Shelton’s Farm Market gets into the giving spirit by discounting holiday baskets intended to help those in need

Published 8:34 am Monday, December 12, 2016

Outlined in the glitter of Christmas tinsel, a sign at the front of Shelton’s Farm Market advises secret Santas to give the gift of nutrition this season with the purchase of a holiday basket.
Each basket is packed with roughly 50 pounds of food containing fruits, vegetables and other items, making this gift difficult to stash under the tree.
The baskets are normally sold for $36.95, but if a customer is buying the basket for a family or person in need the basket will be sold at $26.95. The holiday baskets will be sold until Dec. 24.
Shelton’s fruit peddler Nick Shelton said in the past, schools have contacted the market to offer the baskets as a gift to families.
“The idea is that they will buy it to help someone in need,” Shelton said.
The market sells more than 100 of the baskets a year in the approximately 10 years that it has been a tradition.
On Saturday morning just after 9 a.m., Jim Shelton worked to put out produce with his staff. He said they hand select the items that go into the basket to provide an assortment of produce and food that anyone can use.
While the basket does not include a meat, Jim said the ingredients can be used for a scrumptious holiday meal or a simple lunch.
While Jim said he recognizes that not everyone buys the basket for someone in need, he said the important thing is people are getting a quality item at a reduced price.
With the basket on its perch at the entrance, Jim said he hoped to remind people to do their part in helping those in need this holiday season.
“We are encouraging our customers to give back to the community by buying this basket and saying that they are going to give back,” he said. “We would like to get people thinking about how this would be useful for the whole family, especially a needy family and picking it up with that in mind.”
Bursting with orange grapefruit, red apples and green celery among other things, the basket may be eye catching, but is intended to be useful in creating a number of meals.
“The idea is to have a basket that people can use and not just look at,” Jim said.