CULTURE

REAL PEOPLE: ASHLEY TYRNER OF FARMBOX DIRECT

Glitter Magazine recently sat down with Ashley Tyrner, founder of Farmbox Direct, that delivers fresh and seasonal boxes of produce weekly. The boxes can be customized as the site also offers farmer’s market favorites of organic coffee, breads, olive oils, and teas. Ashley is originally from Illinois, but grew up partially in Arizona and Los Angeles. At age 27, with a newborn baby girl, Ashley became a food stamp recipient. She moved to New York City in 2011 for a new beginning and worked as a business manager in the fashion industry. Three years after breaking out and making it in the Big Apple and the fashion industry, Ashley decided to venture where her heart was: helping others understand the strong connection food has on our lives. Thus, arrived the inspiration of Farmbox Direct – bringing the goodness one step closer to you. Read on for Ashley’s inspiring story. 

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GLITTER: What inspired your career path?

ASHLEY: My daughter actually, and my time being on food stamps, and being a busy working mother. I knew other people had to face the same problem I was facing finding good quality organic food for their family.

GLITTER: How did you come up with Farmbox Direct?

ASHLEY: I was a very busy working corporate mom, a single mom at that. My daughter is a self proclaimed vegan, she has never touched meat! Being i  the farmers daughter i knew the difference in farming practices, So I knew if she was only willing to eat fruits and veggies, I wanted them to be the best quality of organic I could get my hands on, I quickly realized this was a large challenge.

GLITTER: Do you think America is becoming more GMO conscious?

ASHLEY: VERY much so! In just the last 5 years it’s amazing how educated our society is to what’s in the food we are eating, and feeding our children.

GLITTER: How can teens help fight to get more Non-GMO labeling on their favorite foods?

ASHLEY: 1st: stop buying products that contain GMO. If a company produces a product with no GMOs, they will label it, because they are proud to not have GMOs in the product they are selling. 2nd: get involved in a label GMO project in your community.
GLITTER: Do you think huge corporations like Starbucks and McDonalds will be forced to have more organic food in the near future? 

ASHLEY: If they want to remain highly profitable they will. Starbucks is trying, they now serve a juice line, but their juice line isn’t an organic juice, so there really is no evidence that it does not contain GMO, so they still have a long amount of improvement to make. I would guess in 3 to 5 years they would have some type of an organic line in both Starbucks and McDonalds.

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GLITTER: Were people encouraging of your career path?

ASHLEY: I am the farmers daughter, and my mom comes from a long line of farmers, so yes, but there was a concern of me leaving a salaried position to start Farmbox Direct, I tend to make my own path, so there was really zero way in stopping me!

GLITTER: Can you describe a challenge that you had to overcome?

ASHLEY: I have had many! I was abandoned by my husband pregnant, totally cut off, and ended up on food stamps, so that was a large challenge in my life. That challenge is what made me exactly who I am today, and I actually would not change it!

GLITTER: What skill has been the most useful for you in launching Farmbox Direct? 

ASHLEY: My gift of networking! Networking is everything! I have an amazing advisor board in place to take Farmbox Direct to a national level, and I have added all my advisors due to networking. All people on my advisor board come from very different backgrounds, but all have a specific role to enrich the company and bring Farmbox Direct to a nationwide level that’s affordable for everyone. To date I have added: Richard Stromback, Ernest Lupinacci, Dennis Kneale, Scott Lazerson, and Michael Roth.

GLITTER: Why is it so important for teens to eat healthy and organic?

ASHLEY: You are what you eat! Let’s face it, our future is our children! Teens, need to know and understand they are eating for a better mind body and soul.

GLITTER: What are some of your favorite go to healthy snacks on the go?

ASHLEY: I love sliced apples with almond butter! I also love bananas mixed with chia seeds, and almond butter, you can actually make them into little bars so they are easy to take on the go! I am an avid juicer, I drink at least one green juice a day, and if I am out running around I always take one with me!

GLITTER: What advice do you have for teens who’d like to get more involved in conscious eating?

ASHLEY: Research where your food comes from. There is lots of community garden organizations you can join to learn tons about our food system. I like to say : if it comes from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don’t!