Behind the Box is Harvie’s way of connecting you to the people behind your weekly grocery delivery. Meet Sage Pence, who started in August as Harvie’s first — and only — delivery driver. Now, not even a year later, she’s leading the entire fleet.
What is the last thing you ate?
This morning I made myself breakfast tacos with almost all Harvie products! Made from Frankferd Farm Blue Corn Tortillas and Jubilee eggs scrambled with J.Q. Dickinson Smoked Salt then topped with Ocho Chipotle Salsa, garlic hot sauce, Lancaster Farm Fresh Cilantro, and Schneider’s Dairy sour cream! The breakfast rounded out with a cup of earl grey tea and a spoonful of Bedillion’s Wildflower Honey.
What’s your favorite comfort food, go-to meal, or recipe?
Honestly, all food is comfort food for me. If I’m cooking myself: oven-roasted potatoes, rainbow carrots, Brussels sprouts, and beets tossed in balsamic vinegar, EVOO, honey, dried rosemary, and dijon mustard paired with lemon yogurt dip is a classic. But, if I’m eating out, I will go for literally any of the arepas from the Venezuelan restaurant, Cilantro & Ajo, on E. Carson St.
What’s your favorite Harvie Product?
Ocho’s Chipotle Salsa. The consistency, flavor, and spice put it in my top 3 favorite salsas ever. The first container I bought was gone in less than 12 hours. Now it’s a weekly addition to my Harvie box.
What’s your favorite spot in Pittsburgh?
No matter how many times I visit I can never get enough of the Phipps Conservatory, so much so that I applied to work there before I knew about Harvie. Oh, and the Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville too.
What’s your favorite thing about Harvie/working for Harvie?
This is cliche but, my co-workers and our shared passion to disrupt the supply chain of ‘Big Ag’ in favor of regionally sustainable farms, co-ops, and producers. The collective reality of us humans living through a climate crisis means we will see destabilizing weather events cause overwhelming gaps in the global food supply, much like we have seen throughout the pandemic.
Our nation’s small producers have the potential to feed most communities and cities, and Harvie’s model gives them a fighting chance to not just survive but thrive — all the while developing a durable chain with reduced transportation emissions and less food and material waste. The stewardship ethos of Harvie gives me hope. Being surrounded by wonderful people and delicious food seals the deal.