The Root Cellar returns with popular weekly food boxes

A trio of fresh, seasonable, local offerings

The Root Cellar returns this month with its popular Food Box program, Columbia's most convenient and affordable way to eat local year round.

 

The weekly subscription service -- now in its Summer season, from April 18 to October 18 -- links family farmers with food buyers with a trio of fresh, seasonable offerings: the Barnyard Box, the Bounty Box, and the Ploughman's Box (which has already sold out).

 

New owners Jake and Chelsea Davis, and Bryce Oates added -- and continue refining -- the Root Cellar's food subscriptions, which also run during Winter from October through March. A win-win-win for customers, farmers, and food artisans, the subscriptions help guarantee a year-long market for fresh, local foods. The Root Cellar has been a local food fixture in Columbia since 2001.

 

"We all get stuck in food ruts, and the Barnyard Box always has something delicious we never would have ventured to bring home on our own," says Jennifer, a Barnyard Box subscriber.

Thank the Root Cellar's knowledgeable staff for the delicious, adventuresome dining options, says Susan, who subscribes to both the Bounty and Barnyard Boxes. "They do the thinking for me," she says. "They help educate and expose me to locally-sourced foods."

Eight to 12 selections of the freshest local produce arrive weekly in the Bounty Box.  Summer Bounty Box subscribers enjoy strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, salad greens, potatoes, green beans, peppers, cucumbers, onions, apples, garlic, sweet corn, zucchini, and more.

 

For dairy and meat lovers, the Barnyard Box offers local milk, farm-fresh eggs, high-quality meats, and hand-crafted cheeses.

In every box, "we include recipes and source identification, so you know you've got the best food available in Mid-Missouri," says Jake Davis.

For Root Cellar customers, subscribing couldn't be easier -- or more affordable.

Step One: Subscribe online here: http://www.rootcellarmo.com/#!sign-up-for-box/chn7  You'll start your subscription with a $34.60 ($33 + tax) deposit.

 

You can also call 573.443.5055, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visit the store at 1023 East Walnut in downtown Columbia, next to the Artlandish Galleries.

Step Two: Pick up your box between noon and 7 pm on Thursday or Friday at our store. Each box is just $34.60, including tax.  Out of town: Just let us know.

Step Three: Enjoy a week of local eating arranged by the Cellar's expert staff -- and 10% off all additional purchases in the store.

 

"Our products tell the story of Missouri farmers: rice from the Bootheel, bacon and beef from the plains, salad greens from the rolling hills of the Missouri River," Davis explains. "Our farmers specialize in care for the land, working hard to till, plant, cultivate and harvest. We know and love them all -- and we know you will, too."