April 2020

Here is a great news clip that KOAT 7 did on Skarsgard Farms

Folks, with so many new faces at our table, I want to take a moment to highlight a few things from our systems and from our business model. So make sure to have a coffee handy if you plan on staying awake through the logistical efficiency part.

Our mission can be distilled down to one fragment (because I don’t think technically it is even a sentence), Support Mom n Pops, Help thy Neighbors, and Eat Yummy Foods that are Healthy for both You and the Environment.

Being a Mom n Pop business, we know firsthand how in-sanely hard it is to play in the same sandbox with huge corporate food retailers. So instead of wasting time complaining about the Big Box stores, we choose to spend our time finding local producers we can support, and they can support us. Find synergies.

Quick note on Quality. We are not a grocery store. I find grocery stores sterile and boring. We are working directly with the farmers and producers, so when you see a bent zucchini or cucumber, I want your reaction to be “How does it taste?” rather than “That doesn’t look right?”

Fruits and veggies are like us; they come in all shapes and sizes. In the U.S., the desire to have perfect looking produce has created a scenario where 50%! of the farmers’ harvest is not suitable for the grocery store shelves. This “imperfect” produce must either go to a restaurant to be cut up or com-posted. This is a terrible scenario and a complete waste of food.

When we work with farmers we buy “field run” produce. Meaning that we buy their whole harvest. This means that we get some things that look like they might make it to the grocery store. Other stuff might have a face only a mother could love…But they are fresh and crisp. So I invite you to come on this journey as we listen more to our taste buds, not our eyes.

Help thy Neighbor. I learned (very) early on the farm that you cannot be everything to everyone. Our business is more fun and stronger partnering with incredible people than it is trying to make/grow/milk/bake everything ourselves. We are better as a team than individuals. Period. We have built our business model around this notion and I can tell you that it is the only reason why we are thriving during this challenging time. You have a dedicated team of suppliers working for you.

I am a firm believer that our food is our medicine. For me this looks like produce grown without chemicals, Animals humanely raised on pastures and not loaded with antibiotics, and Baked Goods/grocery items that do not have preservatives in the ingredients. If you need a dictionary to read a label, I don’t want it on our website. Keep it simple.

I also might add to not listen to your Mom (sorry moms) and “Start playing with your food.” One of the things that I am most grateful for in my life is my relationship with food. Food makes me happy, fills my belly/soul, and is always changing. You can zone-out and relax by yourself or grab your family and create stuff together. Food has been here since the beginning of time and will be here until the end. Let food move you out of your comfort zone, embrace it, and grow as a person.

Quick housekeeping tip to note. We post the upcoming week’s offering every Thursday around 5 pm. At that time, all of the Harvest Boxes are set, all of the inventories are re-stocked, any new items added to the party, and any discontinued items removed. So if you get on the website prior to Thursday for the upcoming week, things might look bare and a bit awkward. Give us until Thursday evening to launch the following week.

With that…Inventory. We have a very different inventory control than a grocery store that offers curbside pick-up. No one “shops our shelves” and changes the inventory. When we bring in 1,400 blueberries, for example, those are ONLY for the website. When you order a blueberry, it is taken out of inventory when you order it Not when it is delivered. There-fore, the sooner you place your order to Thursday evening, the more products you will see if we have limited numbers on an item. And you can always edit your order up until the cut-off time.

Finally, I cannot thank you enough for your trust and support during these uncertain times. We understand the responsibility that we have with your food choices and that is not taken lightly. You have a truly dedicated and hard-working team on your side right now. Rest easy, food is on the way.

Salud, Farmer Monte

An old Bernalillo Buddhist used to say that “You never step in the same Rio twice.” And by the way, I just made that up, so don’t go try and Google Bernalillo Buddhist. But the idea rings true. Life, like the water in a river, is fluid. You are a different person today than you were yesterday. Most of the time (in calm waters) it is hard to see how our lives change daily. But I think it is safe to say that the last 3 weeks have been a very tumultuous time for everyone on the planet. Our lives are changing daily if not hourly.

So it is not a surprise that our little local home delivery business has been thrown into the chaos along with everyone else. We have been in business for 17 years. Fine-tuning our mission. Chewing on what our selection of food should look/taste like. And yes, obsessing about the efficiency of logistics.

But nothing over the last 17 years could have prepared us for how the last 3 weeks have unfolded. Let me have a few minutes of your time to bring you up to date on what has transpired for us and how we are adapting to this new way of life.

My dream/mission for this movement from day one has been to feed all of the New Mexicans who wanted our food. I have written so many times that our local food model is not for everyone. We are not the Golden Arches trying to sell a billion burgers. Our food is thoughtfully sourced from the Mom n Pops. We talk in harvest numbers not stock prices.

I never want to turn someone away who wants a seat at our table. For me, the local food movement is rooted in the notion of Inclusion. Feed those who want to eat locally and support fellow New Mexican businesses. Over the past 3 weeks, the mouths at our table have become many and are growing.

And I will be honest with you, we were not ready for this flood of new people in the first week Or maybe even the second. I think the technical term that they use in business management classes call it a “Total Shit Storm.” Or maybe that is just what it feels like. It has been so overwhelming that I actually shed a few tears one day. I am a 44-year-old hairy guy and had tears in my eyes like my goldfish just died. And the most frustrating part was that I couldn’t even pat my eyes. A) because there is no tissue paper left in the Enchanted state, and B) we’re not supposed to touch our dang faces. So I had to wait for the desert air to dehydrate my tears.

But then I saw our long-time chariot driver, John, after he was wrapping up a 70 hour week of deliveries. His face was exhausted. Eyes bloodshot from days behind the wheel. And instead of complaining he simply said, “We’ve got this.”

And folks, that is what I have to tell you today; you have the most dedicated crew working to keep you, your family, and your neighbors fed during this time. Every one of our team is tired, stressed, over-worked, But… they are 100% committed to the challenges that we all face. We could not do what we are doing without this commitment. There is a definite feeling of being on the front line around here and we are so grateful for your trust in us at this time. It is not taken lightly. Thank you!

So how do things get better logistically in a time of such high demand? 1) We just fired up a 1,700 square foot walk-in cooler. This brings our total cooler space to over 3,000 ft. 2) Two new delivery vans just arrived yesterday morning from Georgia. Total 8 vans to help cover the state. 3) Restructured route density in ABQ to get more deliveries done in fewer hours. 4) Hired dozens of new crew members to help prep, sort, pack, route, deliver, and return emails/calls. 5) We have asked our partners to harvest more, make more, milk more, bake more. Our supply of local food will catch up to the demand. I promise. We have an incredible group of suppliers on our side. On your side.

Few things that will help us help you…
1) Try and do as much of your account maintenance on your own through our web site.
2) We have been sending out a ton of emails. Please make sure you have not unsubscribed from our mailings or you will NOT receive these updates.
3) Double check your billing settings to make sure payment info is current. We don’t want you to miss an order because of an expired card.
4) Be patient. We are doing our best and will get systems back to normalcy soon.
5) Stay healthy. Eat well. Be grateful. Go dig in the dirt!

Salud, Farmer Monte

Archives for April 2020