We’re helping our friends at Seal the Seasons sell 4000 bags of frozen fruit! A distributor kicked them out of their storage space without much warning, so we bought the fruit and are selling it at a huge discount. We’ve got frozen peaches, strawberries, mixed berries, and Carolina Blend (peach and berry), all from our local region (NC and SC). All 14-oz bags are 50% off.
Fruit with a Mission
Patrick Mateer founded Seal the Seasons with a mission “to make all NC fruits and vegetables available to all North Carolinians all year round.” We were the first store to carry their frozen fruit and vegetables, in 2015! Since then, the company has grown rapidly. The fruit is now purchased and frozen in several regions of the country, then sold in that region’s local stores.
The company partners with farmers to freeze, market, and distribute their produce. They’re on a mission to create a more localized food system and make local available year-round. They are a certified B corporation, committed to using business as a force for good in the world by balancing profit and purpose. Read more online at http://www.sealtheseasons.com/.
Helping Our Farmers
Seal the Seasons benefits farmers by providing a guaranteed market and eliminating the work of selling product. A reliable revenue stream can help farms stay in business.
At first, Seal the Seasons worked with small farms, but they added medium and large farms to obtain more produce. They continue to prioritize small farms, sending their trucks out to get the product; the larger farms send their own trucks to freezing facilities. It would be more efficient to only buy from large farms, but small farms are part of the company’s mission. Many of the small farms are increasing in size and planting dedicated acres for Seal the Seasons.
In addition, Seal the Seasons is able to encourage the farmers to grow using sustainable methods. (Many of the farms are certified organic, and Seal the Seasons plans to introduce an organic line with the 2019 harvest.)
The Best Fruit
Throughout the food industry, much fruit is grown to be hardy and durable. When fruit is going to be frozen, farmers don’t have to worry about its shelf-life or transporting it to sit on a store shelf. Farmers pick the fruit at the peak of ripeness, knowing it will have the sweetest flavor and highest nutritional value locked in.
This delicious, local fruit is now available in our stores at a great price: 14-ounce bags are 50 percent off, 2 for $4.99. With two months to go until NC berry season, why not stock up on frozen fruit for all your smoothies, pies, and yogurt-topping needs?
Here’s a simple peach smoothie recipe to get you started: https://www.weaverstreetmarket.coop/simple-peach-smoothie/.
Look for fruit giveaways on our Facebook page this month: https://www.facebook.com/weaverstreet/.