I discovered Class Produce earlier this year while looking for an organic produce wholesaler to feed our hungry family.
Class Produce is a distributor that carries organic as well as conventional produce. I am considered a "cash customer" (even though I can pay by Visa or MasterCard) since I purchase as an individual. Twice a week, I receive a spreadsheet by e-mail of current stock items and prices. Pick-up is Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.--12:00 noon, and the order must be received by the close of business a day ahead of time.
Some pointers:
-most deliveries come in overnight on Sunday, so the best day for pick-up is Monday.
-check your produce on-site or as soon as you get home. Class will not issue a credit for items 24 hours after pick-up. I've had 3 small issues (fruit that wasn't optimal) since I started ordering from here, and Class was quick in resolving the situation, but the first time that I called, I did not know that I had a 24-hour window.
-the warehouse is in Jessup right next to a new car storage lot, and it can seem a little bit confusing to navigate your first time there. Back your vehicle into one of the loading bays to the right of the entrance (the bays here start at #16, I believe), and go into the office (you need to be buzzed in) to verify your order and pay.
-a weekly CSA (conventional and organic) is available for a good price, but I haven't taken advantage of this yet.
The staff at Class has been professional and friendly--I like working with the front office employees as well as the warehouse guys. Loading assistance is available if you need it.
Am I saving money? Yes! For example, the first pomegranates of the season just arrived last week. I paid $55 for a case of 36 (about $1.52 each). Organic pomegranates at WF are $2.99 each.
Most everything is offered by the case, but there are a few items that come pre-packaged (e.g. dozen-counts of avocados, apples and pears). I wish that another family would share in ordering with us, so that I could buy more vegetables, but we definitely go through the fruit. When I order a case of organic bananas ($24 for 40 lbs), we'll let some ripen and freeze the rest for smoothies. Over the summer, the peaches and berries were a hit.
In all, I highly recommend this place if you have a family of 5 or more (or want to share a produce haul with a friend). The fact that I can pick up organic produce from a distributor before it sits on a grocery shelf for who knows how long is wonderful.
If you try it out, let me know what you think! read more