Small town subscription box hitting big across Canada

Virginia Ehrlich is the putting the finishing touches on her 20th season of spreading small town cheer across North America.

“So I am a small town girl through and through and I wanted my business to be an extension of who I am,” said Ehrlich, founder of Acre 75 Gathered small-town subscription boxes.

Acre 75 Gathered is a subscription box that features products made exclusively in Canadian communities of less than 30,000 people.

“Acre 75 features an assortment of items each season. The items range from bath and body goods, to home goods, to gourmet snacks that are reminiscent of grandma's home cooking. There is something in the box for everybody to enjoy,” said the Milverton-based entrepreneur.

Ehrlic grew up near Mildmay and watched as her mother owned and operated a business on Mildmay's Main Street. She wanted to find a way to deliver that small town charm to people's front doors, while supporting tiny businesses and makers across Canada.

Acre 75 Gathered owner/founder Virginia Ehrlich packs the spring subscription box in Milverton on May 24, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

“They literally are the thing that keeps the small towns running. So I wanted to create an online store and a subscription box that supported those small towns. So when you are purchasing Acre 75, you're not only supporting a small town business, you're also supporting the town that that business operates in, because they are recirculating all of their revenue and all of their profits back into the town,” she said.

Acre 75 boxes are delivered four times a year, coinciding with each season. Ehrlich works with over 100 small town businesses and makers, sending out between 350 and 500 boxes each season. Last year, she was crowned Best Subscription Box That Gives Back at the Canadian Subscription Box Awards.

“There is an item in the summer box that's right here from Milverton. There's items from B.C., Stratford. Gosh, we have literally worked with makers from all over. I feel like I have friends in all corners of the country, and it's such a great feeling,” she said.

Acre 75 Gathered subscription boxes specialize in products from makers and businesses in small towns across Canada. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Ehrlich has some lofty plans for Acre 75, planning to grow beyond her 100 Canadian companies and 350 subscription boxes each season.

“So I really want to make an impact with Acre 75. And the larger we grow, the bigger the impact we can make on small businesses and the small town economies. So, we are at 350 right now. I have dreams of growing to a thousand and beyond,” said Ehrlich.

You can learn more about Acre 75 Gathered by visiting their website.