Eating organically grown food is all the rage nowadays, but supermarket prices can be steep and it can even be bought over the internet, if you are willing to wait for delivery.

But there is no substitute for obtaining freshly grown vegetables and herbs that have been picked just a few hours previously. A 'box' scheme has been run for three years by Rowie Meers and her husband who completed the organic conversion of their farm near Purton in 1999. They make up boxes to a standard price and deliver to around forty Swindon households and some 180 across the region. The box is one of surprises says Rowie. "There are always three staple vegetables - potatoes, carrots and onions - and the rest is made up of what is cropping on the farm. In the summer there will be salad items, beans and herbs, and more root vegetables in the winter. We grow ninety varieties of vegetables and herbs, so you can expect a wider range than you might find in a supermarket. Sometimes we'll include a recipe on how to prepare an unusual item like rainbow chard."

Box scheme member Gibson from Shaw has rediscovered the real taste of vegetables. "The carrots have a completely different taste from supermarket ones. They really are sweet and remind me of my childhood. If you are willing to have a go and cook meals with whatever you find in the box, this is a great way of supporting local producers."

There are boxes for all budgets: £5.25 for a single person, £6.50 for 2, £9 for 3/4 people. A family box costs £11.

Deliveries are made to Lower Shaw Ram in Old Shaw Lane on a Wednesday. To sign up for the box scheme, call 770219 in the day, 772287 in the evening, or go to www.purtonhouse.fsnet.co.uk