I debated for a while about writing this recommendation because I’ve admittedly had mixed feelings about Misfits Market. I live in NH and love being able to buy my produce from neighboring farms, especially in the spring, summer and fall. However now we’re in the winter, snow is on the ground and local fresh fruit is at a minimum. Couple this issue with Covid, and you arrive at a need for a safe and easy way to buy organic produce at a low price. Enter Misfits.
I’ll start with the pros since I’ve ultimately decided that Misfits is a service worth using. A little background information – Misfits sources its goods from farmers who are unable to sell them to a typical store for various reasons, such as appearance or size. So a lot of the items might seem a little smaller or have a strange shape. (Think of the “seconds” that can be purchased at outlets.) Because the produce isn’t considered stellar, the food will either get sent to the trash. Here’s where Misfits intervenes. Avoiding food waste is a huge draw for me, which is one reason why I was initially interested. Plus I’m also able to get a lot amount of organic produce for a lower price. That haul above? It’s about 2/3 of what I ordered and was around $50 total . A lot of money, but not bad considering all of the food we received.
Another plus is that it’s FUN! I set my service for every other week and a huge box of fresh fruits and veggies arrives on my doorstep. You can choose a surprise box or customize it to your tastes. However it’s also an opportunity to try new things. In the past, I’ve received star fruits, pomegranates, fennel and celery root – all things I haven’t purchased at the store but have enjoyed trying. My five year old really liked star fruit! “It’s sweet but has the crunchiness of a pepper.” She asked for the rest of it in her lunchbox today.
It’s fun to find a box of new fruits and veggies to play with in your kitchen. They make it very easy
And now the cons. Obviously I hesitate about all of that packaging (though most of it can be composted and recycled) and the carbon footprint of shipping my items across the country. So I ask myself what’s more important. To me, avoiding additional landfill waste and supporting these farmers ranks higher. Ultimately, it’s just one more box on the truck and I can offset this shipping but avoiding online purchasing elsewhere. That said, I will likely suspend my service over the spring and summer so I can keep shopping in my area. You also learn that some items don’t travel well. For example, I won’t be ordering strawberries again.
Like with most things in life, it’s nice to have the balance of Misfits during the off-season and local during the warmer months. Have you tried this service? What do you think? If you’d like to give it a go, I have a link you can use. Full disclosure, I’ll likely get some kind of benefit as well. Happy cooking!
– Rachel
P.S. All views expressed are my own. I was not hired to write this post. Thank you!
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