Cost-conscious residents wanting to squeeze more out of their money may want to consider a fresh approach for purchasing produce.
Christina Nelson, 36, of Clover and mother of four, started buying fresh produce at wholesale cost in 2008 with 17 friends. Within 10 months, her venture turned into a business called Your Neighborhood Produce -- with 1,000 members.
"I had grown tired of spending an incredible amount of money on produce, and couldn't justify the ridiculous prices of produce any longer," she said. "I just thought it'd be me and friends ... . I never intended it to be a business."
The neighborhood now stretches across South and North Carolina -- including Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Steele Creek in Charlotte and Belmont, N.C. -- with 10 produce pickup locations and 3,800 participants. She distributes at least 50 baskets a week, and sometimes as many at 200 at one location.
Recently, she added Lake Wylie to the list with pickups the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at Good Samaritan United Methodist Church.
"I'm already getting orders," she said before heading to a pickup at Waxhaw, N.C.
Your Neighborhood Produce offers a variety of produce baskets, including the original basket filled with about 10 to 14 produce varieties and an average of 40 to 50 total items, which always includes staples such as apples, bananas, tomatoes and lettuce along with seasonal items. Customers simply order online at yourneighborhoodproduce.com. The cost: $21.50.
"If we price our original size basket and compare it to grocery store prices, we save $50 and $55 always," she said, adding there are no contracts or commitments.
Annette Williams of Rock Hill, the mother of two vegetarian children, was working for the wholesale produce company when Nelson started the venture.
"We could only buy things one day a week in bulk," said Williams, who helps at Rock Hill and Steele Creek pickup locations, which both started about one year ago. "I got better deals through her and a larger variety. Plus, she makes sure what she gets looks good. So it's also saving time, so you don't have to run around looking for good bananas or tomatoes.
"I go to grocery store often, but it's rare I buy produce there," she said.
Williams said another bonus is the swap option.
"If your family doesn't eat cabbage, you can swap it for something someone else didn't want," she said. "There's no waste."
Nelson and her crew of volunteers go one step further, too, by providing recipes for produce such as squash, beets, kale and eggplant.
"People are so used to buying what they buy themselves," Nelson said, "it's good to be able to introduce new foods."
Jason Everson, pastor of Good Samaritan, learned about Your Neighborhood Produce during a Lake Wylie Rotary Club meeting and invited her to use the church.
"I immediately said she needs to come do this at this church," he said. "We're always looking to open our church for the community."
Plus, he said, he likes the fact that whatever food isn't picked up within 90 minutes is donated.
"After her talk at Rotary, she had extra baskets and we took them to Clover Area Assistance Center," he said.
Recently, Your Neighborhood Produce was named Business of the Week at Lake Wylie's BB&T branch.
"I thought she had a really good story, and it's great for the community," said branch manager Luis Espinosa, explaining the bank encourages clients to set up business displays on a weekly basis. "Their success is our success."
Her business extends to other businesses, too, and she hopes to expand into new neighborhoods.
"We have a couple of corporate accounts providing ready-to-eat fruit baskets," Nelson said. "I'd just love to see where this can take me. I never expected it to take me where it is now."
Last month, Nelson's car was filled with 20 pounds of garlic at 5 a.m., windows rolled down in the winter. She also has flooded her car with "watermelon everywhere" after picking up 60 watermelon from a local farmer who "gave me a sweet deal," some even strapped in by seat belt. For Nelson, a woman who dreams of produce and has weathered snow and rain to distribute her produce baskets, Your Neighborhood Produce has purpose.
"It's my sole source of income, and it's just become so important to me because I know I've helped people. I've panicked the first time, realizing I've had 100 families relying on me," she said. "There's not a huge profit margin in produce, but hearing 'Thank you so much, my family eats so much healthier because of you,' it makes it all worth it."
Her biggest motivation, however, comes from her initial intention and because of her "best helpers," who have endured the stinky garlic rides and don't let the berries make the car ride home.
"We have had such great quality produce coming through my house," she said.
