Tried and Tested: Organic, Locally Grown Fruit and Veggies from ShiokFarm

If you’re struggling to get your five a day for you and your family, a fruit and vegetable delivery might be just what you need. If you’re after organic, locally grown produce then check out ShiokFarm!

Created in 2015 by Claire Chabrieres,ShiokFarm takes its inspiration from the French AMAP system. The base of this system is the partnership between a farmer and a consumer. The consumer enters into a long term contract (min 6 months) directly with the farm, and by doing so guarantees a steady income for the farmer. Knowing his revenue is secured, the farmer can offer more competitive prices. Win-win for everyone!

ShiokFarm’s organic bags come in several varieties: a 3kg Essential Bag ($148/month) contains organic produce which have the highest pesticide levels when grown non organically (aka the Dirty Dozen); a 7kg Standard Bag ($308/month) for bigger families; and a 3kg Premium Bag ($248/month) containing premium products like berries, broccoli and avocados – ideal for topping up the 3kg or 7kg bag.

Recently they also launched a new 5kg bag, The 3kg Essential Bag + 2kg top-up ($248/month), which contains an extra 2kg of produce that’s part of the Dirty Dozen to allow more variety in the weekly bag.

All their bags contain roughly 60% vegetables and 40% fruits. Most of the contents actually come from Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand, apart from their Premium bag, in which a few items are grown outside of SEA (i.e. Australia and further).

I tried their 5kg Bag and 3kg Premium bag for the whole month of May. We’re a family of 4 with two kids, 5 and 8 years old.

I loved that contents of the bags varied from week to week and made us eat more fruits and vegetables. I also loved how fresh the produce was. Dusted with mud, it was clear the potatoes, sprouts, zucchinis, kale, radishes, mushrooms and tomatoes had come directly from the farm. Highlights included succulent cherry tomatoes, crunchy sunflower sprouts, sweet butternut squash and juicy pineapples.

Once, when some of the green leafy vegetables arrived slightly too wilted to be eaten, I took a photo and sent it to Claire and her team and they happily replaced it in the following week’s bag.

Most weeks we managed to eat all of the fruits and vegetables, but sometimes we had to throw some out. That happened once because I couldn’t figure how to prepare the radishes that were in the bag. I tried different ways but the taste was just too strong. Other times, we didn’t manage to eat them on time.

What I really enjoyed was the variety and novelty. We got to introduce new vegetables to our kids and enjoyed the challenge of having to change our habits. We discovered great new recipes and eating our 5-a-day was a breeze!

One thing you must know is that Shiok Farm does not deliver to your door; as a member you are requested to pick up your bag(s) at one of their many available pick-up locations* on your chosen pick-up day during the pick-up window. Thankfully you’ll be reminded on the day with a handy text message informing you that your bag has arrived!

ShiokFarm’s program is a 26-week (6 months) commitment. As an added bonus, their bags are all reusable and they try and keep plastic packaging to a minimum (you know we love that). Do you have special dietary requirements? ShiokFarm is about to put out a new bag for people with autoimmune diseases in conjunction with a nutritionist. They will also be putting out an “India Bag” geared toward Singapore’s vegetarian Indian community. Watch for these in August or September!

Looking for even more reasons to feel good about ShiokFarm? They work with a number of different charitable organizations in Singapore: members have donated almost 2.5 tonnes of produce to Cheshire Home, a home for disabled people in Serangoon Gardens. ShiokFar also sponsors Onesimus Garden, a therapy farm run to help heal people, and has even offered exclusive jam made on the farm.

ShiokFarm, www.shiokfarm.com

*COLLECTION POINTS:

• Bukit Timah x Farrer Road
• Caldecott
• Clementi
• Harbour Front
• Holland Road x Farrer Road
• Holland Village
• Joo Chiat
• Katong
• Kovan
• Novena
• Serangoon Gardens
• Sophia Road
• Tan Kah Kee
• Tanglin North
• Tanglin South
• River Valley
• Balmoral
• Bedok/Siglap
• Bishan
• Depot Road