Kim Elliot.

THE STORY

Meet Kim Elliot. Kim fell in love with Kerry and moved over from the UK more than 20 years ago. In 2017 she set up Rocket Deliveries, a service that delivers Irish-grown vegetables and organic groceries from the farm to your door.

Motivated by requests from her friends and family for good quality, local produce, Kim started her journey with a seasonal market stall. “Maybe I could be the person that connects the grower with the people.” But she wanted to do more – to offer her customers veg boxes all year round.

Enter Kenneth, a farmer whose 40-acre land offers organically certified produce throughout the year. Sustainability and strong biodiversity ethics are at the heart of all the decisions he makes, from generating his own energy via solar panels, to harvesting rainwater to nourish his plants. “I am so inspired by him and his commitment to the planet.” With the help of Kenneth, Kim keeps the people of Kerry stocked up with organic goodness they can trust, 12 months of the year.

Receiving a box of veggies grown by Kenneth and his team at Green Earth Organic, and delivered by Kim or her husband, feels like being a kid at Christmas. The brown boxes, which are reused and recycled, arrive with an abundant supply of seasonal fruit and veg, exciting recipe ideas, a motivational letter from Kenneth, and zero plastic packaging.

Kim’s wonderful work in the Ring of Kerry stretches well beyond Rocket Deliveries. You just need to look at her Instagram profile to see how community-focused she is – promoting and supporting local events, and hosting numerous events herself as a way of bringing people together to explore sustainable solutions for rural living, including swap shops, seed swaps, fermenting workshops and community meals. “I’ve always loved bringing the community together and connecting people with food.”

THE WHY

I remember picking runner beans from my great uncle’s market garden and having a real sense that this is how things should be: growing and eating our own, chemical-free food.

THE CHALLENGE

Try reducing your food waste. It’s a really simple way to save money and to reduce our impact on the environment. You can use the tops of carrots in pesto, and the stalks of broccoli and leaves of cauliflower in a stir fry. Mywaste.ie is a brilliant resource.

THE HOPE

This project, Stories of Change, gives me hope. It should give us all hope. It highlights the work that people around the country are doing. Sometimes you can feel like you’re on your own, but seeing that there is a national movement gives me hope.

THE RECOMMENDATION

BOOK – Cook. Draw. Feed by Liz Child.

To find out more about Kim visit rocketdeliveries.com or follow her on Instagram - rocketdeliverieskerry