Aldi, Walmart, Marsh, Meijer — we all know the names of these grocery hubs, but do we know where they get their goods? One organic delivery company aims to swap shopping carts of additives for homegrown goods.
On Aug. 27, the company Green B.E.A.N. Delivery sent its first fleet of delivery trucks into Muncie.
The first customer was Whitney Stump, owner of Village venue Be Here Now. Stump gets fruits and vegetables delivered every other week to his business.
“The big thing is that it’s all either local or regional,” Stump said. “It’s like a farmers market that comes to you.”
Green B.E.A.N. Delivery decided to expand its routes into Muncie after receiving requests from community members through social media and the company website. James Nimmer, Indiana marketing coordinator for the company, said Green B.E.A.N. has 50 deliveries per week in Muncie.
“We’ve gotten a lot of support from Muncie — the community has been great,” Nimmer said. “Business here has been growing non-stop since we opened the market to Muncie.”
Nimmer is a Ball State graduate and said he is excited to be working with Muncie, a community familiar to him but new to Green B.E.A.N. This is the first college town the company has ventured into. In the future, Nimmer said he would like for Green B.E.A.N. to be a part of campus events and making residence hall deliveries.
John Freeland, vice president of the company, said one stigma he sees is organic food is pricey and meant for people who have a lot of cash. One of Green B.E.A.N.’s goals is to make its products more appealing to a tight budget by working with farmers and artisans so that organic delivery isn’t just “a luxury service.”
“It is affordable, accessible and commutable,” Freeland said. “This works for people in all walks of life. There are no road blocks for us.”
The company agenda is spelled out in the name. “B.E.A.N.” is an acronym for biodynamic, education, agriculture and nutrition. The company aims to create a network of artisans and farmers who can distribute their products across the region while making customers healthier and communities organically educated, Freeland said.
ROOTS
Green B.E.A.N. Delivery was founded by married couple Matt Ewer and Beth Blessing in 2007 in Indianapolis. After five years, what began as two people and a van grew into three states and 13,000 customers. The company has warehouses in major areas such as Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Louisville, Ky.; and Indianapolis. These warehouses, or “food hubs,” also serve nearby sub cities like Muncie.
Freeland said the biggest challenge was not having a blueprint to follow for the business.
“We really had to start from the ground up and take it one day at a time,” he said.
Freeland said he has seen the growth process of the company as being organic in itself. The progression of GreenB.E.A.N. is a result of feedback. From there, the company adds more food hubs and delivery routes.
“To be honest, I didn’t think it would grow this big. The expansion really has been generated by customers’ needs,”Freeland said. “That’s what’s been great about this.”
HOW IT WORKS
There are no sign-up fees, delivery charges or long-term contracts. The minimum order amount is $35 per week. Customers can visit the company website and click on their location and from there, they can choose from locally raised meats, produce, snacks and other organic options. They also can choose how often the goods are delivered, ranging from every week to once a month. Freeland said the system is set up to create a one-stop shopping experience.
“We are improving the logistics of sustainable foods,” Freeland said.
GREEN GOALS
Another concern is keeping small farms afloat.
“Via our home delivery, the little guys have a new avenue now to grow,” Freeland said.
Another driving force is ending hunger. Green B.E.A.N. has donated up to 200,000 pounds of its products to food banks, Freeland said. When the company entered Muncie territory, Nimmer said its first move was to donate more than one ton of fruits and vegetables to Second Harvest Food Bank.
“It was a welcoming into the community for us, we want to put our best foot forward,” Freeland said. “We want them to know that we are here, we’re a partner.”
In the end, Green B.E.A.N. sees the organic movement as no longer a trend, but a “viable mechanism.”
“The best thing you can do is buy local. The next best thing would be regional, and the next best is national,” Freeland said. “For us, it’s one day at a time. Any opportunity we have to come into a community, we know we can be impactful there on a positive level.”
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