Farm Fresh Produce Delivered Right To Your Doorstep in U City

Sure, we'd all like to get organically grown fruits and vegetables that come from local farmers, but who has the time to drive from store to store or to farmers markets to make sure we and our families get the healthiest food available?

Worry no more. You can have all those delicious foods without ever leaving the comfort of your home. NeighborGood Foods, a new local company, now makes deliveries of the freshest fruits and vegetables to the doorsteps of University City residents and other local communities once or twice a week. One time only deliveries are also available.

NeighborGood Foods delivers boxes full of whatever food items are best that week, including 10-15 different fresh ingredients so you never get stuck with too much of one item. Most of the ingredients are familiar such as cucumbers and organic tomatoes, but there are also unfamiliar items such as edamame, cubanelles (sweet peppers) or organic Swiss chard.

“People get stuff they've never tried before, and they find they like it,” said John Doelling, who started the company with his partner, Andria Smith.

Doelling and Smith met when they were both stand-up comedians. Although Doelling went back to school to get his teaching degree and take several semesters of culinary classes at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, Smith still performs stand-up across the country, and she's been seen on Last Comic Standing and Comedy Central.

The idea for NeighborGood Foods was Doelling's, but the inspiration came from Smith when she returned from Nebraska with a bag of meat.

“The beef was grass fed and the pigs were fed an acorn diet,” Doelling said. “You could tell the difference just looking at it. 

The two began going to Farmer's Markets to get the same organic quality in the fruits and vegetables they prepared for themselves.

“We loved it. I found Kruse Gardens at Soulard,” Smith said. “She had this beautiful red-leaf lettuce—just gorgeous. I literally stalked this woman. One day John said, 'Wouldn't it be great if we could be a middleman and make home deliveries.'”

Doelling and Smith made the first delivery Aug. 1. “I spent a few days putting up door hangers,” Doelling said. “Our goal was to get 25 orders, and that's what we got.”

The company has grown rapidly. In addition to University City, it now makes deliveries to Dogtown, Clayton, Maplewood, Brentwood, Downtown, Central West End, The Hill, Ladue, Rock Hill, Clinton Heights, Richmond Heights, Webster Groves and Tower Grove.

If your community isn't on the list, get five of your neighbors or fellow office workers to order, and they'll be happy to accommodate.

“I was so unenthused with what I was getting in the grocery store,” said Rachel Delston, who has been a customer for a month. “I love the variety—that it's so well balanced. And I figured out that I'm spending the same. I'm telling everyone about them.”

Moreover, NeighborGood Foods has changed the way Delston and her family eat. “My 2 year-old son ate Swiss chard last night, and he never ate salads before,” Delston said. “My husband used to call salads diet food. Now he asks for them.”

Although 75 percent of each basket is sourced locally, 25 percent comes from organic importers. “We have several greenhouse growers, and local bread makers, and nuts and jams,” Doelling said. “It won't all be produce. We get as much as we can locally, but some things just aren't grown here.”

In case of food allergies or particular foods that customers don't want, up to five exclusions can be entered when the order is placed and substitutions will be made. A list of foods that will be included in the basket are published every week on the company's website.

Doelling and Smith have their sights set on growing the business and getting a grocer's license so they can start including cheeses and meats as options.

In a recent customer survey, 100 percent of respondents said the baskets had helped them eat healthier and they'd tell a neighbor. “We also asked what they liked about us the best,” Smith said. “The top answers were that it was local and they liked our great sense of humor.”

Doelling concurred. “Our customers are so cool,” he said.

Baskets for one ($25), two ($38) and family size ($58) are available. Specialty baskets are also offered. For more information or to order, visit the NeighborGood Foods website, or call 314-630-7808.