Member Spotlight: Michelle Najarian

It all started with a sheet of paper in her mailbox! Michelle Najarian and her family had just moved down to Raleigh eight years ago from an area of New Jersey with lots of farmer produce stands nearby. When a small flier invited her to try The Produce Box’s fresh local produce delivery service, Michelle and her husband decided to go for it.

In 2007 we were still a small company (with only 2 Box option, Michelle remembers with a laugh!), but our commitment to providing great produce and giving back to the local community was the same! And Michelle loved the convenience of having fresh produce delivered to her door. Today, she and her family regularly get a Bounty or Harvest Box delivery and hardly ever have to go to the grocery store.

“The Produce Box makes you more aware. You start to really think about where your food comes from and the journey it takes to get to you,” said Michelle.

The more Michelle learned about where her produce comes from, the more she’s been committed to not just eating great produce because it tastes good, but because it’s supporting local providers and farmers that reduce their pesticide use as good stewards of the land.

Michelle loves reading the newsletter that comes in every week’s Box with helpful information on farmers and storage tips. Hers is the kind of family that likes trying new things and loves the variety of veggies they get in their Box, so they rarely use our swap option to customize their Box.

When they get specialty items, it’s usually more produce, though they’re big fans of the flounder and ground beef. Michelle has always frozen lots of fruits and veggies, ensuring her family eats delicious produce year-round, but now that her children are growing up and leaving the nest one by one, she finds the storage tips essential to keeping those fruits and veggies tasting great even when they can’t eat them as soon as the Box arrives.

The fact that there’s a recipe in every Box makes Michelle’s job as chef of the house simple and fun. “It’s all so fresh, it’s all so good, from the blackberries in the spring to the okra and butternut squash of the late summer and fall,” said Michelle.

The Produce Box is grateful to have Michelle as a customer after all these years, and we love inspiring her family and many others to eat local and healthy.