Praise for virtues of organic veg boxes

A report compiled by The Community Farm to celebrate Organic September and attract new customers to its veg box scheme has made the case for local organic produce due to its positive environmental and societal impact.

Beyond the widely understood biodiversity-friendly attributes of organic, the report homes in on several benefits to the physical and mental health of those growing organic fruit and veg, highlighting the mood-boosting effect of being immersed in nature, taking regular exercise and maintaining social connection.

Located in Chew Magna, south of Bristol, The Community Farm is a non-profit enterprise which grows climate-friendly food with the help of volunteers, including refugees, asylum seekers and those suffering from isolation or mental health problems. A survey canvassing adults and school children who recently volunteered, found that 92% felt positive impacts from spending time on the land.

The report also draws on research by the New Economics Foundation which focuses on organic’s tangible financial contribution to local communities, feeding £25 back into local economies for every £10 spent on locally grown organic veg boxes.

Unearthing the benefits

As part of the farm’s mission to ‘unearth the benefits of organic veg boxes’, all new customers who signed up during Organic September for regular deliveries qualified for a 10% discount – valid for 12 months – along with a free meal at the farm’s next wassail event in January.

By Rosie Greenaway, editor