So just who buys organic?

I caught up with organic-box delivery convert Toke Zellerbach and asked him why he finds the service so useful.

Hi. How long have you been using an organic delivery service?

I have been having a delivery once a week now for around seven months give or take a few weeks.

How did you hear about the service?

I was at a local farmers market and the farm I buy the boxes from had a stall recruiting new customers. They had a large selection of products available for tasting and the freshness bowled me over. I signed up straight away.

Do you think organic produce is overpriced?

No not at all. You pay for what you get and I know that the milk, cheese, vegetables and even wines I receive in my organic box are all locally sourced and free from chemicals. You cannot put a price on good health and I believe organic produce is the best out there in terms of maintaining a healthy body and mind.

Do you buy any of your vegetables from the supermarket?

Obviously I try to avoid supermarkets as much as possible but there are certain items you have to buy from supermarkets. I tend to buy frozen peas when they are no longer in season and unavailable for box delivery.

The beauty about the delivery service is that you get fresh, seasonal produce and you enjoy the food all the more for that. I would rather wait until a vegetable is in season and have the fresh taste than buy some which have been flown thousands of miles to get to my dinner plate.

Would you pay more for organic?

Would you pay a premium price for organic produce? Yes of course! Organic is worth the extra Yes but only certain items No. Unsure view results

Can you Dig it? Well yes you can!

Beth and Alan Creedon’s love story is a peculiar one. Gone are the days when Prince Charming swoops in to save the day, slaying dragons and rescuing maidens from tall towers. No, their love story took on a much more 21^st Century spin- for Alan and Beth were brought together over…can you guess? Quality local organic produce of course!

The couple, who have now been married for over three years, first began working together as part of the ‘veg’ team at the Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton, Manchester.

As their knowledge of wild food and foraging grew, so did their love for each other and in 2004 the couple married and ‘gave birth’ to what they deem to be their firstborn- their highly successful organic box delivery service Dig!

“So far” says Alan, “our firstborn is growing up and really making us proud.”

Despite the difficulties of starting a business the couple have had a surprisingly smooth first year.

“On our first week we had ten customers, mostly friends of ours. It is always great to have new customers coming on board and to see that there are many people out there who care where their food comes from. That always makes us feel good. To be honest, the lows have been very few and we stay positive about it remaining that way”

Regardless of the recent economic downturn organic box sales have more than doubled in the last two years and only five years ago 70% of organic food bought in the UK was imported. Today, imports only account for 30% of the organic market.

But has this demand for locally sourced organic produce been mirrored in Dig?

“I would say so, although we have only been going for a year. We have a few local suppliers, which we buy from regularly. As you can imagine, living in the city there are not too many farms in the locality so much of our produce comes from Lancashire and further afield. We are lucky to have a market garden, called Glebelands, practically on our doorstep and we buy seasonal produce from them whenever the weather allows!”

There have long been debates as to whether or not organic produce, which is often more expensive than its chemically tainted counterparts, is worth all the fuss.

Alan believes it is, and not just because of the health benefits.

“Eating organic is a lifestyle choice. We do it because we believe it is possible to produce good quality food without the use of pesticides which can be harmful to our metabolism. Eating local food is a must because it gives rise to a more sustainable, local economy, gives people jobs and brings people closer to where their food actually comes from, thus giving them a greater appreciation for the food in general.

“Organic produce needs to be appreciated for the amount of labour which goes into producing it and if they appreciate the care which goes into it then they certainly wouldn’t see that as pointless.”

Find out more about sustainable living and organic farming here.

For more information on Dig visit their website here.

See below for a dig-delivery guide. Dig's delivery area is highlighted in blue. Happy shopping!

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Suck It Up

More than 50 countries around the world now have bans on smoking in public spaces- the result?

At any one time, hundreds of thousands of yellow-fingered addicts are huddled outside gloomy looking office buildings exchanging weather-worn glances.

For many smokers, the time- out from work required for a 'quick fix' is negligable day to day, but take into account a month's worth of five minute toxic inhilations and you can see why some employers frown upon the regular trips outside.

Phillip Morris International, one of the largest tobacco companies in the world, has come up with a solution which, it claims, goes some way to satisfying both parties-
'Marlboro Intense', due to be tested on the Turkish public shortly, is just as strong as a standard 8.5cm cigarette but considerably shorter, measuring just 7.2cm.

The company hopes the new brand will appeal to time-pressed employees reluctant to spend longer than necessary outside braving the elements.

How Much Is Your Heart Worth?

So, how much is your heart worth? It may be priceless to you but how much would someone else be willing to pay for it? One man knows the answer…
Kitsch American artist Jeff Koons broke an auction record after his ‘Hanging Heart’ sculpture fetched a cool £11.3m pounds at a Sotheby’s sale in New York - making him the world’s most expensive living artist.The record was previously held by the controversial artist Damien Hurst, who sold a pill cabinet entitled ‘Lullaby Spring’ for close to £10m in June.The vibrant Magenta and Gold sculpture took 10 years to complete, weighs in at an astonishing 3,500lbs (1600kg) and is one of five versions made.Who would want to shell out £11m on what is essentially a slightly larger and somewhat more extravagant version of a Christmas tree decoration?Surprisingly - or maybe not so considering the price tag - it wasn’t an uber cool celeb looking for another reason to grab the limelight; it was a United States-based Gagosian Gallery.The record breaking sale comes at a time when the cost of contemporary art in auctions on both sides of the Atlantic has risen by 55 per cent in one year alone.But is it really worth it? One artist with a slightly more laid back approach to the monetary value of his work is Bristol-based Banksy.Organisers of the annual ‘Turnip Prize’ art competition were astounded when they discovered what looked like an authentic Banksy piece resting outside the New Inn pub in Somerset. The pub has been running the ‘Turnip Prize’ for eight years as a spoof of the Turner Prize. The aim of the competition is for people to submit works of ‘art’ after spending as little time on them as possible. For some reason the ‘Banksy’ piece, which depicts a stencilled Mona Lisa firing a turnip from a bazooka, didn’t seem like a legitimate entry.Strange that…