I tried Farmbox Direct. Here’s What Happened.

Looking into a produce subscription box? Here is my honest Farmbox Direct review, who is trying to bring fresh fruits and vegetables into food deserts and make healthy eating easier.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on my link and buy something, I will earn a small commission from the advertiser at no additional cost to you. Read my disclosure policy here.

I received a free box from Farmbox Direct. I was not paid for my review, and all opinions are my own.

I’m a huge fan of eating more vegetables. We love real food, but we don’t eat perfectly. We like to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and the key to that is finding the ways we like to eat veggies and focusing on those.

So we tried Farmbox Direct.

I’ve received several boxes from Farmbox Direct for me to try and see if I like them, and I want to give you a very honest review. 

What is Farmbox Direct?

Farmbox Direct is a subscription box for fruits and veggies. They have exclusively organic options too! And they fill it with all kinds of fruits and veggies – many I don’t typically purchase.

I haven’t used any other subscription boxes before, so I can’t say how it compares, but I’ve been really happy with the quality of produce and variety. 

We’ve received 3 boxes from them so far, and it’s always exciting to see what’s inside. The fruits and vegetables are easy to add to our regular rotation of meals at home and I like the extra bump of veggies without needing to go to the grocery store.

Use the code “cheapskatecook” to get 10% off at checkout!

How Much Does Farmbox Direct Cost?

Farmbox Direct boxes range from about $40 for their smallest “Essentials” box to $78 for their very largest, 100% organic box. We’ve tried the medium box, and the all-organic medium box and both were really good.

There’s no membership fee, delivery fee, or shipping (although we all know that’s built into the cost of the box, right?). And you can decide how frequently you want to receive it – weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or even skip a few deliveries if you need to!

This makes it really flexible, depending on your budget and how frequently you want to go to the grocery store.

We live out in the middle of nowhere, so I was surprised to find out they could deliver to our house and that it came so quickly.

We live about 30 minutes away from the nearest big-box grocery store (Wal-mart, Kroger, Aldi) and only 15 minutes from the nearest local grocery store. However, the local grocery store has very limited options, and honestly the cost of shipping Farmbox directly to my house is about the same – but better quality and more variety.

And I don’t need to go to the store. This is a big win in my book.

Right now there are a TON of online produce subscription options. If you’re struggling to get to the grocery store every week, or you’re trying to avoid shopping in stores right now, produce subscription boxes can help you eat a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

In general, the Farmbox Direct prices are fair, but certainly not cheaper if you compare it to shopping sales and buying in bulk. However, if you’re already buying produce at more expensive grocery stores, like Whole Foods and Publix, the prices are fairly similar.

Where Does Farmbox Direct Produce Come From?

My understanding is that Farmbox Direct produce comes from the same places as the produce at your grocery store. You can, however, purchase an all-organic box.

The owner of Farmbox Direct, Ashley Tyrner, said she started Farmbod Direct to help alleviate the lack of produce in Food Deserts and big cities, where many people don’t drive.

While I don’t live in a food desert, I am 30 minutes from the nearest Walmart or Kroger, and the produce I can get from Farmbox is better than what I can get from more local stores around me (and the same price!).

What Comes in a Farmbox Direct Box?

Here’s what came in our most recent Farmbox Direct box, which was an All-Natural Essentials Box (about $40 on their website):

• 1 Bunch carrots
• 2 Valencia oranges
• 1 Bunch brussels sprouts
• 2 Red pears
• 1 Green pepper
• 1 Bunch green beans
• 1 Bunch kale
• 3 Small tomatoes
• 3 Apples
• 2 Pears
• 3 Kiwis

The Essentials Box is meant for 1-2 people, and I think it was decent for that! For our family of 5, we supplemented with lettuce, apples, and leftovers from the previous week.

Typically, I shop in bulk from local co-ops and supplement with produce from Aldi. So I can make $40 go a little further. But that takes work, planning, and driving to the store on a regular basis.

If I compare this price to shopping at more expensive grocery stores like our local one or Publix or Whole Foods, it’s a fair comparison.

What I would be paying for here is the convenience of quality produce delivered to my door. If you’re in a place where that’s what you need to eat healthier, this is a great option for you!

Use the code “cheapskatecook” to get 10% off at checkout!

Is Farmbox Direct Worth it?

Personally, I think a subscription box for fruits and vegetables is more about convenience than anything else. If you struggle with buying a variety or making a habit of eating fruits and vegetables, this could be a great way to push you in that direction and build the habit.

Farmbox has recipes on their site and you can swap out vegetables ahead of time if there’s something you know you’re not going to use or really don’t like. 

If you’re on a tight budget, I don’t think it’s a very cost-effective way to eat fruits and veggies. I can get similar quality at grocery stores around me. What I’m paying for here is the convenience of having it delivered to my house. Kind of like a CSA from a local farm, but this is one that would work in the winter too because they don’t just send seasonal veggies – it’s a good variety of all kinds. 

 I really like that Farmbox Direct has all organic options. I’ve found that organic produce tastes so much better than conventional, and that really helps me eat more veggies – when they actually taste good. Seriously. Do a side-by-side taste test between conventional celery and organic celery, and there is no contest. Organic celery forever.

I’ll repeat what I said above about the cost comparison:

I’ve been really happy working with Farmbox Direct, and I think they’re a decent service. I just consider something like this to be more of a convenience and helpful baby step if you’re trying to eat healthy! Not necessarily a staple. 

What if I Get Something Bad in My Farmbox Direct Box?

I have another video of me unboxing a Farmbox Direct box, and in the comments several people shared complaints about produce not being ripe, or being overripe, or not enough variety, which I get is frustrating. But also, if I’m paying for produce to be shipped to my house, I can’t expect it to all be perfect. Even if I’m shopping at the grocery store and picking out fruit and veggies myself, I end up getting some duds.

The nice thing is that if your produce is bad, Farmbox Direct will comp you on your next box. So just like if you have produce that’s bad from the store and you can exchange it for good produce, Farmbox Direct will do the same thing except you don’t have to go to the store, which is amazing. 

I know this because I had a problem with these kiwis. These beautiful kiwis that I was so excited about. So I checked with Farmbox to make sure. 

Here’s what they said:

I’m sorry that you received unripe kiwis. I asked our team how we handle such issues and they answered the following: 
“For individual faulty items such as those kiwis that never ripened, we ask for pictures if available so we can pass along feedback to Liberty, and we add a credit to the customer account to discount the next box, the amount depends on the amount of damaged produce.
If it was a whole box issue due to a big FedEx delay or mix up liberty, then we would add a credit for the box so the next one is covered. We will also offer a replacement box if a customer doesn’t want to use the credit themselves, but internally that works the same way as giving a credit for the next box.”

I hope I answered your question. Let me know if you have any other questions.

How to Use the Produce in a Farmbox Direct Box

Their website has plenty of recipes and helpful tips for storing and using up produce!

But here’s how I used mine this time:

Soup

The carrots and kale got chopped up for soup later this week.

(Did you know you can freeze kale? No reason for it to ever go bad in your fridge!)

Roasted Veggies

My family loves roasted green beans, so I roasted a big batch of carrots, green beans, and brussels sprouts.

Generally, for roasting, I just toss the veggies in olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast them at 450 F/230 C for 10 minutes, stir it, then (if needed) another 10 minutes. Some smaller veggies only need 10-20 minutes. Some denser vegetables (like carrots) need longer.

Veggie Dip

Extra carrots were eaten with this ranch dip we love.

Salad

We used the tomatoes in a big salad with our favorite dressing.

Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit doesn’t last long here, so the apples, oranges, and pears were easy to use.

Use the code “cheapskatecook” to get 10% off at checkout!

So that’s one way we try and eat more veggies! At this point, it’s not an expense I’m willing to add to our budget on the regular, but after trying Farmbox Direct (we’ve had 3 boxes in all), I’ve been really happy with their service and quality.