With our lives becoming busier every day, the relentless question of “what’s for dinner” is, for many of us, a headache. If you’re like me, that question is answered by a trip to the grocery store in search of something quick and easy. But quick and easy isn’t always what’s best for our health, or the health of the planet.
In 2011, Joy Rubey observed this problem and started contemplating how to solve it. She thought about her daughter and how she wanted to provide her with healthy and nutritious foods. However, she also struggled with the constant task of meal planning and shopping for the best local food.
“Shopping locally and primarily at the farmers market wasn’t easy with a toddler in tow,” Rubey says. “So I came up with this idea to bring the farmers market to your doorstep.”
That idea soon blossomed into Acme Farms + Kitchen, a company that provides organic, locally sourced foods directly to your home.
In its early years, Acme Farms + Kitchen had just a handful of producers and customers. Now, they work with about 150 different producers in an average year. They also provide produce and meal kits to customers in Whatcom and Skagit counties as well as the greater Seattle and Portland areas.
In addition to standard meal kits, Acme Farms + Kitchen also offers Kids Boxes that include breakfast, lunch and dinner meals that are simple enough for children to assemble themselves. In addition to helping parents save time, the Kids Boxes also help teach valuable life skills about nutrition and food preparation.
When it comes to meal kit delivery options, some might think of larger distributors such as HelloFresh or Blue Apron. While there are some similarities between Acme Farms + Kitchen and other food delivery services, such as their online ordering process and weekly deliveries, Rubey said the biggest difference is their minimal packaging and local delivery. In addition, they work with multiple non-profits to address food insecurity.
She said all of their foods meet or exceed organic standards, and that they never ship food—all of their meal kits are dropped off at your door within hours of preparation. Because of this, there is no need for excessive packaging.
Moving forward, they plan to grow into more communities across the country, and in doing so they hope to fundamentally change the food system as we know it—a system that she believes is broken.
Rubey commented on how if we continue wide-scale, unsustainable farming practices to produce cheap commodity foods, our soil, air, and water will eventually pay the price.
“When the food we eat is damaging our bodies and the planet, the system is broken.” she said. “We are on a mission to change that by putting people and the planet above profits”
Every step of the way Acme Farms + Kitchen has been taking steps to address these issues, simply by providing more local and organic food options to more people. And of course, we finally have a response to “what’s for dinner?”: A delicious and home cooked meal you can be proud of, in more ways than one.
909 Squalicum Way, Ste. 104, Bellingham, theacmebox.com
