoming shipment, you can go into your account and make up to 5 substitutions, which lets you customize your box somewhat.
Do make sure to read through the details in How it Works and stay up-to-date on your emails to avoid any confusion, and to understand cutoff dates if you need to cancel a shipment.
What’s the difference between “All Natural” and “Only Organic”?
Organic boxes are USDA certified organic and non-GMO.
Natural boxes are only guaranteed to be non-GMO, but may also contain some organic items.
2 things that I found slightly disappointing
I'm really splitting hairs here. But if I'm completely honest...
1. The oranges
I found the oranges to be a bit greenish and pale.
I would not have picked them out for myself at a farm stand or the grocery.
I use the zest a lot in cooking and for cocktails, so the condition of the peel is important to me.
With that being said, the oranges themselves tasted just fine.
2. Herbs
The one thing I missed that I always grab in the produce section was fresh herbs.
That right there would necessitate a grocery run, which cancels out one of the main selling points of the service.
However, Farmbox Direct does offer an option to add additional grocery items when you customize your box, so it may be possible to add fresh herbs that way.
Where can I find recipes for using my Farmbox?
The first thing I made using my Farmbox Direct shipment was a dinner of lamb kebabs with grape tomatoes and a chunky tzatziki sauce (recipe coming soon!).
Next, I made a simple galette with the pears and apples (stay tuned for the recipe!):
Here's a quick roundup of recipes you can make with ingredients frequently included in Farmbox Direct shipments.
Recipe Ideas for Farmbox Direct Ingredients
These are my favorite posts with recipes for a variety of ingredients that may arrive in your Farmbox shipment.
It's so incredibly easy and quick to steam Brussels sprouts in the microwave for a lightning-fast, nutritious serving of veggies. To finish my sprouts, I do a simple toss with melted butter, salt, and pepper.
These rich, savory mini peppers stuffed with goat cheese were the first recipe I made with my Farmbox Direct shipment. They make fantastic finger food for parties!
Green beans with bacon and onions begins with fresh green beans that you blanch and then finish in bacon drippings. Freeze any extra beans so you can pull out portions for easy servings of vegetables later.
Summer Panzanella Salad is a celebration of gorgeous summer tomatoes. Cubes of day-old bread soak up the delicious vinaigrette dressing, which is perfectly offset by rich, creamy mozzarella cheese.
Since my Farmbox included an avocado, I had to use it to make my famous cutting-board guacamole. You'll find that making guac on a cutting board gives you more control over mashing the avocado and folding the ingredients together.
Slow-roasting summer tomatoes makes for a remarkably delicious garden marinara sauce. Enjoy over pasta, chicken, and more!
The lettuce from my Farmbox shipment went into this meal-prep house salad, served with homemade thousand island dressing. Cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes are also likely ingredients you can add from your shipment. Meal-prepping the ingredients means you can set out all the salad fixings for an easy DIY salad bar!
This potato salad leaves the usual deli counter version in the dust. My flavoring hacks ensure that your spud salad will never be bland. This is a favorite for potlucks!
In summary...
I definitely recognize the value of Farmbox Direct, particularly if you don't have easy access to farmer's market produce.
The service is especially timely now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it's safer for everyone involved to limit trips to the grocery.
I hope you've found this review helpful. Let me know if you decide to give Farmbox Direct a try!
Here's that link again, just in case...
I would definitely need the herbs too! Thanks for the info.
You're welcome, Denise!
I have been on the fence about trying one of these, partially because I do feel like I would still need to go to the store still. But the convenience of it would be amazing!
I'm with you, Katie: I probably never would have tried this on my own. But having the box arrive on my doorstep forced me to rethink the service! It was SO nice to not have to hit up the grocery that week.