Community Highlights: Meet Samantha Sirota of Good Box Organics

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Sirota.

Hi Samantha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2010, my partner Mark and I were freshly out of college and eager to make a difference in our world. We volunteered at the farmers market and were gardening and wondering how we could help people eat “green”. How could we make it easier for every meal to make an impact? Making it easy for folks to choose local, organic, seasonal options from family farms. Something clicked in place when we did a 3 week pre-ordered trial run at my dad’s preschool- bringing boxes to families after school during stone fruit season. They loved it and we kept it going and those families brought us to different schools. During the pandemic we pivoted from school pick ups to home deliveries. Those preschoolers are now IN COLLEGE! and we have now donated over $300,000 back to the schools we work with since 2010!

The farms we work with are all certified organic. Not only do we source organic produce, but it’s all what’s in season locally so it takes all the guesswork out of trying to eat with the seasons. We also enjoy sharing EASY recipes with families so that everything that comes in the boxes can get used.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The pandemic was one of our biggest struggles. 90% of our deliveries were on school campuses and when lockdown started we had to pivot rather instantaneously ( and with the pressure of perishable produce to make it happen fast!). We switched to home deliveries and also hired new staff to keep up with the demand.
Other struggles have included, wildfires that have affected customer homes and farms, road closures due to fires and flooding. Rain ruining crops. I guess for all of these the word “pivot” comes to mind, to keep moving and adapting and figuring things out.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a social enterprise who want to help make our community healthier, one box at a time.

We specialize in serving fresh, all organic produce straight from local family farms here in California.
We also educate our community, serving up super easy recipes with every item in the box so people can easily expand their food vocabulary and try new things!

Community is at the heart of what we do! I’ve been eating from these same farms my whole life. Some of our customers have been with us 10-15 years! There’s this thread that weaves us together through the food we eat.

We are most proud of having done this for 15+ years now and raising over $300,000 for schools while helping thousands of families eat well. Aside from the large number of that impact, the small moments really matter too- when someone’s having a bad day and comes home to find colorful fresh bountiful food straight from the earth on their doorstep that makes them smile. Those little moments are invaluable too. And watching kids ( and grown ups) discover new foods to love. It feels very meaningful.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Keep moving forward. There’s so much to figure out but it doesn’t all need to be figured out upfront. Just
“what’s the next right thing”.
Also, asking for help. I was very blessed to be mentored by Farm Gene Etheridge whose life experience has given him the most positive and resilient attitude I’ve ever witnessed.

Pricing:

• $22.45 snack box starting price
• $35.45 Half box most- most poplar size

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.goodboxorganics.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/goodboxorganics
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/good-box-organics-los-angeles

Image Credits
SDK Photo & Design, WorkPlay Photos