Archives for February 2020

I am grateful for many things in my life. One of the things that I am most thankful for is a long list of influential teachers and mentors that I have had throughout my time on this rock. A good teacher is hard to find and even harder to forget. So I salute each of you who have made it your life’s work to inspire minds in our communities both young and old.

And as I was drinking my coffee this fine Saturday morning, my mind drifted back to my high school history teacher, Rob Williams. Besides being a history buff, Rob was a very talented guitar player. One of his songs that always used to make me laugh (and think) was about a herd of cows taking over the farm. He called it Bovine Revolution.

I honestly had not thought about that song in a long time, but today the Bovine Revolution made perfect sense. Why? Well because cows are pretty amazing creatures, but they get a bad rap in the food and environmental world. Let me explain.

Cows are happy out on the range. They are not finicky barn dwellers like some other animals. They are great at being mothers to their young as the feed and protect them. This is not common with all animals. Pigs for example are terrible parents and the piglet mortality rate is high. Just remember that if you every find yourself on Jeopardy. “I’ll take Farm Animals for $400 please Alex.”

Furthermore, cows actually do an incredible job of building a grassland ecosystem that can turn high desert hill country into the Serengeti of grasslands. Think about what cows do as they graze…eat seed heads off of numerous grasses and then “plant” those seeds in compost with a huge cow pie. So when cows are not over-grazed in a spot, they will help a ranch flourish and plant more grasses not destroying them.

Lastly, and I have written about this before so stick with me, grass-fed beef is actually healthy for you. It is full of protein, nutrients (from the grasses), and Omega-3 fatty acids. But now you’re like, “Farmer Mont, if cows are so healthy, then why isn’t McDonald’s a health retreat? Huh Mr. Smarty Pants??”

That is a great question. And the answer you might remember from your First-Grade teacher telling you that “You are what you eat.” I think I was eating glue though when she told me that.

But folks, it is true. Cows do not produce saturated fats. Grasses do not produce saturated fats. Corn does. So when we raise our animals on corn, we get animals full of saturated fats. The meat from those animals are full of saturated fats. But when cows are allowed to graze and be raised the way Mother Nature intended, they are leaner and have a healthier fat content that is similar to a salmon and not a potato chip.

We are what we eat; Our animals are what they eat. There is no magic that goes on here folks, healthy diets lead to health.

The poor cattle in our country get this bad rap not from anything that they do, but rather how our industrial agriculture raises them. Corn gets animals big and strong quickly, but the downside is you have unhealthy meat. Grass-fed animals take longer to raise, but you have a healthy meat. Again, no magic.

So about a year ago I made a promise to you. 2019 was going to be a year that we devoted to helping New Mexican ranchers. To help a local rancher the best you need to find a home for their meats locally. Connect the dots between rancher and consumer so that all the ranchers hard work does not leave the state. Local families feeding local families. A dream come true.

Not to brag, but we did a really great job making this happen in 2019. So much so that my phone started to ring with ranchers looking for us, rather than me cold-calling ranchers telling them about our food model. It is awesome. This is what I had hoped would happen. What does this mean for you?

You will see the variety of the Local Meats increase and the price decrease. As we can offer the ranchers more support, they can lower the price to you. Simple economics. This week, for example, look for a New Mexico Rancher Pack with 2 lbs of Ground and 2 lbs of Steaks. Save $10 on this pack! And thank you for all your support of our ranching families.

Enjoy, Farmer Monte

In our continued efforts to be innovators in the local food world, I am happy to share with you a new packaging offer that we have available. We have been working with several of our members to build a packaging system that will maintain the highest quality while trying to minimize the amount of plastic we use. We have added a way for you to opt for fewer plastic bags in your order. For those of you who are happy, nothing will change. This will be a new option for folks to choose.

Minimize my plastic footprint. This “product” will be very similar to how our “Pack my order in cardboard” option works currently. You will now be able to select a minimal plastic membership as a product. When we see that product in your order, we will pack your items using only the ultra-necessary plastic bags. Meaning that if you order a salad mix, I am not going to throw handfuls of salad into your cooler.

How this will look for you as a customer is items like baby spinach and salad mix will continue to be placed into plastic bags. But heads of lettuce, bunches of greens, herbs, and all roots will no longer be placed into plastic bags for you. If you select this option, you will be responsible to make sure that all produce is properly taken care of once the order arrives to you.

With that said, let me stress that we do not use plastic frivolously. Every item that we put into plastic bags right now is done so we maintain the highest quality of our/your produce. Greens, tender herbs, and roots are all very susceptible to dehydration in your refrigerator. So I am happy to offer this option to minimize plastic…But, this is not for everyone.

If you like to cut, chop, and prep all of your produce as soon as you get it home, this is perfect for you. If you are like me and a little lazy at prepping all your veggies the minute they hit your kitchen counter, please please do not select this option. I want to save the world, but I also want a very crisp and fresh salad.

Look for this new option under our Harvest Box tab. And I really thank you for all the feedback. Despite what my high school Math teacher, Ms. Wrenn, might tell you, I actually listen to constructive ways to do things better.

Well, what else is happening this fine February? Oh yes, New Products. I have to tell you that I am loving the new products that we have been bringing in for you. Quick highlights…

Breads. Ciabatta and Focaccia rolls. Holy guacamole are these dudes yummy. Toast them for a few minutes and enjoy.

Pastas. If you want to feel like you are dining at a 5-star restaurant in your underwear, then stay home and fix up some of our fresh pastas. Olive oil, salt/pepper and you are in for a treat. I don’t think I have had better.

Local Meats. Our roots are in produce, no one loves produce more than I do…but we have one of the best pasture-raised meat offerings that you will see anywhere in the country. I am not exaggerating. With the help of our dedicated ranchers and our local USDA butcher (Mickey), we have built a meat program that I love and completely stand behind.

In my past, I have been a Vegetarian because I hated the industry that was raising animals. I told myself that I would eat meat when it was a system that I believed in. And we have put together a fantastic partnership of local lamb, pork, and beef. All animals born on the land (not on a concrete floor in a barn). Raised With their mothers. Space to roam. Healthy grass and grains to eat. Clean water and plenty of New Mexican sunshine.

This is The Way that animals are supposed to be raised. No corners cut. No exceptions. You all give us and our ranchers tremendous support through this program and I cannot thank you enough. We have not eradicated factory farms, but we now have access to healthy and humane meats on a year-round basis.

I have said it many times, I am a realistic hombre. The Local food model that we have built (are building) will not appeal to all New Mexicans. Yes, the Big Mac will survive. But throughout my life, my dad always reminds me that “happiness is about having options.” Knowing you have Choices inspires happiness. We create the lives we lead. So my goal is simply to bring you and your family local, healthy, and yummy food Options. What you do with those options is up to you amigos!

Enjoy the journey, Farmer Monte