The Neighborhood Harvest, a greenhouse farming operation, is taking the farm-to-market concept one step further and going farm-to-front door.
Ever since SmartBasil Farms opened in Suffolk in 2012, the company has seen steady growth. In 2015, The Neighborhood Harvest, the home delivery service of herbs, greens and lettuce, was launched.
Most recently, the company added administrative offices and a packing center at Suffolk Industrial Park due to a growing customer base and additional delivery routes.
“We started with a focus group of 20 in Virginia Beach,” said company President Thomas Vandiver. “We now have 43 employees who farm, harvest, market and deliver to more than 3,000 customers.”
Vandiver co-founded the business with fellow College of William and Mary students John Stein and Eric Coble. The three were enrolled in a sustainable food class and decided to launch a venture into hydroponic, non-GMO, pesticide-free greenhouse farming.
At a recent visit to the farm, thousands of healthy green, leafy produce spurt from elongated irrigation chambers at the company’s 18,000-square-foot greenhouse facility.
Its climate-controlled environment produces a wide variety of greens and offers fresh local produce in all seasons.
Hydroponics is a way to grow plants in water without soil, according to an article by Easy Grow Ltd., a company that sells hydroponic growing supplies. Nutrients and minerals are added to the water, which allows the plants to spend their time producing vegetables and fruits, resulting in larger quantities, the article said.
Basil was the primary crop when the company started and is still its most popular summer herb, Vandiver said. But now add to that favored lettuces such as romaine, provincial, green leaf, arugula, wasabi – a spicy variety – lemon sorrel and cucumbers.
All are available year-round throughout Hampton Roads with home delivery on the next day after harvest.
“What’s really shocking to people is the flavor of our produce from the leaf,” Vandiver said. “People are conditioned to buying kale that they don’t like. Our product is both nutritionally dense and flavorful.”
Home deliveries start at about $11, Vandiver said, but pricing is based on the type and amount of products ordered, plus a $1.99 delivery fee. Overall, the company stresses value over dollar amount.
“Every day, we’re harvesting, packing and shipping. It has great shelf life; it’s fresh, tastes great and there’s no waste,” Vandiver said. “You buy at the market, and you might have to throw away one-third of it ’cause it’ll go bad.
“Getting people used to the idea of home delivery of lettuce – that’s our main competition.”
Specialty items for delivery include brown eggs from pasture raised chickens on local farms, avocados and goat cheese. Chocolate cookies with Belgian chocolate chunks are also available from the group’s sister company, Baker’s Crust of Virginia Beach.
One local, traditional grower seemed in favor of the hydroponic method. Wayne Clarke of Clarke Farm II on Bruce Road in Western Branch called the Neighborhood Harvest product “a very good one.”
“I’ve tried some of the stuff and it was really good,” he said.
Virginia Beach resident Janet Hancock has subscribed to the home delivery service almost since it began.
“I get like what they call their ‘Farmer’s Choice,’ ” Hancock said. “They give me two different kinds of lettuce, and I get their cucumbers, avocados and goat cheese. It’s good and can last up to 10 days, and that’s why I’m happy with them.”
Value and quality are also important to Gloria Siegel from the Oceanfront. She gets three types of lettuce weekly and knowing her grower gives her piece of mind.
“I’m a salad junkie,” Siegel said. “I eat salad constantly. I know where my food is coming from; it’s grown right here locally. It’s a great value and much healthier than store bought products. Greens coming from out of state, don’t have the same quality.”
Subscription or other information is available at info@theneighborhoodharvest.com or call 809-3577.
James Thomas Jr., ttomas205@aol.com
