Tony and Layla from Prudent Produce, going down to feed chickens and collect eggs from their flock.
For our latest installment of the Our Health Community series, we are so excited to feature Prudent Produce! In Tony’s own words, Prudent Produce combines all the wonderful parts of “… the freshness of a CSA, the organic aisle in the grocery store with the Iowa Food Coop with the convenience of delivery”. Read on to learn more!
Tell us a bit about Prudent Produce. Why did you start this business? How has it evolved? What is it today?
When I moved back to the family farm in 2013, I wanted to make a living from the land the way my grandparents had. So I started a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation and raised 3 acres of produce. That lead to a realization that there were many other small farms trying to eek out an existence in need of additional market for their products. After a few years of farming only, my family bought Prudent Produce – a local delivery business which had been started in 2010 and focused only on organic produce. We moved the operation from a strip mall in Ankeny to our farm and shifted the focus to local and organic, as well as greatly expanding offerings around other locally-raised good foods (meat, dairy, grains, honey, and so on).
What makes your approach different?
Prudent Produce is pretty unique! I like to think we combine the freshness of a CSA, the organic aisle in the grocery store with the Iowa Food Coop with the convenience of delivery.
Do you only offer locally-grown food?
Our tagline is “local when possible, always organic produce and a whole lot more.” This means when local produce growers have something to offer, we offer it! And in the spirit of making it convenient for people to eat good food, we also bring in bananas, avocados, citrus, and many other things not grown here in Iowa in order to help people eat well all year long.
How does your business help people?
We connect people who like to eat good food with people who like to produce good food. Local food producers need a way to get their products to people who will eat them, and the volume of production is often too small to be part of the industrial food system. People who like to eat good food need a convenient way to access it, and we provide access to products from scores of small producers.
Is your business seasonal?
We operate all year long. What we offer certainly changes with the seasons!
What gets you up in the morning?
I’ve always worked on things that I believe contribute to making the world a little bit better, and that remains true today. We saw with the pandemic how global and even regional food systems can be disrupted, and my desire to do my part to build a more resilient local food system motivates me each day.
What’s next?
Finding a way to work in some global travels. I lived in Sweden for 7 years prior to moving back to the family farm. Since I’ve moved back in 2013, my opportunities for travel have been very limited!
Anything else?
We rely heavily on word-of-mouth for marketing, and really appreciate partners like Capital Chiropractic!
(Aw thanks Tony! We’re honored to work with you! -CCRC)
Where can people learn more about Prudent Produce?
Visit our website: www.prudentproduce.net or download our app.
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