About Harvest Planet

The idea of Harvest Planet came from the vision to provide people with the highest quality, fresh and ripe fruits, vegetables and greens possible.

Every piece of product is handpicked so our customers can be assured they are receiving the same quality as if they were picking out their pieces themselves. Each order is carefully discussed with our customers, which is completely customized based on their personal taste and choice.

A Message from our founder, Alex Kondratyev

Maria and Alex – owners of Harvest PlanetHarvest Planet was born out of my devotion to the idea of offering quality and healthy foods that everyone can enjoy just like in the Old Country.

Being the manager of a European deli/grocery store for many years I saw a need in our community for a produce department in the store. My experience of being part owner and manager of that department has enabled me to bring the same features of hand-picking quality produce to the online world.

Sadly, in my experience many large grocery stores don’t care enough about the quality of the produce they are putting on their shelves. Fruits and vegetables are often purchased in large quantities from the distributors and are destined to ripen on storage shelves rather than in their natural environment – in the ground or on the vine.

And this dramatically affects the taste and nutritional value of the produce people are buying.

I have immense pride in knowing I can offer something completely different than what the food chains provide. There are many local farmers and distributors who care about quality just as I, which enables me to buy directly from the source, offer “in the ground” or “on the vine” ripened produce, and deliver these much healthier products to your door.

Maria Kondratyev

I’m Alex’s wife and help support his dream in any way possible. When not tending to our customers, I am a cancer researcher at the University Health Network in Toronto. I obtained my PhD at McMaster University working on the idea of targeting stem cells to cure breast cancer. Currently I am developing new treatments for metastatic cancers working in collaboration with lead Ontario scientists and clinicians.

My goal with Harvest Planet is to promote the idea of healthy nutrition and lifestyle, which can prevent many diseases, including cancer. There is a lot of evidence showing that most cancer cases are preventable and over 30% of them are linked to diet.

Eating more fruit and vegetables helps your body maintain proper metabolism; therefore, your cells are less likely to “go crazy” and become malignant. Vitamin-rich foods also help fight infections, which is another major risk factor for cancer development.

We are busy parents of a big family!

Kate is our oldest, she is 9. She is really excited about her competitive tumbling program. She prefers to walk on her hands rather than on her feet but that does not stop her from playing piano. In fact, she is a Royal Conservatory of Music Ontario gold medalist this year!

Then comes Julia, 6. She is very smart and practical, she helps us stay organized and keeps track of everyone’s schedule. She also plays piano and loves reading books.

Matthew is the troublemaker in the family. Always busy and energetic, he gets constantly spoiled by all the loving girls around him.

Our latest addition is baby Elizabeth, 14 months old. She just started walking and she has the sweetest personality that everyone adores.

And last but not least comes our baby Great Dane, Racy! She looks huge, but she is not even 2 years old yet. She is very gentle and loving and definitely part of the family.

Always warm and entertaining, she loves sleeping on the couch, will hug you by the shoulders and is also an excellent babysitter.

Whether you are wanting to feed your family with wonderfully nutritious food or provide healthy choices to your staff and clients, our goal is to assist you with the produce we provide – shipped straight to your door!

Menu

About Us