Thursday, March 20th, 2014
We know how to patch a flat tire and how to change brake pads. We know how to put on a new chain, but what do you do when your cargo bike literally snaps in half?
The frame snapped in half
This year’s winter weather has been rough, but our dedicated cargo bike driver, Graham, has pedaled through wind, sleet, flurries, squalls, ice, and snow. Though the weather could not break his swashbuckling spirit, the elements slowly corroded through the cargo bike’s steel frame. Below, Graham retells the story of the cargo bike’s collapse.
“Wham! It just broke.”
Our cargo bike was custom-built for Boston Organics in 2009 and it has survived the likes of Irene, Sandy, and Nemo. A local pedicab expert and longtime Boston Organics customer has helped us with past repairs, but this job required a different set of skills and some heavy-duty tools.
Not sure what else to do, we brought the broken bike to our friends at Webster Auto Body in Somerville. Jerry Siegel and his brothers have been repairing our vans since we started delivering produce in 2002, but their experience with auto body repair and metalwork goes back much farther than that.
Webster Auto Body fixes it all
When Jerry’s great grandfather, Joseph Alexander Siegel, opened a blacksmith shop on Webster Street (Somerville) in 1902, the introduction of the Ford Model T was still six years away.
As cars replaced carriages, the Siegel family adapted. They learned the latest technologies and auto repair techniques while upholding their high standard for quality. Jerry said that he had never repaired a cargo bike before, but we trusted his skills and we knew he wouldn’t steer us wrong.
Look at that solid metalwork
After only a couple of hours in the shop, we went to check on our cargo bike and found it was as good as new! Webster Auto Body welded the frame back together and taught us how to avoid future corrosion.
Our cargo bike is now ready to ride and Graham is back on the road. You might see him making deliveries in Charlestown tomorrow!
Cars may not go the way of horse-drawn carriages any time soon, but we may have discovered a new niche for Webster Auto Body: cargo bike repair.
Thursday, December 19th, 2013
The holidays are right around the corner! Because we have condensed delivery schedules for Christmas and New Year’s weeks, all order and cancellation deadlines are slightly adjusted for the holiday weeks. See how this affects YOU in 2 simple steps:
1) See if your delivery day has been changed: View our Holiday Delivery Schedule here!
2) If you want to change your order/account, View our Holiday Deadlines Below:
Holiday Deadlines:
If your deliveries for Christmas or New Year’s week(s) will take place on a Monday or Tuesday: All order changes/cancellations* must be submitted by the previous Friday at 12-noon.
If your deliveries for Christmas or New Year’s week(s) will take place on a Thursday or Friday: All order changes/cancellations* must be submitted by the previous Tuesday at 12-noon.
*With the exception of milk, which can be changed until the previous Monday at 12-noon regardless of your delivery day.
-Cancellations (including order or service cancellations) -Add-ons -Box Change & No-list updates
-Payment Info Updates
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us up at 617-242-1700 or email us at [email protected]!
Friday, December 13th, 2013
Earlier this week, Amazon.com revealed that in addition to helping the CIA with networked computer technology, the company is developing the technology to deliver packages to your homes using unmanned, autonomous drones. Sure, that’s cool and all, but we’ve got a secret weapon of our own…the Boston Organics Driver!
Here are 5 ways that Boston Organics Drivers are better than Amazon’s Drones:
1. A drone couldn’t help the Warren-Prescott School build a garden:
John helped the Warren-Prescott School (K-8) in Charlestown set up a school garden. These kids were excited to get their hands dirty!
2. A drone wouldn’t dress up like a banana for Halloween while making deliveries on a cargo bike:
Larry delivered bananas while dressed as a banana…that’s bananas!
3. A drone wouldn’t help a stranger jump start her car when the battery dies:
Tyler used his van to help a woman jump start her car earlier this month. Now they’re friends.
4. A drone couldn’t entertain you with expert cabbage juggling:
Don’t worry folks, your cabbages are safe. Andy only juggles with his own fruits and vegetables.
5. A drone couldn’t shoot the breeze with you or offer you great produce tips!
Sean is one of our newest drivers, but his smile is infectious.
— — — — —
Have you ever seen our drivers do something extraordinary, amazing, spectacular, or simply plain better than a drone?! We’d love to hear about it!
Share your story through email, Facebook, or Twitter (#NotADrone).
“Take that, you drones!”
Thursday, November 14th, 2013
We are excited to announce that we will soon begin delivering fresh organic produce to homes and offices in Hyde Park! We will start serving all addresses in Hyde Park on Thursday, December 5th, and all Thursdays following.
Delivery requests were key to our decision to start delivering to Hyde Park, so thank you for taking the time to let us know that you were interested! We look forward to serving you.
Want Boston Organics deliveries? Click here to begin the sign-up process!
Thanks, Hyde Park! Please tell your friends!
– The Boston Organics Crew
Thursday, August 15th, 2013
We have an exciting announcement!
We’re now delivering organic produce and groceries to homes, apartments, and offices in Mattapan! We will start serving all addresses in zip 02126 in Mattapan on Tuesday, August 20th and on Tuesdays going forward.
We’ve been looking for the right opportunity to expand to Mattapan for quite some time now, and after working through our delivery schedule, capacity, and resources, we decided it makes sense to start delivering to our neighbors in 02126. We’re looking forward to working with the Mattapan community through our mission to provide better access to healthy foods.
Thanks so much to everyone who submitted requests – these requests were key to our decision, and we appreciate folks taking the time to let us know their interest. We look forward to seeing you all soon!
Click here to begin the sign-up process.
Thanks, Mattapan! Please tell your friends!
– Jeff & the Boston Organics Crew
Thursday, August 1st, 2013
If you’re from Boston, you know it’s not all about baked beans and clam chowder. There are many of us looking for healthy and organic options. With grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s offering natural and organic options, we are often asked how our service, pricing, and produce compare. We’ve put together a list of how our service differs from some of the common grocery stores around the Boston area.
Pricing differences
- Lower operating costs allow us to price our produce competitively.
- Although wholesale prices fluctuate regularly, we’re able to deliver consistent pricing and value to our customers year after year.
Selection differences
- Because of our close relationships with growers we’re able to source hard-to-get local and organic produce that large stores just can’t buy.
- We do the dirty work for you – our produce buyers work tirelessly to fill each of your boxes with a great selection of fresh produce.
Sourcing process & relationships with growers
- We place an emphasis on sourcing local and organic produce whenever possible.
- We are a local food hub! We are helping re-build a healthy food system by purchasing and distributing food produced in New England.
- Our business model allows us to place orders months in advance, providing our network of growers with an unprecedented level of commitment and security.
We ONLY source 100% certified organic and Non-GMO produce – guaranteed
Home delivery with no additional delivery fee
- Many local grocery stores now offer home delivery. However many charge delivery fees and require minimum orders. Unless we deliver above the third floor, our deliveries are always free – so a $29 box costs $29, period.
Local, independently owned company with local roots
Check out our “How does it work?” page for more details about our service.
Wednesday, July 24th, 2013
We all know going to the grocery store can be time consuming and sometimes expensive. Summer farmers markets and CSAs can be a great escape from the doldrums of the grocery store, but there is yet another option – home delivery services!
While many people view home delivery services as an indulgent expense, new studies are showing that home delivery services can help save time, money, and even greenhouse gas emissions!
Here are some great benefits of a home delivery service:
Save Money:
- Know how much money you’re spending on your food each week. By ordering ahead of time, you know what you’re spending on food, which allows you to effectively budget for the rest of your expenses.
- Cut down on impulse buying! It’s hard to resist those extra goodies at the store, and those extra impulses can really add up over time. This infographic shows that 40% of consumer spending is impulse buying.
Save Time:
- Your groceries arrive at home while you work, so you have everything ready as soon as you get home.
- Spend less time at the grocery store shopping. This leaves more time for cooking, relaxing, and doing the things you love!
- Most home delivery services allow you to order online and manage your account right from the comfort of your home.
- When you do go to the store, you can just focus on the basics. This will help grocery trips become more focused and less frequent.
Save Gas and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint:
- At Boston Organics, we cluster our routes by zip code and neighborhood for maximum efficiency. A 2012 study on grocery delivery found that clustered routes can produce 90 percent less CO2 than a random route.
Image from Erica Wygonik/University of Washington
As a home delivery service, our goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy fresh, healthy foods so you can save time and eat well! For more information about how we get produce from the farm to your door, check out our fun farm-to-house illustration!
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013
As our service evolves & our company grows, it is important to us that we continue providing the highest quality service we can for all of our customers.
With this in mind, after careful consideration and discussion, we have decided to shift all Belmont and Watertown deliveries to Wednesdays, beginning the week of Wednesday, July 24th.
The main reason it is necessary for us to enact this change is because over the past few years, some of our delivery days have grown significantly larger than others, putting a particular strain on our operations. This shift will help us make sure we can serve you to the best of our abilities.
Because all Belmont and Watertown deliveries will shift to Wednesdays, those customers will need to observe the following deadlines for Wednesday deliveries:
Account Updates (No-Lists, Box Type, Billing): 12 Noon Tuesday
Service Cancellation: 10:30AM Monday; Final deadline: 12 Noon Tuesday
Add-On Orders (Except Milk & Bread): 12 Noon Tuesday
Bread Orders: 12 Noon Monday
Milk Orders: 12 Noon Friday
*Please don’t forget to leave out your empty bin on Wednesday mornings!
We apologize for any inconvenience this delivery day shift might cause, and we thank you sincerely for your cooperation and understanding during this transition.
Best,
The Boston Organics crew
Monday, March 18th, 2013
Last week we launched our 2013 Customer Survey so we can learn more about your Boston Organics experience and figure out ways to improve our service. We have already received a lot of insightful information and we look forward to reviewing everything! This week’s vegetable boxes will be getting a taste of spring with some Swiss chard, sweet potatoes, and bok choy! Check out this week’s newsletter!
Monday, November 26th, 2012
We hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving holiday! We’ve got lots of great veggies this week along with some special fruits, including persimmons and Ataulfo mangoes! It’s also the last week for cranberries, and we still have some of our holiday produce and pecan add-ons for your cooking needs this holiday season. Check out the newsletter!