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Photos courtesy of Field Goods LLC.
Ever wish you could have local, farm-fresh produce delivered right to your company’s doorstep? Well, now you can—thanks to Field Goods LLC.
Founded in 2011 by Donna Williams (above, center), once a New York City executive, Field Goods is a service aimed at bringing fresh food from small farms to suburban neighborhoods and businesses. With its recent expansion to Westchester County, the company has furthered its goals of supporting small farms and promoting healthy, organic eating habits for people all over New York. The business began as a small start-up in the Albany area, but it now serves approximately 2,000 customers, about 20% of which are in Westchester. Field Goods’ popularity and growth has been strong, but its founder says she’s not surprised.
“There’s a real demand for this product,” Williams says. “I knew it was going to work from the beginning.”
And it did.
With help from positive product reviews and a growing public interest in organic eating, Field Goods’ business has doubled every year. The company buys from more than 70 different small farms throughout the state and distributes produce to one of its 300 designated pick-up locations—mainly local business buildings. Subscribers receive five to eight produce products a week in their reusable bags, but they don’t get to choose what’s on the menu. Williams selects the weekly produce based on what’s in season and what the farmers have readily available, often unique fruits and vegetables like Lilac Peppers, Purple Cherokee Potatoes, and Russian Kale.
With more than 150 different varieties of produce purchased each year, customers rarely receive two bags that are alike. Because Field Goods’ products are not forced to meet typical supermarket aesthetics standards, Williams can ship out unfamiliar and eccentric types of produce. In short, she says, ugly fruits and vegetables can taste better than the ones you see in supermarkets.
Field Goods currently delivers to over 50 locations throughout the Westchester area, including spots in Yonkers, Tarrytown, South Salem and Yorktown Heights. Though employees generally subscribe to the service on an individual basis, Field Goods is offered as a wellness program to local businesses. The service provides a convenient way for Westchester workers to receive healthy deliveries and for busy parents to scoop up fresh produce from a nearby location. In addition to produce, Field Goods also deliver fresh cheeses, breads, and pasta, and their website provides customers with several healthy recipes.
The service continually strives to provide a boost to small farmers and a nutritious diet to its customers—not to mention it just won the Employer of the Year Award from Ulster-Greene ARC (a nonprofit organization focused on providing opportunities to the intellectually and developmentally disabled) for hiring workers with disabilities. Field Goods’ booming business does good by many people in local communities, and that’s why Donna Williams and her employees continue to put in the hard work.