A Healthy Choice

Last summer, in an attempt to eat healthier and be a good steward of the earth, my husband and I joined a Community-Supported Agriculture Farm (CSA). We paid several hundred dollars for our share of the yield of a local farm. So each week, we drive to the pick up spot to get our box of assorted fruit and veges. Even with sharing the box with a friend, it was often more produce than we could use in a week. Especially those weeks when much of the box was beets or fennel or another vegetable that I had no idea how to cook. It did stretch our palette a bit and we did eat much healthier. Overall, it was a great experience and something I am really glad we did. But not something I was jumping at the chance to do again. But with the same goal of eating healthier and feeding my family well, I was confronted again with the question of how best to do that within a budget and a busy schedule. Organic produce in local stores can be hit-or-miss and pretty exprensive. Farmer's markets are great but that assumes I can get there and aren't available past the fall. Hmm... there aren't many other options out there.

Then I heard about Timber Creek Farms- a local organic food delivery service. Truthfully, the first word that caught my attention: DELIVERY!! You mean there is someone out there that will bring a box of high-quality, locally-grown organic produce to my front door? It must cost a TON.

Nope. Not at all. That is the truly amazing part. Here is what was in my first organic box: A head of Romaine lettuce, a whole pineapple, 4 large apples, a bunch of bananas, 6 zucchini, a bag of pea pods, a bag of greenbeens, 6 potatoes, and a whole head of celery.
The cost? $30.85. Delivered. To my door. Yummy fruits and veges that I recognize and can't wait to eat/serve my family. LOVE IT!!!

Timber Creek Farms has so much to offer. You can choose from the dozens of box types they have available: all veges, all fruit, mix of fruit and veges, etc... There are also many, many specialty boxes of varying prices to choose from. There is a box of foods for nursing/pregnant moms, a box of foods perfect for making baby food, the juicing box, the de-tox box, the cancer box, the high-blood pressure box, and the list goes on and on. I loved looking through the catalog and seeing all the cool combinations. But if by some chance you don't see what you want, they also let you make your own custom box.
You have a specified delivery day depending on your area and unfortunately that is set for you. They deliver within a 100mile radius of Yorkville, so that takes them all the way to NW Indiana and down to Bloomington/Normal. You can decide how frequently you want your box. We started with once every 4weeks until we figure out how much produce we will need each week. You can have a standing order or you can switch it up every week.
Beyond the delicious produce, Timber Creek also offers organic milk and meat and eggs. They also have the "Pantry Club" where you can have household staples delivered to your door. Another feature I think is cool is their "Wholesale Club" where you can buy certain things in bulk. If you don't need a crate full of paper towels, they offer a message board where you can connect with people who may want half that crate and will split the cost with you. You pay your part and Timber Creek splits the crate and delivers your share of the paper towels to your door.
Wow.

I could go on and on about the merits of Timber Creek. But here is the best part. They are a family-run business that cares about your family. And together with Dupage Mamas, they are giving away a free delivered box of organic produce!! Just click here to visit their website. Then come back here and leave a comment telling us which box you would like to try or which recipe from their blog sounds the yummiest. Make sure you also leave us a way to reach you if you win. And as usual, spread the word on your blog or Facebook or Twitter and get an extra entry. Or subscribe to our feed and get a third. That's three chances to win some free, yummy fruits and veges delivered to your door. Not much better than that. This giveaway will be open for entries until next Monday the 11th. We will draw a winner at random and announce the lucky person here.

My family has only received one Timber Creek box so far. But we are hooked! And you will be too!