By Kristin Danley-Greiner
| community@dmreg.com
Angie Laverty could not find exactly what she wanted when she bought organic products in the center of Iowa, then the resident of Ankeny launched her own business offering affordable organic options.
Prudent products now deliver organic products to more than 400 customers in Ankeny and in the Grand des Moines region.
“I could not find the products I wanted in stores in the varieties I wanted. I was going in all these different stores by necessity for me for health reasons and I decided that I could do better myself and share it with others. I wanted organic products grouped together in a package, ”said Laverty. “I knew what I wanted. I didn’t know if the others were doing. ”
Laverty’s first group of customers had 18, but it quickly added more.
“We did not expect to have more than 400 customers in two years. I did not even know how many people were there who wanted it. Each year, it was phenomenal. People say that it is like Christmas at home when the bac arrives,” said Laverty.
Laverty spoke with the monks register of her business.
Q. Apart from the health problems that prompted you to pursue organic products, why did you choose organic?
I spent several years working in the seed industry, focusing on molecular markers and GMOs, which I don’t like. I am a Christian and I decided that God had perfectly produced the way he wanted it to be.
Q. Who are your customers?
I thought we will fall into a niche market, these people who are already buying organic, but we see all kinds of people. Some are too busy to go to the store but still want fresh products. Many people have just registered for convenience, and the organic angle is an additional bonus.
Q. What is your coverage area?
We have customers mainly in the center of Iowa, but we went out to Indianola in the south, Waukee to the west and pleasant Hill / Altoona to the east.
Q. How do people register?
They can call us or they can go online on our NIFTY website and register. We have three sizes of bins – small, medium, large – and they choose, what we meet their needs. They also choose the delivery calendar, every two weeks every two weeks. Friday, I send an email to everyone a menu or a list of items that they can expect in their next bac. What they are able to do then is to connect to their account and exchange everything they don’t want. If they don’t like beets, they can click on it and mount a list of exchangeable elements from which they can choose. They can also add elements, so that they can have six apples instead of three.
Q. What extras can be added to the bac?
We have locally cultivated eggs and locally produced meat that we can include in the packages in the event of a request. We also have organic milk, gluten -free breads, organic jams, peanut butter, rice and baby food. We sell biological food at a cost, because it is very important that the little ones have this. Foods are all 100% organic or we declare it differently. Some local farmers collect organic foods but are small enough not to be certified, such as Amish producers.
Q. Where do you get organic products?
We work with local farmers in their high season. When they are out of season, we work with two wholesale distributors.
Q. How do prices compare between what you offer and what buyers could find elsewhere?
I would say that it is very comparable to the cost of organic foods that you would buy in the store.
