Travis County Commissioners Court
October 20, 2009,
Item 12
>> number 12 is to consider and take appropriate action on proposal regarding the implementation of a healthy workplace program through farmhouse delivery.
>> judge and economics we are very excited to do this, it's a program that buys high quality certified organic vegetables and fruits.
and they are made available to our employees and brought to the workplace.
this program has been under development for a number of months through the tenacity of zeta garnett our wellness specialist and elizabeth winslow, they have put together the program.
i would like to introduce elizabeth and she will detail the program and how it benefits our employees.
>> good morning, I'm co-owner of farmhouse delivery, which is sort of an online farmers market.
customers can go online to the website and order home delivery of -- of a mixed seasonal bushel of local organic fruits and vegetables to be delivered to their homes.
what we're proposing to do in -- in -- with the county employees is to offer this -- this through the workplace.
so that at work, they can receive an e-mail inviting them to order from us.
and then we'll deliver at -- at the workplace to them.
so that the home kind of removes the barrier of having to go to the farmers market, having to -- to go on their own time to the grocery store, to have access to healthy fruits and vegetables.
>> not only reducing the vehicle miles that you must travel in order to get those things.
>> that's right.
>> wonderful thing.
>> we offer a lot of support as well through our business with menus, meal planning and storage tips and prep tips, so it encourages a healthy lifestyle and provides support for it, also.
>> there are frequently I believe surveys sent out to the employees to find their interests and what they would like to see offered and so there's an interactive approach to this as well.
>> what was the response from the employees when you actually visited to see if -- if this program was something that they -- would -- would invite into, dan.
>> as we have discussed this with various employees, this program has been offered at the city of Austin for some time.
>> all right.
>> so it's known in the employee community.
and they are very interested in having this opportunity to have workplace fruits and vegetables delivered to the workplace.
>> now, if -- it's crucial, by the -- using the wrong term, by the bushel.
let's say that is there -- is there an assortment or menu that will be readily made to the employee, squash, maybe I would like this, where it's an as sort the deal that will be -- assorted deal that will be available in the bushel, my second question is how would that be delivered to the employees, you go outdoors, park in the parking lot, where would the delivery point be for the employee.
>> I would like to answer that.
>> go ahead.
>> good morning.
right now we are looking at having it across the street in the parking lot, in the driveway part.
that's where we are looking at right now to start out.
>> to start out.
>> downtown area.
>> okay.
>> and we have --
>> we have a refrigerated delivery vehicle that -- that you know can be stored in.
>> all right.
but the first part of that question was the menu of -- to pick and choose from as far as this is what I would like to have, blah, blah, down the list of the assorted organic vegetables that will be delivered.
that would be available through a menu type of situation so make sure that you get the bushel capacity?
>> it's -- it's -- we don't offer a menu where they can select I want squash I want egg plant, I want tomatoes, but we send out a list of what's included in the micked bushel.
in the comment -- mixed bushel.
if somebody's allergic or doesn't like it, they can say please leave out the egg plant.
include extra.
then we can also -- at the delivery point have a share box where somebody doesn't like eggplant, they can put that in and take somebody else's squash they didn't like.
that's an option as well.
>> the fruits and vegetables come from area farmers, as we said earlier, they are certified organic.
what the availability is changes from -- from time to time.
that's -- that's why the list is sent out.
the -- the bushels are preprepared, but what it amounts to is about $2 a meal for a person.
the bushels are $35 and -- and they do contain a variety of -- of fruits and vegetables and if you don't like broccoli, you can put it back and take the eggplant.
>> but it also encourages people to try things they don't normally eat or things they might not like by providing recipes and -- and menu planning things to go along with it, so if you think that you don't like broccoli, but it's included in your bushel, you might try it for the week with a new way of preparing it and become a new fan of broccoli or eggplant.
>> okay.
>> mr.
reeferseed.
>> thank you, ronnie, ronnie reeferseed here.
it sounds so exciting.
i'm wondering, I'm a Travis County person.
can I take advantage of this program?
and I'm not an employee of the -- of the county, but --
>> I don't think that you would be able to take advantage of it.
this program in particular is for Travis County employees but you can always go online to the website and just place an order.
>> oh, okay.
as a citizen of Travis County, I can start buying, what's the website.
>> www.farmhousedelivery.com.
>> farmhousedelivery.
what a dream.
okay.
you just call and I guess -- there is a phone number to call and talk to somebody about that?
>> there is a phone number on the website, you can also place your order just on the shopping cart.
>> okay.
but if you have to find -- you need to go online to get that?
>> the phone number is 529-8569.
>> 529-8569.
>> uh-huh.
>> do we need to run this by legal.
>> we talked to barbara wilson.
>>
>> [indiscernible] county attorney's office.
>> I did notice, judge, it has a full list of all of different providers that make up the list of organic farmers, that makes it a little more fair for everybody.
>> within 200 miles, though, isn't it?
>> uh-huh.
>> how many have Travis County based?
>> [one moment please for change in captioners]
>> is that 2 or 3?
>> that would be 3.
>> okay.
now, so what day of the week are we talking about?
>> Wednesday delivery.
>> what time?
>> that would --
>> it seems like later in the afternoon would be better for the employees so they can get it toward the end of their workday and not have to worry about refrigerating it.
>> okay.
do you have weekend delivery?
>> we don't offer that.
we get from our farmers Saturday through Monday.
>> can we make this work with weekend delivery?
>> sure.
>> I guess the problem I'm having is we have probably 40 or 50 different buildings out of which county employees work, and some have not accused us but sort of suggested that we seem to be downtown focused.
>> right.
>> and so if we offer this to county employees, we want want to offer it to all of them.
and seems to me we would want to offer it at a time, in my view, they are on their own time when they pick up rather than county time.
i don't know that taxpayers would -- I guess I have a little problem getting used to shopping on county time.
but if you make it Saturday morning, it's easy.
>> I think an integral part of this was support through the community resources wellness program to encourage it -- people to eat healthy and to make it easy for them so that it would be something that would be easy for them just to run down and get while they are already at work instead of coming back into town on the weekend.
>> but if you drive here from precinct 3, it will take you probably in the middle of the day 45 minutes to an hour to drive down here and 45 minutes to an hour to drive back.
>> I see what you are saying.
i think our plan was to have a weekday at each campus, so a delivery time that was allocated for each campus so that people wouldn't be -- so that it would actually be coming to their workplace.
>> so zeta, was the idea there would be a central business district day, there would be an airport boulevard day, there would be a gardner betts day.
>> yes.
>> and how far afield were we thinking?
>> as we get requests for it at different locations our plan was to extend the program to those different location.
>> so how many requests for the program would have to be generated before you could get a -- a t.n.r.
facility day out in eastern Travis County, for instance?
>> if we could get two deliveries at a time, even in it would work for us logistically.
>> how many?
>> about 10.
>> I just wanted to throw in an observation, judge, and -- that I'm a huge fan of these food co-ops.
but they hold them on Saturday mornings.
so it might be a little problematic to get the same -- maybe when they are closing up shop they could -- somehow they could facilitate things, but one of the things is to -- that takes away from --
>> they are talking about delivery food where people have placed orders and are there to pick them up.
i guess you all are paid in advance or paid at the time of delivery?
>> well, they can pay when they order.
and it's a shopping card.
but if that's problematic as well, we have an administrator who can pay after delivery.
>> I've utilized the service like this before and you also provide -- I mean if somebody has an issue with picking it up at their workplace, they wouldn't get the discount.
it's doubted at $35, but -- discounted at $35, but I've had a similar service that perhaps y'all have been affiliated with at some point, but just delivery it to the home.
>> absolutely.
>> if someone wants to participate but doesn't want to come to airport boulevard because they are further out, what is your unusual subscription amount?
>> it's 39 for just a one-time delivery.
>> so for $4 more they can have it delivered to their home.
>> the idea was to develop a program and grow to other county areas, office areas, as elizabeth says, once we get to the point we have 10 orders, then the delivery would be once a week and at varying locations.
so the downtown location may be delivered once every other week, airport might get delivered once a month.
>> and I will confess, I stopped my home delivery but it would sit on the front steps while I was at work and wilt.
and really tasty lettuce would turn into not so tasty lettuce.
and I personally would prefer a workplace.
>> I'm going to need another week, plus, I'm going to need you all to get with legal.
>> exactly.
i think at this point, especially with the legal stuff.
things that need to be hashed out, I think, on the legal end.
>> I don't know that my preference matters, but I think I have a real problem with employees picking up -- with employees grocery shopping on county time.
and your goal is to grow this, right?
>> yes, sir.
>> we want hundreds, if possible.
>> yes, judge.
>> so I guess I'm having a hard time visualizing 100 county employees on county time picking up groceries across the street.
but I'm applauding when they pick them up at 9:00 Saturday morning.
so --
>> I'm sorry again, judge, I just want to throw in my observation that the source of this food are these farmers markets, right?
and that's where those are held on Saturday mornings.
so maybe could it be possible Sunday evenings or maybe Sunday, sometime on Sunday that it could be open?
>> after work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
>> we come at the end of the workday easily at 5:00 and they could, you know, pick it up -- if most people leave at the same time, they could, you know.
>> do you want us to -- should we survey county employees and see who is interested, what the impact would likely be for you to determine whether it's worth your while?
>> I think that would be a great idea.
it would give all of us a little more actual information to work from.
>> well, I will be -- I think the judge is making a good point as far as the delay in action, and it would be good I think if you would get with
>> [inaudible] and the county attorney to look at the legal end of this because we definitely do not want to see the county put in harm's way on anything that may go down wrong like all the other things that could go down wrong on county property.
there's some things that I think we need to flush out and genevieve would be the appropriate person, what I understand, assistant county attorney.
>> is there a minimum number of orders that would make delivery worthwhile for you or if you had one or two would you deliver or would you postpone until you got more?
>> we -- we would deliver.
i think that especially if we have a window of time that we have to have an employee on hand, then the number 10 more or less is a comfortable number for us.
if it were a matter of just dropping something off and leaving, there is no minimum.
but just to have somebody sort of on hand and the management of that, then I think that 10 would be a comfortable number.
>> and is the city -- is your program with the city of Austin working out well for you?
>> that's actually not my program.
that's through the sustainable food center.
they run a similar program called the farm to work program.
and they actually match one farmer to one workplace.
so my program provides support to several different area farmers and provides, I think, a variety of options for people.
>> so do I hear court's suggestion that we authorize hrmd and the vendor to bet with legal to work this without whereby not only it's legal but beneficial to county employees?
>> I'm supporting that, judge.
>> let me ask you as far as what is currently available, an individual could go on your website or call you and then make arrangements currently on an individual basis for delivery at home or at the workplace.
>> uh-huh.
>> do we have prohibitions to an employee receiving a delivery on an individual basis?
>> I think that, again, another part of this program from the perspective of the human resource department is to encourage wellness and prevention programs, so if it's something that could be approved to just be sent to the employees, in other words, promoted through the human resources department and people can just come online and order from our service, that's, you know, a possibility as well.
just maybe even simpler, so --
>> what if we were to facilitate delivery between 12:00 and 1:30?
>> that's not a problem.
>> we can work it out.
>> good luck, committee.
>> thank you.
>> bring it back when you are ready.
>> ms.
taylor, you are the one to work with?
>> volunteers, right?
>> if you don't mind, next time say it with a little more enthusiasm.
>> [laughter] we'll have it back on when it's ready.
>> thank you.
>> we have received from the county sheriff a request to take up the golden gloves item, that's a-2, after lunch today.
he and the captain would like to be here and so I guess we'll try to do that.
roger, on number 11, do we have -- does p.b.o.
need to be here?
>> not at this time.
i want to give you some updates on that.
>> all right.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 1:40 PM
