When Matthew Forrest had the idea to sell discounted organic produce from his health store, Feelin O2 Good, about a year ago, he didn’t expect to be launching it in times like these.
But after shutting down his Riverside business on March 11 over growing concern of the Coronavirus, he felt it was a perfect time to try something different.
“I asked myself what does our community need and how can we be of service,” he said.
Because part of Forrest’s business includes selling organic juice, he is able to get organic produce at a discounted rate, and he has extended that service to his customers. For $260 per month, a box will be delivered to your door once a week for four weeks. Each box will be filled with veggies, fruits and grains — enough to feed two people. Items that are normally sold in the store, like supplements, minerals and grass-fed beef, can also offered as add-ons. The first shipment of produce already went out and included kale, onions, oranges and an herb medley.
“People are loving it,” Forrest said. “We already got three additional orders for week two.”
Along with the produce, Forrest is also working with a chef to have recipe ideas included in each box.
“That’s a really beautiful gift,” he continued. “Now, not only are they receiving a box of organic produce, discounted, but they also have two or three recipes that are directly related to the box they receive.”
With the success of week one’s deliveries and more people ordering the organic boxes, Forrest anticipates the program will continue to grow, with more and more people signing up each week. He is already planning on bringing more of his staff back to help out and getting a bigger truck for delivery. He contributes part of the success to people not wanting to leave their homes, but also how pricey organic produce can be in supermarkets.
“There is a conversation out there that says ‘I can’t eat organic food because it is expensive,’” he said. “How do we take on a conversation that doesn’t give people the excuse to say that.”
Forrest plans on doing just that long after life returns to normal. The program has taken over the space in his business where he used to teach yoga. As of now, he has no plans of returning it to a studio, but reorganizing to make the organic produce delivery boxes a permanent fixture in his business.
To order your box of organic produce from Feelin O2 Good, head to their website to learn more.
