In a Nutshell
pros
- 100% organic produce option
- Lots of customization options
- Making a huge impact on the environment, food waste & hunger
cons
- Limited delivery range
- Produce is less than perfect
- No phone support
Hungry Harvest at a Glance
Services available: Produce and some pantry staples delivery
Price per delivery: $3.49 or free over $29.99
Delivery options: Weekly and biweekly
Subscription options: Weekly and biweekly
What’s Unique About Hungry Harvest?
Hungry Harvest’s founder set out to make a difference in the world, and Evan Lutz has certainly accomplished his goal. To date, Hungry Harvest has reduced more than 20 million pounds of food waste. Additionally, Hungry Harvest has donated more than 860,000 pounds of produce to hungry homes, schools, and organizations that distribute fruits and vegetables to children and families who don’t usually have access to healthy and nutritious produce.
This is all made possible by a little out-of-the-box thinking. Hungry Harvest rescues pounds of produce that would usually be sent directly to landfills due to less than perfect appearance, excess supply, or over-ordering from warehouses and wholesalers. Hungry Harvest purchases these discard-ready items and sells them to consumers for a lower price. The company even goes so far as to calculate the delivery routes for minimal carbon emissions.
Now one thing has to be clear here. Some Hungry Harvest products are not as attractive as those you’ll find in the supermarket. Vegetables may be smaller, discolored, or misshapen. So if you’re looking for the perfect fruit bowl, this might not be the service for you. But it’s important to note that all Hungry Harvest products are top-quality items. Nothing is damaged or out of date. They’re just the items that didn’t grow to be the next Miss Americas.
However, it’s also worth noting that many of these items are exactly the same as what you would get from the supermarket. The supplier just overordered them, and now the warehouse is trying to make room for the next shipment. The bottom line is that the quality is every bit as good as that of the produce you’ll get from the store.
How It Works
Hungry Harvest is a subscription service. That means you’ll need to sign up for a subscription to order any boxes. You can sign up for weekly or fortnightly deliveries. And while you can’t place a one-time order, you can pause your deliveries for an unlimited amount of time or cancel without penalty.
You’ll start out by choosing a few options like whether or not you want all organic produce, how often you cook during a normal week, and how many people you cook for. I like that Hungry Harvest has so many different options to select from.
Next, Hungry Harvest will suggest a box for you. But you can select a different one if this doesn’t suit your fancy. Boxes vary in size and variety, so pay attention to the details. For example, the Super Mixed Harvest box is good for four to seven people and contains two types of greens, four to six types of vegetables, and three to five types of fruits. Select the box you want, the number of boxes you want, and the delivery frequency (weekly or biweekly). You’ll also be given the choice of when to start deliveries.
Once you’ve selected a box, you can customize your order if you so choose. You can add up to six items to your Never List. These are items that will never appear in your box, even if substitutions are required. You can also add up to six items to your Love it List. Complete the order by entering payment information.
The entire process is quick and easy, and it’s great that it can all be done online. When your order date gets close, Hungry Harvest will send you a message about customizations. This allows you to add or take out specific items from your box. Because Hungry Harvest purchases the produce fresh, you won’t know exactly what’s coming in your box until closer to the delivery date. If you want to ensure that you like everything in your box, customize during the window of time they offer.
Unfortunately, Hungry Harvest doesn’t deliver across the United States. In fact, the delivery range is pretty limited. Only Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, Northern Delaware, South Florida, The Triangle Area of North Carolina, Charlotte, and the Detroit Metro Area, are eligible for deliveries, and even within these areas, not all neighborhoods are covered. Hungry Harvest does have a waitlist for cities that want to be included in future delivery routes.
Pricing
Hungry Harvest has reasonable pricing, starting with boxes for $15. You’ll also be eligible for free delivery if you spend $29.99 or more. Otherwise, the delivery fee is $3.49, nothing major.
Help & Support
Hungry Harvest has live chat support as well as email. The live chat is generally answered within 5 minutes. There’s no phone support, though. But Hungry Harvest also has a great help section with clear answers to most of the frequently asked questions.
Email Support:
family@hungryharvest.net
Live Chat Support:
Monday - Tuesday: 9 am - 5 pm
Wednesday - Friday: 9 am - 7 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 8 am - 4 pm
Bottom Line
Hungry Harvest is truly out to make a difference, and if you care about the environment, then this is a worthy online grocery service to subscribe to. Particularly if you don’t care if your produce is picture-perfect, Hungry Harvest delivers quality products that come fresh, and deliveries are often free. Pantry extras just add more value to an already great service.
