Order a vege box before 8pm on Tuesday’s, add any extras, choose your delivery address or pick up location, and we’ll pick it, pack it and deliver it on Friday – simple as that.

We deliver within Pirongia village for free, or within the Te Awamutu township for $5 – out of delivery zone boxes can be collected from The Hive Pirongia 11am – 3pm, or 621 McClure Street 3-5:30pm on Fridays.

What happens if my box is delivered when I am not in? We will leave your box in a sheltered spot if you have not let us know where you'd like your box left when not in, and will happily transfer it into a chilly bin if you leave one out.

We operate a subscription model only, as we want to make it easy to get your regular vege box (we know life gets busy sometimes!), so you can subscribe to either weekly or fortnightly box subscription.

You can add extras each week as required if you want more of a particular item.

What do I do if I have a subscription and need to stop my box occasionally? Just email us at thevillagecollectivepirongia@gmail.com with the date you wish to pause, and re-start, and we’ll make that happen. Please note you need to notify us by the Monday before you are wanting to pause your subscription.

We realise that not everyone loves all the weird and wonderful produce out there, so we keep the boxes simple and try to leave these ones out, but offer them as extras for those who would like them. Also, seasonality means some weeks we will have more of some items than others, so will make these available as extras also. Please note that extras must be purchased with a vege box, not just by themselves (unless you have a weekly subscription where you need to order any extras each week)

It all depends on how much you love your fresh produce! As a general rule, we say a small box suits a couple or young family of light produce eaters, and a large box suits a medium size family or a couple of prolific produce eaters!

The box contents depend on the season, and what is growing in the plots at that time of the year, but generally includes 5 – 7 varieties of vege, 1 – 2 varieties of fruit, and herbs for the small box, and 6 – 8 varieties of vege, 2 – 3 varieties of fruit, and herbs for the large box. Winter & early spring boxes have plenty of roots with brassicas and leafy veg. Then we move into leafy veg and early summer crops like courgettes, carrots and beans, before we hit summer with ALL the produce ripening (think tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers etc), followed up by capsicum, brassicas, pumpkin, kumara, leafy veg, citrus and glorious Autumnal fruits. We grow approximately 50 different varieties of vegetables and fruit so there is always plenty of variety.

Examples of produce by season:

Spring: Avocado, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Chives, Coriander, Lemons, Limes, Microgreens, Oranges, Pak choy, Parsley, Pumpkins, Radish, Rhubarb, Salad Mix, Silverbeet, Snow peas, Spinach, Spring Onions

Summer: Avocado, Basil, Beans, Beetroot, Capsicums, Carrots, Chives, Courgette, Cucumbers, Lemons, Lettuce, Microgreens, New Potatoes, Parsley, Peaches, Plums, Salad Mix, Silverbeet, Spinach, Spring Onions, Tomatoes, Watermelon.

Autumn: Apples, Avocado, Basil, Beans, Beetroot, Cabbage, Capsicums, Carrots, Chives, Choko, Coriander, Courgette, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Feijoa, Figs, Kiwifruit, Kumara, Leek, Lemons, Lettuce, Limes, Mandarins, Microgreens, Onions, Pak choy, Parsley, Passionfruit, Pears, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Salad Mix, Silverbeet, Spinach, Spring Onions, Tomatoes.

Can I choose what goes in my box? While we don’t offer customized boxes, there is the ability to exclude particular items if your family does not eat them (you can select up to three items to NOT receive in your vege box).

If there is anything you particularly need that week it would be best to add it as an extra.

If you are ever unhappy with the quality of the produce in the box please get in touch with us straight away so we can find out what’s gone wrong and remedy it – we believe everybody deserves top quality produce.

Why do some of the veges look funny?

We grow nutrient dense produce that’s tastes good, and often grow varieties that don’t sport good looks or uniformity, so there will be a few ‘odd’ shaped bits in the boxes occasionally – but we promise they taste just as good! We also don’t wash veges that don’t need it, as this can reduce their shelf life. Please wash your produce first (the salad mix is washed).

Keep your fruit and veges separate - most ‘fruits’ (remember this includes some veges too!) release ethylene which will reduce the longevity of some veges, especially sensitive greens. If washing before storing, dry produce as well as possible to keep them crisp and tasty, and store loosely wrapped to stop them from drying out in the fridge. Cut the edible greens from crops like beets, radishes, and carrots before storing to stop the tops from draining moisture. If your greens (or other items) wilt on your doorstep on a warm delivery day, you can perk them up with a soak in a bowl of cold water before drying and storing.

And remember, all foods taste better when bought to room temperature before consuming.

No, we are not certified organic. We don’t use chemical sprays or pesticides and grow everything using regenerative principles, which includes: increasing soil fertility, biodiversity, water retention and cleanliness, and soil carbon sequestration. We prioritise these practises over the cost and time of external organic certification.

Little Pirongia Farms – a series of small market garden style plots in Pirongia village worked by Dan and Ali. DM us @littlepirongiafarms on Instagram, or use the Contact Us form above.

The Village Collective - a group of passionate, local gardeners who are dedicated to growing healthy, nutritious produce for their families and friends. The Village Collective was formed as a way to be able to share the seasonal bounty with more of our community. Currently our people growing your food are Robyn, Ali, Dan, Sally, and Carla. Email us at thevillagecollectivepirongia@gmail.com

Conscious Blooms – the floral arm of, and catalyst for Little Pirongia Farms, tended by Ali. DM her @prettysmellythingsnz, or use the Contact Us form above.