Local, healthy and delivered to your door
It's called Greenling, and it's a web-based organic delivery company that's expanding into the DFW market.
They started accepting orders last week online, and they begin delivery today.
Greenling brings farm-fresh local and/or organic produce and groceries right to your doorstep.
In their recent press release Greenling shared the details, stating "customers can go online and browse the largest selection of local and organic products anywhere, including fresh produce, grass-fed and free-range meats, dairy, fresh-baked goods, hand-made artisan foods and more."
"Shopping is easy by choosing a pre-selected basket of seasonal produce like the Local Box or browsing and building your own customized basket."
Prices are comparable to the grocery store, and there's no delivery charge or subscription required.
More good news: you'll probably already recognize one of the growers!
Lake Highlands resident Heather Rinaldi, one of the area's leading experts on organic gardening and owner of the Texas Worm Ranch, will be expanding her business to supply Greenling with some of their local foods.
Rinaldi plans to initially supply greens and cool season crops, then add warm season crops as the season progresses.
"All produce will be grown locally, sustainably and 100% chemical free," she says.
"While we will not go through the very expensive process of USDA organic certification, our customers can expect that our food will far surpass anything required of that program."
"We grow for our children, and that is what we expect!"
Why buy organic?
Organic farming reduces the amount of toxins in the air, water, soil, and our bodies. It's healthier for both farmers and consumers, and organic soil has more nutrients and minerals.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) offers great information for comparing conventional and organic produce.
EWG knows it's not easy to buy organic all the time because of cost and availability, so the group emphasizes buying organic especially for what they call the Dirty Dozen™.
The Dirty Dozen is a list of the top pesticide-laden produce items when tested after washing or peeling.
The list in order of toxicity is: apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, imported nectarines, imported grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, domestic blueberries, lettuce, and kale/collard greens.
What if buying organic isn't in your budget?
According to the EWG, the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure.
But you can reduce your exposure by reducing your consumption of the conventional produce in the Dirty Dozen™ list and eating more items from the Clean 15™ list, which includes onions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, eggplant, domestic cantaloupe, kiwi, cabbage, watermelon, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, and mushrooms.
Why buy local?
The quicker the food gets from farm to your table, the fresher, better-tasting and healthier it is.
Eating locally-produced foods also cuts down on global warming. It takes a lot of fuel to transport food to markets. The average fresh food item can travel over 1,000 miles to get to market!
Local farming also supports the local economy. A farmer reduces his or her transportation, packaging, and refrigeration costs when selling locally.
Best wishes to Greenling from this green columnist!
I hope that Greenling experiences the same success here in Dallas that it has in Austin and San Antonio over the past five years. I'm looking forward to buying their produce and groceries!
More more information on going green in the kitchen read my 2011 articles, Keepin' it Green in the kitchen PART ONE and PART TWO.
Mark your calendars!
Lake Highlands Elementary is partnering with Bubb Fundraising to host a Recycling event on Saturday, March 31st from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Electronics and other household items will be accepted. Look for more details coming soon.
Lead photo © Greenling
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