Local-First Meal Service Gains Popularity

Local-First Meal Service Gains Popularity FARM HOME Food Colorado company Spade & Spoon has launched a local-first meal kit delivery service for customers throughout Denver Boulder and Fort Collins Colo The meal kit company works directly with local farmers ranchers bakers and other artisans and purveyors to source ingredients for chef-designed menu items that show off the best of Colorado cuisine Founder and CEO Joy Rubey envisioned Spade & Spoon as an impactful way to help others access healthy local food “When I was in my 30’s I became a wife to a farmer a mom and a friend to several people battling terminal cancer ” she says “I began to question what was happening in our food system - what we eat how we grow food how we build food resiliency and how we can leave a healthier planet to the next generation ” Rubey opened Acme Farms & Kitchen in 2011 which served as a local-first meal kit for the Pacific Northwest “Since its inception Acme Farms & Kitchen has helped sell more than $24 million of local food in the Pacific Northwest working alongside 70+ local producers ” she explains Now Spade & Spoon is expanding Rubey’s mission by branching into the Colorado food system Spade & Spoon offers more than easier dinner prep - it aims to support the local agricultural economy Rubey explains “We wanted to create an alternative that supports a whole network of small producers Each purchase supports local farmers ranchers makers and bakers providing them better access to stable markets fair prices and distribution efficiencies ” Deciding what to offer within each meal is no minor consideration “We select producers based on their farming practices or production sourcing quality taste size of operation location/delivery and ease of working together ” says Rubey Spade & Spoon differentiates itself in another way - signing up for a subscription is entirely optional Says Rubey “We find most of our customers like the ability to customize their boxes and choose their meals without being tied to a subscription plan ” Spade & Spoon currently offers four box varieties to accommodate different eating preferences including vegan vegetarian and gluten and dairy-free options Customers can also build their own boxes from various meal and dessert options Pricing ranges from $91 to $119 and each meal within the box serves four people Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Emily Tracy Senior Account Manager ph 919-449-4803; www spadespoon com

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