Remember when you could buy a bag of apples without needing to check your bank balance first? Those days feel like a distant memory now. If you’ve been doing mental gymnastics in the produce aisle lately – wondering if those sad-looking tomatoes are really worth twenty bucks, you’re definitely not alone.
The truth is, eating well shouldn’t feel like a luxury purchase. Yet here we are – doing calculations like we’re about to buy a car – while grocery chains rake in record profits every month.
Luckily, a growing number of Aussies have found a clever workaround: they’re skipping the supermarkets altogether…
Meet Farmers Pick: The fresh produce box with a twist
Here’s the thing about supermarket standards: they tend to favour looks over character. A bent carrot? Rejected. An apple with a freckle? Not a chance. A tomato that dared to grow a nose? Straight to the bin.
Thankfully, Farmers Pick is flipping the script. This Melbourne-based delivery service works directly with Aussie farmers to rescue perfectly good produce that never makes the supermarket cut. Instead of the picture-perfect stuff you see in stores, they deliver fruit and veg that’s just as tasty but with a bit more… character.
Think apples with a few freckles, curly cucumbers, citrus too small for the shelf. These are the fruits and veggies usually dumped at the farm gate. Not because they’re bad, but because they don’t meet the supermarket’s strict beauty standards.
The payoff? You could save up to 30 per cent on your weekly fruit and veg bill – and right now, readers get 15 per cent off their first order with the code WOMENSWEEKLY. All while helping reduce Australia’s 7.6 million tonnes of food waste each year.
What’s in the box?
The exact contents change each week depending on what’s in season, but you can expect a good mix of everyday staples like apples, bananas, carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, onions and broccoli – plus a few surprise picks along the way.
And it’s not just fruit and veg. You can also add over 100 pantry essentials and bargain buys to your order, from snacks to staples. Some items are up to 50 per cent off, and they arrive conveniently with your produce box.
We tried a box: Here are our thoughts
Look, I’m naturally sceptical of anything that sounds too good to be true. So, I ordered a Farmers Pick box to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn’t expecting much, but honestly? I was pleasantly surprised.
Inside was a mix of familiar favourites and seasonal gems – crisp celery, bananas that actually tasted like bananas, sweet potatoes with a few curves, carrots, onions, apples, lettuce, pumpkin, potatoes and more. Some were oddly shaped or had a spot here and there, but nothing that felt second-rate.
It was the kind of delivery that actually made me want to cook. It was also a reminder of how much we’ve been trained to equate “good food” with good looks – when really, flavour doesn’t care if your apples are a little lopsided. And neither do I – they were crisp, sweet and exactly how apples should taste.
Same goes for the rest: crunchy carrots, sweet potatoes that roasted perfectly, and bananas bursting with flavour (not the flavourless kind that have been on the road for too long).
Why families are jumping on board
With a 4.7-star rating from over 1,600 reviews, Farmers Pick is quickly winning over Aussie families.
Melbourne mum Eleanor Street says Farmers Pick has made a real dent in both her grocery bill and the usual veggie battles with her children.
“Since making the switch, we eat more vegetables, always have fresh produce on hand and my kids have expanded the range of fruit and veggies they eat,” she says. “They’ve also learned that food doesn’t have to look perfect to taste great.”
It’s not just the entertainment factor, either. “Home delivery saves me time each week. Every now and then, when I do buy from the supermarket, I’m shocked by how expensive fresh produce has become.”
Another customer shared on the Farmer’s Pick website: “I cannot believe the supermarket does not want this produce because what we have received has been pretty close to perfect! Love the variety and it’s giving us inspiration to make dishes we haven’t before.”
The real cost of perfect-looking food
Most of us have no idea just how much perfectly good food gets tossed before it even leaves the farm. Believe it or not, up to 30 per cent of crops never make it to shelves simply because they don’t tick the ‘Instagram-worthy’ box.
The knock-on effect? Consumers end up paying more for all the produce they buy across the entire supply chain. “If 30 per cent, 40 per cent or even 50 per cent of food is not leaving the farm, the farm still has to recoup that cost – so it gets built into their margins, leading to higher prices for everyone,” explains Farmers Pick co-founder Josh Ball.
By rescuing these ‘reject’ fruits and veggies, Farmers Pick helps farmers keep the lights on – and puts quality produce on your plate (at a price that’s easier on your wallet!).
How to order your Farmers Pick box
Getting started with Farmers Pick is easy. Just head to farmerspick.com.au, choose your box size (small, medium, or large), pick fruit, veggies, or both, then set your delivery preferences like frequency and drop-off spot. You can even exclude a few items you don’t want.
Don’t forget to use the code WOMENSWEEKLY at checkout to get 15 per cent off your first order. Add pantry extras if you like, then confirm your order and wait for fresh, chilled produce to arrive at your door.
Need more details? Check out their full guide here.
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