The challenges associated with eating locally are about to get a lot easier with the return of Harvest Boxes by Good Time Farming in Squamish Valley. The service delivers an ever-changing selection of organically grown vegetables and herbs to pick-up locations throughout town.Brothers Nicholas and Stefan Butler started Harvest Boxes last year. With a new 2,100-square foot greenhouse nearing completion, Nicholas Butler said he is expecting this year to be marked with greater selection of produce made available at earlier times in the summer. They are also ramping up the service from 25 clients to 50 with a choice between half boxes and family boxes. The harvest will take place over 18 weeks from mid-June to October.Under the philosophy "You get what you get," Butler packs the boxes with seasonal produce combining more traditional picks such as onions and lettuce with less popular vegetables such as kale."People have got to start eating in season," said Butler. "Kale is a vegetable that people just don't eat, but it's so good for you and it grows so rampantly."Butler said Harvest Boxes kick-start more creative cooking since the produce is constantly changing. Too often, people fall into a cycle of choosing from a small selection of familiar vegetables, he said."We're just so used to eating the same vegetables and we just don't step out of the box."To ensure customers don't stare blankly at a piece of Swiss chard, he said he plans to put recipes in the boxes to get people rolling.Butler said he and his brother are just beginning to learn what the land will support. This year, he said there would be a vast number of vegetable varieties growing alongside one another as they figure out what prospers in Squamish Valley soil."It's like a big science experiment," he said, adding that there will be six varieties of tomatoes alone.The boxes will be delivered weekly to Gelato Carina, Eagle Run Grocery and the Squamish Farmers' Market downtown.For Coun. Patricia Heintzman, Harvest Boxes make it that much easier to meet her New Year's resolution. As part of the One Year, One Challenge program initiated by district staff, she challenged herself to eat food produced within 100 miles or choose organic items. "I've been doing that to a degree for many years but now that I literally read every package and try to determine the origin of every grocery item I buy, I find it very difficult," she said.To sign up for Harvest Boxes, contact Nicholas or Stefan Butler at [email protected].
