CV HARVEST BOX
interview JORGE PEREZCHICA
photo MARK TARDOS
What we do.
MARK TARDOS , co-founder: CV Harvest Box is a locally-integrated delivery service that gives our Coachella Valley residents the opportunity to experience — “experience” is a key word here, the diversity of our valley’s agriculture industry and introduce them to a variety of other locally-made products through our collaboration with local entrepreneurs who are very passionate about their products. Also, every person who packs our boxes and delivers them to our customers’ front doors lives in the Coachella Valley.
How it started
The idea for CV Harvest Box was really born out of the need to pivot from normal business operations. The agriculture and hospitality industries are two of the valley’s biggest economic drivers, so when Tony Marchese, owner of Trio restaurant, and I were lamenting over our respective business losses, Tony mentioned that he had a friend out of state who owns a produce delivery company. Tony told me that I should create a produce delivery service, I told him that we should create it together, and 2 weeks later our first CV Harvest Boxes were delivered.
Our first few deliveries were exclusively produce boxes, but our current offerings also include local baked goods, hand-made pasta, pantry items, fresh cuts of meat, and beverages. Tony and I are proud of the business that we have built and look forward to continued growth.
What’s in the box?
An Original CV Harvest Box includes about 10 produce items. Some of the items that commonly reoccur in the boxes are Aziz Farms dates and herbs from North Shore Living Herbs, the other items are selected based on quality, freshness, and proximity to the Coachella Valley. A Chile Box, which is our smaller produce box, includes about 6 produce items.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
We have some really great local farmers that we’ve partnered with from the very beginning. Max, from Armenta Fresh Farms, really believed in this idea and supplied us with some great products, and still does, even when the orders were small. Mario, from Coachella Urban Valley Farms, has supplied us with his incredible microgreens grown in Bermuda Dunes. Celeste, from Junior Enterprises, not only supplies us with some of our produce, but also introduced us to other farmers who have produce available in the Coachella Valley. Nidal, from Verdi Farms, supplies us with produce and other products, and introduced us to another farmer as well. The agriculture industry has really supported this idea and, personally, I couldn’t be more grateful.
Web: CV HARVEST BOX