December 2018

What a year 2018 has been. We have been working on some pretty incredible stuff behind the scenes and much of this work has culminated in a slew of new launches that we have brought to you this December. Well…just as in any classic thriller, we have saved the biggest/best for last. And before we dive into the Big News, I want to share some back story to it.

As I have mentioned, 2018 marked our 15 year anniversary. And I have to tell you that this year has been one of serious soul searching for me personally. As any of you know who own small businesses, it is impossible to differentiate yourself from your work. This place, our mission, and our employees are on my mind constantly. But I would have it no other way. I found my life’s calling when I was 24 years old and I have not veered off the path for a day over the last 19 years. My passion for local food and local producers is just who I am; as inextricable as the stripes on a zebra’s ass.

So 2018 has been been shaped by what the next 15 years will look like for us. I love where we are now, but how can we use this as a springboard for growth rather than a slumber of complacency? In life and in business, I firmly believe that if we are not growing and trying to make things better, then we are dying. We need to find ways to make our lives better and in doing so, we will drive innovation in the marketplace. In meeting challenges head-on, we will encounter opportunity.

And one of the biggest challenges that we will face as a society in the upcoming years can be distilled down to one word: Connection. Or lack of Connection as the case may be. Technology allows us to shop conveniently from our homes. Technology allows us to communicate with people without even talking to them. We are surrounded by technology.

Technology can do a lot, but it cannot cultivate a genuine and authentic Connection for people. In order to develop that connection, we as human beings still need to see/smell and taste/hear something in order to fully connect to it/them. We need to experience something firsthand to truly love it or understand it. There are no shortcuts to build real connections.

So (deep sigh) here we are at the intersection of the love of food and the realization that the successful marketplace of tomorrow will be one rooted in Experience, Sensation, and yes, Connection. We do not need to compete with the Amazons of the world, we need to be the antithesis of them. The vision moving forward is not to find something that someone is doing well and try to copy it; but rather look at what we have in our tool chest and bring you something completely new and fresh. So I want to introduce you to the newest member of the Skarsgard Farms family…

The Farm Stand is an 18,000 sq ft building that we have bought by the airport off Gibson and Columbia. We will move our entire operation into 8,000 ft of warehouse.

This leaves 10,000 ft of open space that we are looking for user(s) to fill. The space is diverse and honestly a blank canvas now. We can divide it up however the users want/need.

Here is the idea that we are putting together…conscientiously design and build out a Synergistic home-base for like-minded Health and Wellness businesses to operate and support one another. OK, that is a long statement, what does it mean?

What it means is that we Now have a space to house not only our efforts, but other local businesses as well. We are looking for people who believe (like we do) that we are stronger together than we are by ourselves. Who believe that our community needs a Hub where we can go for yoga, massage, music, art or mental health services, then be able to stay and buy food from local farmers, ranchers, coffee shop, or bakery. Consolidate the energies of many local visions into one space.

All of this leads me back to you! We have an amazing foundation for this space/project. But the potential really is held in who will join us on the journey? Which faces will fill in the windows to help take this from being a great project to being an Epic one? Are you looking for a new direction in your business or do you know someone who is? Let’s get the dialogue going and build out a space that makes us all proud.

Exciting stuff to come, Farmer Monte

OK, so hopefully by now everyone is up to speed and cozy with the idea of the new harvests boxes. I have to tell you that the more we get into this new model, the more I am loving it. One of our web guys accurately coined this new model “the Evolution of the CSA box.” Ideas need to change. Businesses need to change. Our local food landscape is due for a change. And this change is going to happen whether we like it or not. So let’s not wait for it; let’s take part in creating it.

With that, this is where I jump in and tell you about the Phase II of this winter’s facelift to our 15 year old mug.

Meal Kits. I will tell you that I have a real Love/Hate feeling about Meal Kits. I love the idea of getting families to put down their phones/devices and share a meal together as a family. One of the best things that my folks did with my 3 brothers and me growing up was sit us down together for nightly dinner. Now that may have happened at 8 pm after soccer and basketball practices were over, but it happened. So the idea of breaking bread as a family is very close to my tender little heart. Yes I have one, thanks for asking.

But then after bringing families together, I start to get a little ticked off at the defenseless Meal Kit. None of the models use Organic foods. None of the food is supporting local producers/chefs. There is enough packaging in 2 meals that you could make a comfy bed for a baby elephant. And the prices are comparable to going to a restaurant. At that point, why not just go out to a restaurant instead?

Seeing as how my mental gerbil loves chewing on solutions to Love/Hate situations, I thought I would forgo watching re-runs of Dancing with the Stars and think about how we would do Meal Kits with some local flare. So what follows is a primer for you to follow along as the face of our web site continues to change and evolve over the next couple of weeks.

Solution #1: You know that we try to keep packaging to an absolute minimum to keep you and Mother Earth happy.

Solution #2: “Well I already have eggs in my icebox so you don’t need to send me more.” All of our Meal Kits will be set up more like a menu rather than a force-feeding. So we are going to offer ideas (like Frito Pie this week), but then you can select the items you like/need. Want black beans instead of pintos? Great. Already have Red Chile sauce left over from brunch, don’t get any more. You select exactly what you need from our curated Recipe and Meal Ideas.

Solution #3: Using a Recipe vs Seeding a Meal Idea. When I bake, I need a recipe. It is too much of a science to wing it. Seeding a Meal Idea is more like “Oh Pizza Night sounds yummy, let’s make some pizzas.” But besides how long to bake the pie, I don’t need to tell you how many mushrooms to put on your pizza. You know the lucky number. So look for us to highlight both Recipes and Meal Ideas. So we will not be sending you 2 carrots for a recipe; you’ll get the whole bunch.

Solution #4: As we already do, you will be helping local and regional suppliers every time you order from the Meal Kits. Obvious point, but needs to be mentioned because absolutely none of the Meal plans right now help any local vendor. All of the money heads out of state.

Solution #5: Pricing. By working directly with growers, ranchers, and producers, we will continue to bring you incredible value on all your food choices. You offer so much support to our growers and they in turn are committed to delivering the best bang for your buck in return.

Lastly, Discount Incentive Plan. As you can imagine, it costs the same for us to deliver a small or big order, so why not pass the savings to you? This week our Operations Manager, Victoria, said to me, “Let’s have an incentive for members to place larger orders. 5-10-15-20!” It is a great idea so for all orders over $50, we’ll take 5% off. $100 shave 10%. $150 knock 15% off. And for $200 orders slash 20% off the total bill. No membership fees, No sign ups, just bump your order.

Fun stuff to come. Have a great week, Farmer Monte

Archives for December 2018