Changing the Way We Eat One Delivery at a Time

by Linda Sechrist

For Lori Stansberry, owner of Pure Sprouts Organic Delivery, reducing the personal cost of health care starts early in life - at the breakfast, lunch and dinner table - with healthier food choices. “When it was time to introduce my son to solid healthy foods four years ago, I found it very challenging to locate local organic produce in the area. Because of my masters degree in environmental chemistry and my background in cancer research at the University of Hawaii, I was acutely aware of how important it is to avoid produce grown by industrialized methods of food production that use synthetic fertilizers and harmful pesticides,” advises the native of Northampton.

Stansberry’s research on various business models that served her family and community by collaborating with local farmers to buy and distribute their produce via an online grocery store proved successful. “I found several business models that are similar to mine and was fortunate that the founder of Greenling, in Austin, Texas, took me under his wing and helped me set up my entire website ordering system. I hope to someday pay the act of kindness forward and help someone else who wants to start up a version of this business,” advises Stansberry.

Unique twists - free, year-round “to your door” deliveries on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays (depending on specific delivery area) as well as customer-determined content - sets Pure Sprouts apart from other delivery businesses. The wide variety of produce to order from resembles that of a typical grocery store more than a CSA, which predetermines the produce and products in the weekly delivery. According to Stansberry, these particular spins on a produce delivery service required a logistics study before moving forward.

Looking back at her startup, Stansberry recalls that the concept was initially challenging to sell to 30 local farmers. “While at the start they were skeptical, in a relatively short time they opened their eyes to a new outlet for their produce. Now we have farmers calling us to participate,” she says. Additionally, Pure Sprouts regularly receives calls from individuals who want to order because they believe that eating a healthy diet can help to alleviate their health challenges. “I encourage them because I feel that everyone needs to eat more fruit and veggies,” quips Stansberry.

The company chooses partnerships wisely and efficiently runs its delivery routes to help create its green profile. Produce is purchased from farmers who are certified organic, certified naturally grown, or peer reviewed by other farmers and customers for their organic growing practices. “The peer-reviewed farmer generally has a smaller farm and can’t afford the high cost of the organic certification,” explains Stansberry, who with the help of her staff visits suppliers regardless of whether they supply meat, diary, eggs, grocery items, tofu or baked goods. “I couldn’t do it without my wonderful team: June, Ray, Kerri, Amy, Anjie, John, Lisa and Alex,” enthuses Stansberry.

The latest unique twist to the delivery service is Pure Sprouts on the Go. “We are using our delivery van in a different way to offer a menu of salads, soups, fruits and vegetables made with produce grown by our suppliers. We’re having fun using social media - Facebook, Twitter and our Pure Sprouts homepage - to alert customers regarding our location so they can pick up their lunch or dinner, which gives them even more opportunity to eat healthy with less work,” advises Stansberry.

Pure Sprouts Organic Delivery, 642 Cowpath Rd., #245, Lansdale, PA 19446; 6900 Hamilton Blvd., PMB 109, Trexlertown 18087. Call 610-391-1952 or visit PureSprouts.com, November 2012

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