Hillites who favor farm fresh foods now have another resource at their disposal, thanks to a fledgling partnership between newcomer Union Kitchen Grocery and alimentary aggregator Smucker Farms of Lancaster County.  

UKG serves as an official pickup point for Smucker’s community supported agriculture program, a custom delivery service that ushers assorted comestibles from field to fork once each week throughout the summer. Per a UKG spokeswoman, the current session runs through early November and deliveries are available for retrieval from the store after midday on either Tuesday or Friday.  

The Smucker Farms site lists a number of seasonal offerings for summer, including myriad fruits (blackberries, peaches, cantaloupes) and vegetables (string beans, sweet corn, zucchini). A Smucker Farms aide said heirloom tomatoes and cherries have already begun rolling in, while Team UKG reported seeing Swiss chard and various herbs in the mix.  

In addition to what’s pre-packaged in each box, UKG marketing director Mary Beth Marks said staff offer pairing suggestions (think: adding fresh mozzarella to juicy tomatoes for a quickie Caprese fix) “so that it’s more of an experience.”  

New registrants can join the fold via UKG’s Facebook page (just click the “sign up” tab on the home page) or by applying in-person at the shop. The pro-rated membership for immediate inclusion starts at $517.50 and tapers off ($488.75 for those interested in scheduling their first pickup either July 14 or July 17) each week thereafter.  

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