Delivery Service Brings the Hollywood Farmers' Market to Your Door

This week I took the day off from the market because I discovered there’s a service that will do the shopping for me.

“I wanted to find a way for people to celebrate the farmers' market even if their schedule doesn’t allow it,” said Reisha Fryzer, the owner and creator of Farm Box LA, a local delivery service that does the market shopping for you.

Fryzer said the service has turned out to be popular with busy moms, single men and celebrities.

The business will celebrate its one year anniversary this summer and in this short time, Fryzer has developed a friendship with all of the farmers and a loyal client base that is enjoying her deliveries.

“I wanted to share my love of eating healthy, fresh and seasonal produce that’s organic and doesn’t use any pesticides,” Fryzer said.

Every Monday, Fryzer delivers a recyclable box to her clients filled with organic produce from a variety of growers at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. The vendors include Underwood Family Farms, Fair Hills Farms and Tutti Frutti Farms. She rotates the weekly purchases with other farms so there’s a variety and a chance to involve other farms in her program.  

“My motive in creating this business was also to support these small organic farmers who are growing produce the way it should be without chemicals, additives and mutated plants,” Fryzer said.

Depending on the number of people in a household, the cost of boxes ranges from $50 to $100.

Fryzer primarily shops at the Sunday market in Hollywood because the bulk of deliveries is done Mondays but she can tailor the timing to suit a client’s needs.

“Monday is the start of the workweek and it seemed like the perfect way to start people off with a pantry filled with fresh-picked produce,” Fryzer said.

This week, I received a small box that was priced for one to two people. The box was filled with enough fresh fruit and vegetables to get me well into the weekend and it also guarantees that I’m going to eat a healthy diet.

It contained fresh herbs, daikon radish, Fuji apples, pixie tangerines, gourmet lettuce, asparagus, cherimoya, avocados, turnips, sweet potato and fava beans.

There are other sizes of boxes for larger families or Fryzer will custom design a box that meets a client's needs and wants. Fryzer also creates beautiful gift boxes that will introduce the recipient to the service.

“Before I started the company I went to culinary school so I could learn basic cooking ideas with an emphasis on vegan cooking,” Fryzer said.

Fryzer received a chef certificate at the Epicurean Culinary School in West Hollywood. On the Farm Box website, she posts easy to follow recipe ideas such as creamy celery soup, pasta with pancetta and savoy cabbage and baby bok choy with carrots and spring onions.

At the moment, Farm Box LA serves locals, but as modern overnight delivery has become commonplace, Fryzer is open to eventually shipping California fresh produce to other locations that may not have access to such farms.

Just a reminder that next week is Mother’s Day, so a gift box from Farm Box LA may be a unique present to send to mom, or if you’re looking for something more traditional, stop at Venegas Creek Roses Farm and bring mom a bunch of its exquisite spring pink roses.

Please feel free to share stories and recipes of the items you find interesting at the market. If you see me strolling about, please say hello.

See you next week at the market!

The Hollywood Farmers Market is located at the intersection of Ivar and Selma avenues, between Sunset and Hollywood boulevards. Rain or shine, it is open every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market is a certified open-air street market with approximately 100 farmers, 30 local artisans and 40 baked-goods and prepared-food vendors who sell their products every Sunday. It is a direct-to-consumer marketplace with all produce and products from local, California vendors and growers.

Parking: Cinerama Dome: $2 for first two hours with validation available at the information booth at Ivar and DeLongpre avenues. Metered parking: Check parking enforcement signs. Some meters free until 11 a.m. on Sundays.

Dog Sitting: Only tagged assistance dogs are allowed at the market, but this shouldn’t stop others from walking their dogs to the public event. There’s a dog sitting service provided at the corner of Ivar and Vine streets. Your prized pooch will get to socialize with other dogs while you do your shopping at the market. It charges a small fee of $5 per 20 minutes.