We’re very excited to announce that we are now offering organic milk from Shaw Farm in Dracut, MA! Shaw Farm is one of the Commonwealth’s only producers of certified organic milk, and their quality is outstanding.
Milk deliveries have been a dream of ours for the past 10 years, and we’re happy that we’re finally able to make it happen. Over the past month we’ve tested out a milk delivery pilot program on Wednesdays, and we’ve gotten great feedback. We’re now ready to open up milk deliveries for all of our customers!
Organic milk is now available to order for deliveries starting next week. We’re offering 1/2 gallons of whole, 2 percent, and fat free milk.
If you’d like to receive milk, here are a few important things you need to know:
- We strongly recommend that you leave out a cooler for us to put the milk in.
- Please leave a note on your cooler that says “Boston Organics delivery” and leave some ice packs in there too, if possible.
*Please Note: Our milk order deadlines are different from all other add-on deadlines.*
| Your Delivery Day | Order Milk by... | |
| Tuesday | 12PM Friday | |
| Wednesday | 12PM Friday | |
| Thursday | 12PM Monday | |
| Friday | 12PM Monday |
*Click here to view our milk add-ons or place your order *
We’re looking forward to providing you with fresh, locally-produced milk. Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback!
What Happened with Prop 37 and Where Do We Go From Here?
As you have probably heard by now, Proposition 37 – California’s controversial ballot question requiring the mandatory labeling of GMOs – sputtered and stalled in the polls.
So what happened?
The proposition failed by a relatively small margin – 46.9 percent to 53.1 percent – leaving the bill motionless and many people upset. The big food industry heavily contributed to “No on 37,” an anti-labeling campaign that spent over $45 million, outspending the pro-labeling camp by roughly six to one. Their large budget facilitated the release of an aggressive advertising campaign which claimed that food prices for California families would increase by $400 per year, scaring uninformed Californians to vote no. We had been watching the Prop 37 debate closely, and like many people, felt wary about the results.
What does it mean?
Despite the proposition’s defeat, we believe we have reason to feel good about what happened this past Nov. 6th. We met with natural foods movement pioneer and Organic Valley Coop’s Mission Executive Theresa Marquez to discuss the current state of the organic industry and how we can move forward in advocating for greater food transparency. Theresa believes the sun will shine on the mandatory labeling campaign again.
The fact that GMO labeling was on the ballot in California, and brought millions of voters to the polls in support, was a success in and of itself. The media coverage has helped propel the issues of GMO policy, research, and transparency to the forefront of the nation’s attention. The press coverage has sparked new discussions, raised the public voice on the importance of knowing what is in their food, and will hopefully bring optimism to GMO labeling on the next ballot.
There is also word that Washington State is putting together a GMO labeling law that could be up for voting as early as 2013. We suspect other states will follow. The general sense of optimism is a great sign for the future; with hard working food activists like Theresa Marquez and educated voters at the polls, food reform can be possible.
What’s next?
There is still a lot of work to be done, and you don’t have to be in California or a well-known food pioneer to make a difference. Though GMOs are not currently labeled, there are other labels that can help you make better informed decisions at the grocery store.
- Because GMOs are not allowed in USDA certified organic products, buying certified organic is a 100% guarantee for GMO-free food. If you’re not sure where to start, people have found the Dirty Dozen list to be helpful in deciding which fruits and vegetables to start buying organic.
- Look for Non-GMO verified products.
Take Action!
1. Vote with your dollars. As sales of organic and non-GMO verified products increase, more businesses will be motivated to serve this growing market.
2. Sign petitions to let key decision-makers know that we want foods labeled if they contain GMOs!
- Just Label It
- Massachusetts petition to require labeling of GMO foods
3. Keep up with the conversation by following organizations that are working to improve GMO transparency:
- Our Right to Know
- Non-GMO Project
As a customer of Boston Organics, you can be sure that your food is free from synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs. We only source 100% USDA and third party certified organic food for our boxes, and we will continue to make sure that the foods we provide for you and your family are safe, wholesome, and healthy.
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!
Photo By: Rikki Snyder
The Thanksgiving table is full of flavorful seasonal dishes. Many of us use family recipes passed down through generations, borrowed from friends, or from our favorite cook book. We imagine many of you are using Boston Organics produce for your holiday meal and we’d love to hear what you’re making!
We invite you to share your best creations with us for our Thanksgiving Recipe Photo Contest!
Here are the criteria: 1. We’re looking for pictures of the finished dish that you’ve created. 2. Recipes should include at least one fruit or vegetable from Boston Organics. 3. Photos should be well-lit and the subject should be in focus. 4. Please send in an accompanying recipe (source cited) with your photo. The recipe format should include an ingredient list and instructions.
5. Photos must be the property of the contestant.
Instructions:
Limit 3 photos per contestant. Please send your picture AND recipe to [email protected].
Deadline:
Submit your recipe by the end of the day on *Sunday, December 2nd*. Winners will be chosen by Sunday, December 3rd and announced the that week!
Winner Receives:
The Grand Prize winner will receive a gift bag of delicious add-on items and will be featured in our blog, social media sites, and December 3rd newsletter! Our favorites will be featured on our blog and social media sties.
Photo By: Deb Perelman
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, we’ve been daydreaming about all the wholesome dishes we can make with this season’s produce.
We put our heads together and planned out a menu with starters, sides, and desserts that you and your family can make with the produce in your boxes next week!
Starters:
Sides:
Desserts:
- Chocolate beet brownies
- Cranberry upside-down cake (see above photo)
Stay tuned for our Thanksgiving Recipe Photo contest! We are looking for seasonally stunning photos of Thanksgiving dishes you and your family have prepared with Boston Organic produce.
Happy holidays from your friends at Boston Organics!
Happy early Thanksgiving from your friends at Boston Organics! Due to our condensed delivery schedule for next week, we’re sending out the newsletter today.
Inside this newsletter you’ll find recipes for comforting Thanksgiving dishes, plus news about the fruits and veggies coming in from the fields for next week’s boxes. Pecan add-ons are now available, along with tons of Thanksgiving produce add-ons for your holiday cooking needs. Check out the newsletter!
Thanksgiving: 5 ways to share the holiday with those in need
The smell of fall in the air, old jack-o-lanterns being hauled off and a crisp breeze can only mean Thanksgiving is around the corner. The holiday’s arrival brings friends and loved ones together to share a warm meal. However, there are still many folks in our communities in need during the holidays. We’ve put together a list of 5 ways to give people in need a happy holiday.
5 ways to give back this Thanksgiving:
1. Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country.
Their Fall Turkey Drive is a great way to help out the local community. A $17 donation provides a 12-14lb turkey dinner for those in need. You can make a single donation, become an individual fundraiser or get your company involved with a corporate team.
2. Food For Free located in Cambridge, MA, rescues fresh food—food that might otherwise go to waste—and distributes it within the local emergency food system where it can reach those in need.
Food For Free accepts donations and welcome volunteers year round for home delivery, weekend truck routes, and office support. A fun way to support Food For Free and satisfy your appetite is to attend a luncheon at Rendezvous Restaurant on Nov 17. All proceeds directly support Food For Free.
In 2011, Boston Organics donated over 25,000 pounds of organic produce to Food For Free.
3. Community Servings is a not-for-profit food and nutrition program providing services throughout Massachusetts to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses.
Their Pie in the Sky fundraiser has been running each November since 1993. Boston’s best restaurants, bakeries, caterers and hotels donate thousands of pies that over 500 volunteers then sell to family, friends and colleagues. Each pie costs $25, providing a week’s worth of hearty home-delivered meals to a Community Servings’ client and a tasty Thanksgiving treat to the buyer.
4. bostonCANshare is an annual food drive sponsored by Mayor Menino, the Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives, FedEx, and The Greater Boston Food Bank.
Get involved by donating cans, cash and spreading the word about the can drive. All food items donated will go to local food panties to stock the shelves. Any cash donations support Boston Bounty Bucks which provide low income families with access to health fresh fruits and vegetables that they would otherwise struggle to afford.
5. In our local community – Harvest on Vine is a food pantry in Charlestown.
Your donation of $35 will provide a local family in need with a Thanksgiving dinner. They will be feeding 600 families this Thanksgiving and could use your support!
________
In your own community, be on the lookout for a way to support those in need this holiday season through a food or clothing drive, or by volunteering with a local support group.
~From your friends at Boston Organics, have a very happy Thanksgiving holiday!
Thanksgiving is next week! We’ve got plenty of great fall produce going out in boxes this week, including cranberries, potatoes, beets, acorn squash, and carrots. The featured add-on of the week is crimini mushrooms, and we have a variety of Thanksgiving add-ons to choose from. Check out this week’s newsletter!
We’re very excited to announce that we are going to begin offering local organic milk from Shaw Farm in Dracut, MA!
We have started with a pilot program for Wednesday deliveries before offering this service to all of our customers Things are looking good so far, and we hope to be able to offer milk deliveries to all customers soon! Stay tuned for updates.
If you are a Wednesday customer and would like to order milk, please see our milk policy below!
IMPORTANT- Boston Organics Milk Policy:
- We strongly recommend that you leave out a cooler for us to put the milk in. An insulated bag or container will work as well.
- Without a cooler, your delivery driver will not be able to leave your order.
- If you need to update your delivery instructions in order to receive milk, please contact us.
- If you want to send us a key to leave your milk inside, here are the instructions for providing us with a key.
- The order deadline for Wednesday customers is Friday by 10:30am.
More about Shaw Farm and their organic milk:
Since 1908, the Shaw family has been farming in the Merrimack Valley, growing feed for their cows, and producing milk for local customers. Warren Shaw just bought 2 new cows to help produce enough organic milk to keep up with the increasing demand!
Their organic herd has been raised by organic standards, which means no antibiotics or growth hormones have ever been used. In addition, their herd grazes on certified organic pasture (grass-fed) and is fed nutritionally balanced organic grain.
We sampled the product here in the office, and we think it’s top notch!
How long does the milk last?
The milk that you receive on Wednesday is bottled that Monday. This milk has an approximate 14 day life span and should have no problem lasting if kept in a refrigerator.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or feedback! As always, thanks for your support!
Recently, there have been many articles about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the news and how California’s upcoming election may impact the US food industry. This issue has continued to heat up as we approach the final 24 hours before the election.
As you may have heard, tomorrow California will have a new proposition on their ballot: Proposition 37. Prop 37 is the Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food Initiative. Genetically engineered or modified (GE or GMO) foods are food items with raw or processed ingredients that have been made from genetically altered plants or animals. In other words, their DNA has been altered by scientists in a laboratory.
If passed, Prop 37 will require the labeling of genetically modified foods. It will also stop the improper labeling and advertisement of foods processed or made with GMOs as “natural.” California’s early vote is often the stepping stone to national change on high-level issues. We are hoping the passing of Proposition 37 will be the push the nation needs.
GMO labeling is very important because the research on the safety of GMOs is still out. There are many reports of unknown effects of GMOs on humans, and the short-term research that has been done on animals is inconclusive.
We believe we have the right to know what’s in our food and how it was produced. Until there is hard evidence stating that GMOs are totally safe and healthy for you, we’re going to stick to what nature gives us – delicious organic produce.
At Boston Organics, we understand the importance of healthy natural food. We strive to bring you the freshest produce in our weekly boxes and want to assure you, you will never receive anything in your box that isn’t organic. All of the food we deliver to you has been certified by an accredited organic certifier. The certification process goes from fruit to tree, to land to farm to ensure everything is 100% organic. For more information on Organic Certification visit the USDA website.
We hope this information helps shed some light on the big decision Californians will have to make in tomorrow’s election. Here are some links to help you continue the discussion on GMO’s and Organics: