After seven years of no food delivery service available for Humboldt residents, the Causeway Natural Health store is providing that service once again.
"Unofficially, we've been doing it for a couple of years," said Andy McAnally, who co-owns Causeway Natural Health with his wife, Cathy McAnally. "This November, we thought we should really get the word out there and advertise it."
The delivery service is fairly simple. There are two pre-organized different sized bins that people can purchase at standard costs, or they can customize their own. The bins consist of organic, pesticide-free produce that is also available in their store.
Customers can come in on Wednesdays to pick them up, or have them delivered. If there's too many to be done on the Wednesday, the remaining bins will be delivered on the Thursday.
These particular days were chosen because they get their fresh food delivered every Wednesday.
"At the moment, a lot of our customers are younger, but we do have a couple of elderly customers," said McAnally.
Before Causeway's delivery service, many residents will remember the Humboldt Co-op store's discontinued delivery service. According to Phil Griffeth, general manager of the Co-op store, the service just wasn't feasible due to a lack of interest and inefficient financial structure. This delivery service will be similar, but on a much smaller scale and only selling the produce available at their store.
"A bunch of young families and people with kids are taking advantage of this service for fresh food," said McAnally.
"Customers can decide if they want their bin delivered once or twice a week."
The delivery service is free of charge, but customers need to inform either of the McAnallys the weekend prior what they want in the bin. They do however ask for a $5 deposit from the customers who want organic food bins delivered.
"People really like it when they get theirs delivered at work, because then they can show it off," said McAnally. "You don't know until you try it."
Also, according to McAnally, their produce isn't always more expensive than what's available in grocery stores.
"The prices change weekly. Sometimes we're the same as the grocery store. It just depends on if the fruit is in season," he said. "We get good feedback, even from kids and everyone seems to rave about the bananas we sell."
Causeway Natural Health gets their produce from small farms along the west coast, anywhere between B.C. and Peru.
They're always trying to educate their customers as to why their food is more beneficial.
"I see it as being a huge thing as people become more concerned about where their food comes from and demand more local produce," said McAnally.
The news of their delivery service couldn't have come at a better time. It coincides with their grand re-opening and tenth anniversary that was celebrated on Nov. 21. To celebrate the anniversary, the shop was given a facelift and underwent major changes.
