It takes a village. While this phrase rings true in many facets of life, it is the founding principle for the folks at The Neighborhood Harvest. The locally-owned and operated food delivery service is unlike any other farm-to-front porch operation in the area. It is a true example of local growers supporting one another to benefit the broader community. With a staff of just 34, The Neighborhood Harvest makes thousands of deliveries to families across Coastal Virginia and Richmond every single month.
How does such a small team make such a large impact, you might ask? Adam Cohen, who is in Marketing and Operations at The Neighborhood Harvest, gives us the inside scoop.
“Honestly, I think it’s the flexibility of our team,” says Cohen. “We are a tight-knit group and everyone is willing to strive to understand and participate in different parts of the business. Having a core team of passionate professionals who collectively speak The Neighborhood Harvest language, we can be fast and nimble, shifting with the immediate needs of the moment.”
The Neighborhood Harvest began in 2012 as a strictly herb-focused operation. It has since expanded into the premier courier for wholesome food delivery, including restaurant-quality meals, and even dog food, prepared in its Virginia Beach-based Harvest Kitchen. “The Harvest Kitchen by definition is a labor of love,” says Cohen. “Chef Andrea DiCarlo is an absolute force of culinary passion. He runs a tight ship and challenges his team every day to prepare meals and products that will make you feel cared for with every bite.”
The Neighborhood Harvest delivery
When it comes to proteins and produce, The Neighborhood Harvest settles for nothing but the best. The business partners with only the most dedicated and sustainability-friendly farmers in the region. “In short, we search for passion, quality and integrity, prioritizing our local sources first and foremost. In an environment where convenience and immediacy are becoming not only more important, but the base expectation, we believe we can further differentiate ourselves by celebrating partners that put great care into their craft,” Cohen explains.
Cohen notes that eggs from Authenticity Farms are from hormone and antibiotic free, pasture-raised animals, milk is minimally processed at South Mountain Creamery, and all breads and pastries are baked free from preservatives and with local heirloom grains at the Harvest’s very own Pilgrim Bread Bakery.
Moreover, all such products, including hydroponic greens from Greenswell Growers, arrive crisp and cool to your doorstep thanks to The Neighborhood Harvest’s seamless packaging and delivery system. The team flash freezes chef-made meals and utilizes refrigerated vans to preserve the integrity of its produce.
Customers receive a text message upon delivery so they can refrigerate their order as quickly as possible. When The Neighborhood Harvest team is unable to deliver directly to a front porch cooler, they deliver orders in insulated bags.
Beyond its paying customers, The Neighborhood Harvest proudly serves a number of local organizations in need of fresh food delivery including Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, Jewish Family Services and the Access College Fund. “With the Senior Services alone, we are on pace to deliver over 100,000 meals this year to help meet the needs for nutritious meals in our senior community,” says Cohen. “Through our Giving Back initiative and generosity of our customer base, we are pleased to have delivered over 350 fruit and veggie bundles to local families biweekly since the beginning of the year to improve food security in our region.”
The community is not only who The Neighborhood Harvest serves, but who they are. “A great deal of our strength as a company is sewn into this community patchwork. There is something grounding in doing business with and feeding people that live right down the street,” says Cohen.
