What’s made of cardboard, holds a week’s worth of produce, and fights food waste? That would be the Pretty Ugly Gobox, a weekly grab bag—er, box—of seasonal produce from Denver wholesaler Grower’s Organic. Here’s how it works: Check out Grower’s Organic’s website or Facebook page for a preview of each week’s $17 Pretty Ugly assortment. (You can also opt for a specialty-item-focused Foodies box, $27, or, come July, a Colorado-sourced Native box, $25, both also composed of excess wholesale product.) Place your order. Pick up your box at Grower’s Organic’s north Denver headquarters on Friday (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or Saturday (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Open your Gobox to find everything from close-to-sell-date strawberries and wrinkled bell peppers to nicked zucchini—the sort of “ugly” produce typically destined for the landfill. Put the recipe suggestion card inside the box to delicious use by making days of healthy meals. Finally, pat yourself on the back for your multiple good deeds: $1 of each Pretty Ugly Gobox sold goes to We Don’t Waste, a Denver-based food-recovery nonprofit. 6400 Broadway, Unit 11, 303-299-9500

This article was originally published in 5280 June 2017.
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin is a writer living in Westminster, and has been covering food and sustainability in the Centennial State for more than five years.