About Our Produce Selections
What is organic food?
How do we know it's organic?
What is 'transitional' organic produce and why is it included in my Organic Box?
Where does local produce come from and is it organic?
Where does the non-local organic produce come from?
Where can I find out more about organic food and related issues?
Do you include any Fair Trade products?
About Our Delivery Service
When will my Organic Box be delivered?
Do I have to be home for delivery?
Can I pick up my Organic Box?
How is my Organic Box delivered?
What if I forget to leave last week's empty box at my front door?
What if I live in an apartment building?
About Payment And Membership
How do I pay for my Organic Box membership?
Why must I commit to a 13-week membership?
May I cancel my membership once I've started?
Will I be charged for the full 13 weeks right away?
What if I'm on vacation or need to skip delivery for a week or two?
What is the sustainability fund and what does it cover?
Can I give an Organic Box membership as a gift?
About The Organic Box
What is an Organic Box and how much does it cost?
What is in my Organic Box this week? What about next week?
What if I don't want certain vegetables or fruits?
When is my deadline for substitutions and changes?
What if I'm not familiar with some of the produce in my box?
I found a great recipe in your newsletter a few weeks ago - may I have that recipe again? May I share some recipes of my own?
How do I store my organic produce?
I ordered something and it wasn't in my box. What should I do?
What if I'm not happy with something in my Organic Box?
Contacting The Organic Box
How can I get in touch with The Organic Box?
What is organic food?
Organic food is grown and processed the way nature intended, without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or antibiotics. This provides better-tasting, naturally good food on your table, and is kinder to our Earth.
Producing organic food benefits the environment through the promotion of biodiversity and the reduction of water, air and land pollution. Eating organic food reduces the amount of toxins ingested and thereby contributes to greater health. This includes farmers who work in fields where chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used.
The primary goal of organic agriculture is to 'optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.'
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How do we know it's organic?
Your Organic Box contains both locally-sourced produce and organic certified produce. Anything brought in from outside Alberta and BC is certified organic, but when we find local producers who are either in 'transition' or have small-holding non-organic production, we include those as well.
This link provides information from Canadian Organic Growers on certifying bodies and their standards (click here). Individual produce will often bear on its label the name of its certifying agency.
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What is 'transitional' organic produce and why is it included in my Organic Box?
'Transitional' organic produce comes from farms that are in the process of switching from conventional to organic farming methods. A certified organic apple, for example, is one that comes from an orchard where organic farming methods have been used for three or more years. Occasionally, we will call your attention to a 'transitional' product in your Organic Box. We include such produce because we believe that farmers should be encouraged and supported in their decision to switch to organic methods of agriculture.
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Where does local produce come from and is it organic?
We strive to find local producers with quality produce. Often these farmers are either in 'transition' or have small-holding non-organic production. Our priority is locally-sourced food and so these products are included in your box.
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Where does the non-local organic produce come from?
Depending on the season, your Organic Box will contain organic produce from farms in Alberta, British Columbia and California, and occasionally from further afield. We do not source products that are shipped via airfreight.
The closer to home our food is grown, the shorter distance it has to reach our plates. Eating locally reduces the impact of food production on the environment. The Organic Box works hard to support Northern Alberta organic farmers by including as much locally-grown produce as possible in each Organic Box.
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Where can I find out more about organic food and related issues?
The following links are useful places to learn more about organic food. The Organic Box is a member the Alberta Organic Producers Association (AOPA) and our warehouse is a certified organic food processing facility.
- Canadian Organic Growers is a national membership-based education and networking organization representing farmers, gardeners and consumers across Canada.
- The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is a membership-based business association that focuses on the organic business community in North America. Their mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy.
- Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd is Canada's foremost national certifier of organic food products with some 1,700 producers, processors and traders from across Canada.
- Bioagricert International is an Italian certification agency committed to supporting organic production throughout the world.
- Quality Assurance International is a world-wide certification service.
- AOPA and the Organic Crop Improvement Association is a non-profit, member-owned, agricultural organization, dedicated to providing the highest quality organic certification services and access to global organic markets. The Organic Box is a member of this organization.
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Do you include any Fair Trade products?
Whenever possible, we purchase and support Fair Trade products, provided they are locally produced or certified organic.
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When will my Organic Box be delivered?
The boxes are packed in the morning and delivered between the hours of noon and 10 p.m, either weekly or biweekly (every 2 weeks).
Your delivery day depends on your address and is determined by the first 3 letters of your post code:
- Wednesday: Edmonton Downtown, Central, and West, St. Albert and Camrose (drop-point only).
- Thursday: Edmonton South, University, Mill Creek, Capilano, Whitemud Park, Blue Quill, and Ellerslie.
- Friday: Edmonton North East, Millwoods, Sherwood Park, Beaumont, Leduc, Devon and Fort Saskatchewan
- Saturday: Edmonton North, Garrison, Terwillegar, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Morinville (drop-point only).
If you provide your postal code, we can give an approximate window of delivery time. We manage the delivery routes as efficiently as possible, in order to use the least amount of fuel to make the maximum number of deliveries.
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Do I have to be home for a delivery?
You need not be at home for us to deliver your Organic Box. We will leave the Box wherever you indicate in your delivery instructions (ie. garage, porch, front step, shed, balcony, with a neighbour, lobby, etc). In the colder winter months, your Box should not sit outside for longer than 20 minutes so please update your delivery instructions accordingly. You may elect to pickup your Box at our warehouse if you do not have a suitable location for winter delivery. In the summer months, please select a location out of direct sunlight and rain. Remember to leave out your empty box for collection.
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Can I pick up my Organic Box?
Certainly, you may also pick up your Organic Box. We are located at 9764 47 Ave, Edmonton, and are available for pick-up Wednesday through Friday between 10 am and 5 pm, and on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm. Please telephone us beforehand at 780.469.1900 or email us at info@theorganicbox.ca to make arrangements. We also have pickup locations in Sherwood Park (Fridays), St. Albert (Wednesdays), Spruce Grove (Saturdays), Morinville (Saturdays) and Camrose (Wednesdays).
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How is my Organic Box delivered?
The Organic Box delivers your fruits and vegetables in a reusable, sturdy and sealed cardboard box. You pay a one-time, refundable deposit of $20 when you purchase your membership. At each delivery, we collect your empty box and replace it with another one full of fresh organic produce. The boxes are fully cleaned at our warehouse.
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What if I forget to leave last week's empty box at my front door?
This is not a problem. We will still leave your full Organic Box for you and can collect the two empty boxes at your next delivery date.
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What if I live in an apartment building?
We will do our best to deliver your box to an apartment. However, we require delivery instructions that will instruct our drivers on what to do if you are not home. Apartment deliveries, without delivery instructions or access inside the building, will be brought back to our warehouse for customer pick up. Boxes left in vestibules at the customers request, will not be replaced if stolen. If you would like to discuss your specific delivery circumstances please call our office to make arrangements at 780-469-1900 or email us at info@theorganicbox.ca.
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How do I pay for my Organic Box?
The easiest method of payment is by credit card - we accept MasterCard and VISA. We will bill your card automatically on the day of your delivery. We also accept Direct Debit and cheques and Visa Debit cards.
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Why must I commit to a 13-week membership?
We use the 13-week membership to secure buying commitments from local farmers and producers to ensure a predictable food supply. A committed membership base provides consistently reliable quality and service.
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May I cancel my membership once I've started?
We understand that circumstances change and you may want to cancel your membership. You may cancel with 2 weeks' notice (one more delivery, plus an extra week for us to collect your last empty box). However, if you are having a problem with the quality of the produce or the service, we encourage you to let us know so we can make it right through refund or replacement where appropriate. We want everyone to be completely satisfied with The Organic Box experience.
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Will I be charged for the full 13 weeks right away?
Your credit card will NOT be charged for the full 13 weeks, only for the weekly deliveries as they are made. For the 3-week trial membership, all three deliveries are charged upfront.
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What if I'm on vacation or need to skip delivery for a week or two?
To skip a delivery, log into your account and use the 'Holiday Stops' tab on the upper left-hand corner of the page. Just click on the dates you'd like to skip (up to 3 months in advance) and deliveries resume thereafter. We require 48 hours' notice for holiday stops simply because the food has been ordered from the farmers and suppliers for the week. For less than 48 hours' notice, we would be happy to donate the food to a local charity, however you will still be charged for this delivery. You can also have it sent to a friend or relative if you prefer. Please contact us at info@theorganicbox.ca if you have any questions about skipping a delivery.
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What is the sustainability fund and what does it cover?
The sustainability fund is a $1 surcharge we add to each delivery. This allows us to offset our carbon footprint and the environmental impact of our operations through investments in sustainable projects. Examples of these projects may include:
- Carbon Offsets
- Biofuels
- Renewable Power Surcharges
- Waste Composting/Recycling
- Tree Planting
The Organic Box is working towards full carbon-neutrality. 2010 and 2011 have been certified as carbon-neutral years for our operations. If you'd like to learn more about our carbon-neutrality, contact us at info@theorganicbox.ca.
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Can I give an Organic Box membership as a gift?
The Organic Box gift membership is a thoughtful gift idea for a housewarming, for parents at home with a new baby, for those unable to get out to the grocery store, or to honour a marriage. The membership is also a terrific way to make sure your kids are eating well away from home at college or university. For current members, gift certificates can be ordered through the 'Choose Your Box' page. Or come by our warehouse (9764 - 47 avenue) and purchase a gift certificate from our office staff.
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What is an Organic Box and how much does it cost?
The Organic Box provides access to food grown by family and independent producers and is about creating a market so these growers have a larger venue to sell their produce besides farmers' markets alone. Though we are not a grocery delivery service in the traditional sense, we try very hard to accommodate each member's individual orders through a fully customisable set box and a range of a la carte items. Members receive a delivery of around 12-15 fresh fruits and vegetables, weekly or biweekly, of mainly local produce when seasonally available. Prices include delivery and all applicable taxes. A full 13-week membership costs $55 per delivery for a family-sized box or $38 per delivery for a singles-sized box. We also offer trial memberships at $60 per delivery (family-sized) or $43 per delivery (singles-sized). Add-on items from bakery, dairy, beverages, dry goods, snacks, chocolate, and much more are available. Everything from macaroons to macaroni. See the membership page for details.
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What is in my Organic Box this week? What about next week?
The Organic Box weekly contents are posted online and are updated Friday afternoons with the following week's Box. The 'Choose Your Box' page is then available for members to customize their box contents for the following week. You can make substitutions to the set box and also add other grocery items such as milk, cheese, bread, eggs, pasta, etc.
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What if I don't want certain vegetables or fruits?
When you sign up, please let us know about any permanent preferences for items that you will never want. This is particularly useful for those with allergies. You can then use the 'Choose Your Box' form each week to customize your Box contents. We try to honour food preferences wherever possible. However, although we receive farmer deliveries 4 days a week (Tuesday through Friday) to fill the following day's orders, we are sometimes forced to make substitutions due to either transportation or quality issues. Our policy is to either substitute like for like (ie. a veggie for a veggie), or to replace the item in the following delivery, or to provide a monetary credit.
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What do I do if I didn't receive the correct food in my Box?
Fill out & submit the 'Rate Your Box' page online. We read every 'Rate Your Box' form and respond where required. Please note that we are sometimes forced to make substitutions due to either transporation or quality issues. Our policy is to either substitute like for like (ie. a veggie for a veggie), or to replace the item in the following delivery, or to provide a monetary credit. Please also note that we pack several hundred boxes a day and packing errors do sometimes happen. Just let us know and we'll do our best to make it right.
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What happens if my box has not been delivered by 10 pm on my delivery day?
- Check outside! It could be hidden somewhere in your front or back yard, lobby, or with a neighbor.
- Call the office in the morning or leave a message that night. You can also email info@theorganicbox.ca. The sooner you let us know the better we can react.
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When is my deadline for substitutions and changes?
We post the weekly Organic Box contents on late Friday for the following week. Wednesday delivery members have until Monday at noon to finalise any substitutions or changes to their weekly delivery. Thursday delivery members have until Tuesday at noon. Friday delivery members have until Wednesday at noon. And Saturday members have until Thursday morning at 9 am to customise their box. An invoice is emailed prior to delivery listing the selected box contents. Please review it carefully to be sure your changes and additions have all been made correctly. We can edit the box contents for you right up until the day before delivery if you notice an error on your invoice.
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What if I'm not familiar with some of the produce in my box?
In addition to familiar foods such as broccoli, apples and carrots, we find and support less common fruits and vegetables in order to accomodate a variety of preferences and diets. In our newsletter, we include information about more uncommon produce, including a weekly recipe. Our Facebook group (The Organic Box Edmonton) also often posts new recipe ideas and tips. However, please feel free to update your preferences and to customize your box to suit your routine and diet.
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I found a great recipe in your newsletter a few weeks ago - may I have that recipe again? May I share some recipes of my own?
All our newsletters are archived online so you can look up previous newsletter contents. We aim to make the newsletter as inclusive as possible for our members, so please feel free to send your recipes, local food stories, ideas, etc. You may also join The Organic Box (Edmonton) group on Facebook to share food ideas and to meet other members.
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How do I store my organic produce?
Organic food is living food! Without chemical preservatives, cold is key to extending its shelf life. A nice cold fridge set to no warmer than 4 degrees will help all your organic fruits and veggies last longer (except bananas!). With the exception of bananas, do not store your produce on the counter as it will spoil more quickly than conventional produce. This is especially true of organic fruit and berries. Organic greens (chard, lettuce, celery) may need hydration and will perk right up if given a cold water bath in the fridge. For more information, check out our Storage Guidelines for tips on keeping your fruit and vegetables fresh. Please also feel free to send us your tips for inclusion in the newsletter.
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I ordered something and it wasn't in my box. What should I do?
- If you received a 'short slip', then we have been notified of the short by our warehouse staff and your account will either be credited or the item replaced in the next box.
- If there was no 'short slip' then please email us at info@theorganicbox.ca, and we'll be sure to either credit your account or replace the item in the next box.
- Food credits do take some time to process and will usually appear on your account the day before your next delivery.
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What if I'm not happy with something in my Organic Box?
The Organic Box guarantees every item in your box. If any fruit or vegetable doesn't meet your expectations, please send an email to info@theorganicbox.ca. We will replace that item in your next delivery. Feedback from members about the quality of the produce assists us in purchasing decisions and we aim to work with farmers to ensure satisfaction. Please keep in mind, however, that organic fruit and vegetables by their very nature are generally not uniform in shape and colour. Organic produce also requires refrigeration to keep from spoiling quickly.
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How can I get in touch with The Organic Box?
You are welcome to call us at 780.469.1900 or email us at info@theorganicbox.ca. Our office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pm. We are closed Sundays and Mondays.
We will try to respond to you as quickly as possible. Our mailing address is 9764 47 Avenue, Edmonton Alberta T6E 5P3.
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