Box Divvy Oak Flats in Shellharbour, New South Wales | Urban Farm

Box Divvy Oak Flats

Locality: Shellharbour, New South Wales

Address: Central Ave, Oak Flats 2529 Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.boxdivvy.com

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25.01.2022 MONDAY PRICE UPDATE: DOWN: Packham pears down to just over $2/Kg... Continental Eggplant should be no more than $4.76/kg The warmer weather is improving the supply of Lebanese cucumber: today’s price has dropped to around $6/Kg, but we expect the downward trend to continue for some time. UP: No major price increases, expect when we checked the weight of the asparagus boxes, they turned out to be 4Kg rather than the 5 5.5kg boxes we were expecting. Instead of increasing the price, we will reduce the bunch size to around 200g (from 250g). Still unruly but less exuberant!

25.01.2022 Giant blueberry anyone?

25.01.2022 MARKET UPDATE Vegetables: Beans and peas continue to be super-cheap, with snowpeas dropping to $6.80/kg local supply from Kim and Laks at Golden Fields. Of course, feel free to pay $18/Kg in supermarkets... Golden Fields is also supplying us with Lebanese cucumber: expect to pay $2.60/kg. Only a month ago, you would have paid triple Simon Chong reports the lowest prices this season on: Coriander: 91c a bunch. Please, help yourself Baby buk choi: $1.13 a bunch. Can you feel something stirring? English spinach: $1.36 a bunch. We can’t remember prices this low Both Field and Roma tomato supply has finally picked up, with prices dropping to just over $3/kg Roma in supermarkets are between $9 and $12 a Kg With tomatoes now great value, why not make some bruschetta with basil, which is again under $3 a bunch Mushroom prices have also returned to normal and are now back under $11/kg Charlie Vella in Freemans Reach has good rhubarb numbers: expect around $3.40 a bunch. He’s also picking kale, silverbeet, zucchini flowers and hopefully soon: zucchini. Until then, zucchini will stay elevated at $5.75/kg Steve and Sam Grima continue picking Dutch carrots ($2 a bunch), fennel-with-frond ($1.25 each) and red radish ($1.59), great for a Spring salad Any lettuce is cheap. Pumpkins are cheap. Asparagus are cheap. Potatoes and onions are cheap, but this time of year, they will be showing some sprouting activity. Hey just look outside: everything is sprouting! If they didn’t, we could not grow any new season crop. Just remove any sprouting specimen, and you should still have the numbers. What is not cheap?? The only expensive vegetables now are cherry and grape tomatoes, baby truss, leek, corn (somewhat) and zucchini (not for long).

25.01.2022 Price update: In fruit: Berries are just over $3 a punnet excellent value and great eating Honey Murcott mandarins have started, and the early season fruit is low on seed but high on juice and sweetness. And incredibly cheap at under $2/Kg. Worth a try... After a patchy pineapple picking period, supply is improving: we’re expecting good fruit from far North Qld this week (tops-on) for around $2.72 each Blood oranges are getting better and better: this week’s supply is a little smaller, but incredibly purple-red. And just $2.43/Kg In pears, it’s Josephines ($2.30/kg) and Nashi pears (59c each) that are worth giving a go In vegetables: Gerard Saad’s broccoli has dropped below the $3 mark. The supply is mixed between Small Heads and Shoots: we cannot guarantee you’ll get shoots, simply because there’s not enough going around. Luck of the draw! Steve and Sam Grima should have plenty of good-sized Romanesco cauliflowers but if you’re after regular white caulis: they’re around $2.18 each Jaq Free Ranger in Panania has cleared her Daikonpatch, but Charlie Vella in Freemans Reach is making up the slack: in fact, he says he can do the‘smaller’ white radish (under 1kg) for just $2 each. Even if you don’t like regular red radish, you’ll like the white ones - promise. After a long absence, grey or Lebanese zucchini is back. Now available in 5kg boxes, they sell around $6.38/kg. Hothouse-grown near Maroota, north of Sydney. Onions are excellent value at the moment: $1.15/kg for brown and $1.66 for red onions (selling for $3 and $3.50 respectively in the supermarkets). After dropping in price earlier in the week, Field and Roma tomatoes have tightened again. Baby truss tomatoes are defying the trend, and aside from being incredibly sweet they’re now under $2 a bunch A few products are gone: the chestnut season has finished; Kipfler potatoes are not the best; and summer squash is advised to wait untileh well, summer Still very expensive: cucumbers and eggplant both over $9/kg.

24.01.2022 It's box divvy day

24.01.2022 MARKET UPDATE: Fruit: Kensington Pride mangoes are now starting to show up in good numbers and prices have dropped below $3/ea. We expect them to be $2.50 by the end of next week They keep bringing out more Afourer mandarins, in such volume that prices have dropped below $2/Kg. ... All citrus is going strong still, with lemons dropping back under $3/Kg Apple prices have eased back a bit, especially Pink Lady. We suspect last week’s price hike didn’t travel so well and with so much other fruit options around, the growers have wisened up. Berries just keep going: strawberries (from WA this week) will be around $2 punnet, and blueberries around $3. Oh, and don’t forget those raspberries: just $4.76 a punnet and the quality is superb! Watermelons are back! They’re small well, around 3-4kg each so they’ll fit in your fridge once you halve them, and they’re just $1.65/Kg Beure Bosc pears are out until next year, so the only pears left are Packham, Nashi (probably 1 more week) and Corella See more

24.01.2022 Eat good food. Fresh is best. Orders close tonight at 9pm

23.01.2022 MARKET UPDATE: DOWN If you thought Blueberries were cheap, they’ve come down even further to $2.95 a punnet! And that should be sustained for the rest of the week ... Red capsicums have come down by nearly 20% to around $3.26/Kg The price of zucchini (green) has also fallen to around $3.30/Kg Field tomatoes have eased back a little further to $4/Kg UP Watermelon supply has been interrupted by Covid-related transport issues, so prices have spiked. They’re also a little smaller than expected, so the overall effect is that they are now close to $2/Kg We may be approaching the end of the kiwi season, with prices now over $5/kg Both Navel oranges and Murcott mandarins are up a little, but Afourers are still our best pick at $2.12/Kg

23.01.2022 Market update FRUIT ... The mango season is in transition between Darwin and Katherine in the NT, causing a drop in supply for the next week or so. To cushion the impact, we’re buying good fruit in bulk there may be some skin blemish, but nothing that affects the eating quality. They’re sold by the dozen, which will make it easier to get splits over the line. In about a month from now, we’ll see plenty of mangoes from Bowen and Mareeba and prices will come down to under $1.50. Apples and pears are week-by-week propositions: this is probably the last week for Granny Smith and Packhams, so the cherries and stone fruit couldn’t have come too soon! Berries are still plentiful but keep in mind that strawberries are more fickle this time of year. Also, the hub system doesn’t help, with berries going from a cold truck to a warm and humid environment for a few hours, and then back in the fridge. Berries don’t enjoy changes in temperature and humidity, and should be eaten within 1-2 days of delivery. If members want to keep them longer, they probably shouldn’t order them In any case, berries are far better inside one’s stomach than inside a punnetjust saying.

22.01.2022 Homemade pizza BOXDIVVY STYLE Tomato base Romanesco cauliflower (a new family favourite) Red capsicum... Baby spinach Mushrooms Turkey mince A drizzle of sweet chilli sauce and cheese Oh and pineapple... because that's how we roll Must be eaten at the table - pieces will fall off

22.01.2022 Someone ordered 7 capsicums last week when we still had 5 in the fridge so today I whacked 4 on the bbq and made my own chargrill capsicums. It’s so easy, want to know how? Heat your bbq to 200 degC , add the caps straight on the grill close the lid, cook until first side is charred, turn until all sides are charred. Take off the BBQ and cool a little, then place in a zip lock bag and cool completely. You’ll be able to peel the skin off really easily and tear or cut the flesh into strips. I keep them al naturel but to marinate you can cover in olive oil and add some herbs and a couple of cloves of garlic. Keep in the fridge and use within 3 days. - Boxdivvy member Bel (our recipe queen)

21.01.2022 Vegetables Except for avocadoes, capsicums and zucchini, most vegetables are great value: Victorian asparagus are down to $1.45 a bunch, and crisp as chips. But healthier. ... Beans, snow peas and sugarsnap pea prices continue to be near the season’s low Charlie Vella in Freemans Reach still can’t get over how grow-some this season is: he will be picking record quantities of celery ($1.81), cauliflowers ($2.34), kale, silverbeet and zucchini flowers. Give it another week and he’ll be picking zucchini as well The Grima’s in Horsley Park will be bringing in loads of Dutch carrots decent bunches for just $2 Simon Chong is predicting a big drop in shallot prices, from over $2 a bunch last week to $1.70 and probably lower over the coming week or so. Broccoli shoots - find under Broccoli regular. They are popping out all over the place so Gerard Saad in Wilberforce will be cutting these this week for $2.50/kg. Also, he will have green cabbages at half the price of supermarkets at $1.81 each.

21.01.2022 Watermelons! Check out the price difference between popular supermarkets and Boxdivvy! Our farmers are still getting paid fairly without you having to pay extra for someone else to profit.... Farmer-> hub -> consumer (you) #shopsmarter #supportaussiefarmers

20.01.2022 A quick dinner option for the time poor Chop any veggies you can find in the house and throw them in the wok with some satay paste. Pan fry your meat of choice (could be done in wok as well) until done... Here we have rainbow swiss chard, mushrooms, baby truss tomatoes (they are amaaaazing) and zucchini with some chopped up rump steak. Yummo

19.01.2022 Quality control after packing finished. We can confirm these bananas are delicious

17.01.2022 Kale salad with pan fried chicken Serves 2 250g chicken breast diced and seasoned with belicious - mexicana (pan fried)... 5 leaves kale finely chopped 1 carrot - grated 1/2 lemon (juice) 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts 1/2 cup dried cranberries Pepper and salt 100% boxdivvy (minus chicken) 100% delicious!

16.01.2022 Fruity news! Rockmelons for under $2 each Ruby grapefruit this incredible source of vitamin C for around 70c each, or under $2/kg Packham pears for just over $2/kg... Berries galore, with strawberries enjoying one of the longest Qld seasons on record because of the continued mild weather in Caboolture and Bundaberg Strawberries are expected to stay under $2 a punnet, and blueberries under $3 a punnet Passionfruit will continue a little longer, but will remain pricey as are mangoes for the next 2 weeks. The forecast supply should still see mangoes selling between $1.50 and $2 each by the end of this month See more

16.01.2022 Another reason why we love Boxdivvy

15.01.2022 We usually get more than we pay for... and once all produce has been divvied up we place leftovers into a spare box which then gets donated to a member of our community. Given our hub is operating at the back of BodyKraft gym this person could be a member of the gym who is doing it tough, a person chosen by our boxdivvy community or an organisation that could use it If you know of anyone who would benefit from a donation of fruit and vegetable please get in touch with us!

13.01.2022 We had a busy little helper this morning

11.01.2022 Asparagus are ON for this week, and they’re going to be better than some of the ones we had last week. Still under $3 a bunch Rockmelons are back: they eat well and will be around $2.50 each for small to medium-sized fruit Red capsicums are expected to spike a little for the next few weeks: work on $4.50/kg (still half price compared with Woolies)... Mushroom supply has improved, and prices should ease to around $13/kg Lebanese cucumbers have eased back further: expect to pay no more than $4.30/Kg and they will be glamour Finally, leeks have been creeping up in price but we’ve managed to source some local supply from Sam and Steve Grima in Horsley Park. They will have less white stalk than the ones we usually get, but they end up being way better value at around $1.40 each

11.01.2022 Price update OUT: Rockmelon supply is fickle and prices aren't great so for now they will be unavailable... UP: Basil has spiked and is now $4.76 a bunch. Word is that all Qld supply is making its way to Melbourne where lockdowns and curfews are inducing people to do some serious home-cooking. Lebanese cucumber is up again nearly $10/kg now. Cherry tomatoes have been very cheap lately, so a price rise was probably on the cards. Around $2 a punnet now still good value. And besides, other tomato varieties are showing some big falls, so you’ll have improved choices DOWN: Beure Bosc pears have eased to around $2.65/Kg still pricier than Packhams and Josephines, but it’s a reflection of the number of growers who have switched from Beure Bosc to the more popular Packham pears. That’s a pity: whilst they may not be the prettiest of pears, you cannot beat the flavour of Beure Bosc Field tomatoes have dropped in price to around $4.60/Kg, whilst Romas are just over $5/kg the cheapest we’ve seen this winter. Even truss tomatoes have joined the party: down to under $7/Kg

11.01.2022 Fruit update: Berries are up next week, as it’s raining in Bundaberg today and tomorrow and possibly until early next week, and they won’t be picking many berries when they’re wet. It looks sunny after that, so we’re still expecting peak supply in early August Earlier than usual because of drought, Imperial mandarins starting to approach end of season prices moving up. We’re hedging our bets with some Afourer mandarins. They’re equally sweet and seedless, but don’t peel ...as easily as Imperials Packham pears are flooding the market, and we’re buying up big. Expect to pay no more than $1.85/Kg. More importantly, they’re simply delicious!

11.01.2022 The heavy rains over the past few days across the eastern seaboard have created a bit of havoc some for local growers, but more so for growers further afield who had their transport routes cut due to flooding. In addition, congestion at the QLD/NSW border due to COVID checks caused some delays. We think things will settle back down in a week or so, but for now there is a bit of volatility in the market. The upshot is some hefty price rises for a bunch of things:... Rockmelons have doubled in price overnight, to around $3.70 each Eggplant shot up by nearly 70% to over $9/kg Lebanese cucumber added a little more and is now also over $9/Kg Truss tomatoes have caught up with general tomato prices expect to pay $7.90/Kg Butternut pumpkin has been edging up and is now around $2.25/Kg The only local supply affected has been snowpeas and sugarsnap: the latter couldn’t be picked, according to Kim Ung (one of our growers) A few things have come down: Fuji apples have dropped to $3.60/Kg Kiwi is down to around $4.30/kg Avocadoes are now down to $1.25 yah! Ginger has dropped a little to $22/Kg Field tomatoes have defied the trend, falling to under $6/Kg.

10.01.2022 Box divvy home made hummus, pesto and veggies for afternoon tea while I hide from my monsters. A tub of hummus cost me about 50c for ingredients compared to buying a pre-made tub for $4 from the shop. -Bel

08.01.2022 Oyster mushroom and chicken noodle lettuce wraps with fresh chilli and coriander, courtesy of today’s delivery. - Bel

08.01.2022 Hi I’m Janne and have a food coop on Wednesday in Oak Flats. I want you to know why shopping online with Box Divvy is fun, safer than a supermarket and will save you money whilst still supporting our farmers. Pick up is on Wednesday. Home delivery is offered but please ask first. You’ll save up to 40% on produce and groceries compared to online supermarkets. Box Divvy, is about supporting local growers, providing fresh, accessible and inexpensive fresh food to everyone...Continue reading

07.01.2022 Our orders are ready for pick up including 4 sample boxes stacked with amazing value! $35 for the 3 at the back and $30 for the one at front Get in quick!

07.01.2022 The importance of local Having worked with over 15 local growers from Wilberforce to Horsley Park and Leppington has made us appreciate the hard work they do, in sometimes challenging conditions. But they are important in other ways, especially for their local communities. Over the past 12 months, we or rather: you! have injected almost $1.3m into these local communities on Sydney’s fringe. And much of that money is spent again with other local businesses bakeries, ...flower shops, car mechanics. According to some research, the multiplier effect of spending local can be as high as $3.50 for every dollar that goes into these communities. Of course, there are other compelling reasons for buying local: the produce is fresher, has a lower carbon footprint, is mostly chemical-free, and in line with our own seasons. And as we grow, we help them plan what they plant and how much. See more

06.01.2022 Market update FRUIT The apple season is starting to run out of steam and it’s at this tail-end of the season that last year’s drought and bushfires will be felt most acutely.... Most growers have nothing left to pick, and only dribs and drabs left in the apple crates for packing. The reduced supply will see prices going up, so expect to pay between $4/kg and $5/kg over the coming few months until the start of the stone fruit season. We did manage to find some good value Granny Smith apples. However, as they can be hard to get across the line in a split, we’ve reduced the box size to 6kgs. That should help! In contrast with apples, the pear season is showing no sign of slowing down both Packhams and Nashi pears remain great value. Tropical fruit is a mixed bag: bananas and large pineapples are still cheap, but mangoes refuse to come down in price as quickly as we were hoping despite shipments out of Darwin almost doubling each week. Still, the real peak in supply is not until late October, so we’ll just wait in patience Oh and BTW: passionfruit is taking a break until November. It’s been a good run! Blueberries have tightened a little, but strawberries should still be plentiful an unusually long season. Lastly, we mentioned stone fruit: reports from several growers both north of Sydney and in southern NSW suggest this is going to be a strong season in terms of picking volumes. Expect the first peaches and nectarines to appear by late October.

06.01.2022 Market update FRUIT: Strawberries are a must-have this week, now that they’ve come down to $2.50 a punnet. The conditions in the main growing areas Caboolture, Bundaberg, Gympie and the Sunshine Coast are perfect: day-time temperatures in the mid-20’s, followed by cool nights to make sure they don’t ripen too quickly. That way, they maximise the amount of natural sugars they develop. By the way, the amount of land in Queensland dedicated to strawberry growing would m...ore than cover the Sydney CBD! Blood oranges have been amazing in colour, flavour and value: just $2.43/kg ($6.99 in Harris Farm), that’s cheaper even than regular navel oranges selling in Colesworth Afourer seedless mandarins are just over $2/Kg, and fantastic eating to boot Seedless watermelon has dropped to $1.43/Kg, Pineapples are still available for about $2.70 Fuji apples: We are making it available as a 6Kg box for the next few weeks to make it easier to get splits across See more

05.01.2022 Box divvy sample boxes: 4 available $30 each... Romanesco cauliflower Beetroot Green oak lettuce Sweet potato Lemon Apple Pear Orange Onion Red capsicum Avocado Broccoli Carrot -2 boxes have a punnet of strawberry- it's a lucky dip Must be picked up today!

04.01.2022 Delicious Saturday lunch! We can confirm grey zucchini is da bomb Firm in texture and a slightly different taste to green zucchinis. Perfect addition to baby spinach and asparagus with salmon

04.01.2022 Oak Flats member Chelsea is putting the produce to good use in her family day care

04.01.2022 Market Update: Strawberries have been as cheap as they’ll get this season. We expect they’ll be around the $2 mark this week, and then gradually drift to $2.50. Blueberry supply remains ample, and prices should stay under $3 a punnet Kensington Pride mangoes will be the next to watch. The word from Darwin: the crop is looking good. This week, expect to pay a touch over $3 each and within a few weeks, they’ll be under $2... Pink Lady apples will be under $3/kg for another week so stock up whilst you can Blood orange exports are suffering from the global Covid-19 crisis, and we’re starting to see glut conditions: prices even for the bigger fruit have dropped under $2/kg. If you haven’t tried them yet, they are amazingly aromatic and even though Spring is in the air have a complex flavour of mint and autumn leaves. It’s kinda hard to describe by mere mortals Josephine pears have been a hit over the past month pity that they are finished though. However, Packham pears are a worthy substitute and to make it easier for Splits to go across, we’re repacking them into 9kg boxes. If it works, we’ll keep this smaller size permanently. And we’re doing the same thing with Navel oranges (8kg box) See more

03.01.2022 Basil prices will be dropping to below $3/bunch due to a happy harvest. Let's make some pesto

03.01.2022 Monday price update: UP: Cauliflowers have been cheap for weeks now, and it never lasts - so they’re back up over $3 each... Sweet potatoes are up a little to $1.76/Kg. Of course, you could get them from the supermarket for $4.90/Kg Grape tomatoes are now $3.17, and truss tomatoes over $8.50/kg Fresh turmeric is up but still under $20/kg, and red chillies have spiked to $19/kg DOWN Blueberries are now seriously cheap at $2.95 a punnet, and word is that strawberries should drop later in the week Watermelon is down to $1.50/kg; it cuts and eats well Brussels Sprouts have defied predictions and have dropped well below the $5/kg mark Parsnip at just $3.50/kg? That’s the cheapest we’ve seen it in a long while Garlic has fallen by some 20% to under $18./kg At $4.58/kg, field tomatoes are now almost half the price of truss tomatoes. NEW Yes, the Darwin mango season has started. In fact, we’ve seen mangoes in small numbers for several weeks now, but wanted them to sweeten up before adding them to the list. Sooo, are they sweet? To put them to the test, we brought from back from the market and asked our packing team to try them out. Thumbs up! At $4.50, they’re still a little pricey, but definitely worth it!

02.01.2022 Kim and Laks Ung from Golden Fields in Wallacia are expecting a bumper crop of both green (also called: black) zucchini and grey (also called Lebanese) zucchini. There are not many grey zucchini growers, and with low supply, they often sell over $6/Kg. In fact, in Harris Farm Online they’re currently $8.99 so anywhere below $4 is positively cheap! Lebanese zucchini are often stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat, dried fruit and herbs. They tend to stay firmer when baked in tomato sauce, whilst green zucchini tends to go a little soggy. They’re also sweeter and nuttier, whilst green zucchini is more neutral in flavour. At these prices, you can have both!

01.01.2022 Pick up day We love our fully customised produce boxes #farmfreshoakflats #healthyeating #lesswaste #supportaussiefarmers