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Excelsior Orchards has begun the apple harvest. Apples have become so ubiquitous that not many people get all that excited about an apple harvest. Well I am that food nerd who loves when our Colorado apples begin. We will start the sea-son with Galas. Again, most Galas are a rather pedestrian piece of fruit. But not from Excelsior.

Paul’s fruit is grown in some of the best orchard land that we have in our entire country. Couple that with the fact that Paul is meticulous about details. And you will taste some of the most amazing flavors you can find. I find myself saying, “Oh crap, that is what Gala is supposed to taste like??” So do yourself a favor and load up on some of his fruit. You will be so proud of yourself that you did. Might even pat yourself on the back.

Quick note about his Apples and Pears:
Pears are real troopers. They will stay in your fridge for many weeks. When you are ready to eat them, take them out, give them a day or 2 on your counter, wait for the yellow tint, and dive in. If you like pears to have a crunch, eat them while they are green. There is no wrong or right way to eat them.

One thing that you will notice though as they start to tint up in your kitchen is the floral aroma that pears develop. This is actually why I like Pear Cider more than Apples. Apples are great, don’t get me wrong, but pear cider has floral notes that hit your nose as you drink it and it really adds a complexity that I love to the nectar. So additionally, I really recommend that you try some of our fresh cold-pressed pear cider.

Apple storage. Galas have more sugars in them than the up-coming Fujis. What this means is that they are obviously sweeter than Fujis, but they do not store as long. Galas are good for about a month once they come off the trees. Fujis have more “legs” and can last 8-10 weeks off the tree without losing quality or crisp. Honestly though, the apples are so good that they get munched quickly. But if you are interested in storing some, go for 1 month max on Galas, 2-3 months on Fujis.

We also have a new addition to the Excelsior family of fruit and that is the Grape. First harvest for grapes this year. Like all of the other fruit we get, these grapes are phenomenal. Enjoy.

We have been receiving many emails and calls wondering what is happening with The Stand. So here is a quick update.

We are wrapping up an insane month of demo in the space. The transformation from a pharmacy to an industrial feeling produce market kicked up a lot of dust and dumpsters.

A very fun project though. As we started to peel back the layers of the onion, we began to see the history of the building. Originally it was a mechanic shop, pizza joint, pharmacy, café, etc. Incredible journey that is marked by some really funky use of walls, colors and spaces. Our goal is to keep that character present in the building’s future. So there will be steel beams that seem out of place, wood ceilings that don’t match (because they were built in different decades), and concrete floors that were stained green. I love real things. I love things that have a bit more grit to them rather than polish. Besides, grit is more fun.

And let me touch on the roll out for a moment. The main goal of the Stand is to provide more unique and prepared foods to our entire distribution network. We needed a commercial kitchen to help get the home delivery model to where I want it to go. Only when we fulfill all the demand for our home delivery customers will we open the doors up to the public. So know that the brick n mortar store will not detract from your experience as a customer. It will only be enhanced by the kitchen.

And this is why I think the Stand will be so successful and unique; we do not need this space to operate like a typical restaurant. I can promise you that it will be different than any restaurant that you have ever been to. The theme of the restaurant is Our Favorite Flavors of NM. Period. It is not Italian, Asian, Mexican, or any other theme. Menus will be designed based on what we have access to currently. And menus will probably change more than some of us change our undies.

Fresh, Local, Yummy, Fun. This will be the mantra of the food we produce from the Stand. And rest assured that all of the flavors that Chef Jules is cranking out of the kitchen will be available to all of our customers, not just walk-in customers. Our home delivery model has never had a kitchen, now we do!

Have a great weekend. Stay safe and happy, Farmer Monte

After inventing Solar Power Heated Underwear, the great Viking captain, Loki, was quoted as saying, “Uff Da, Necessity is the Mother of invention!” And after a thorough examination of our local meat sup-ply, I have to say that I really understand what Loki meant.

During the peak craziness of COVID-19: Episode 1, our national meat supply took an absolute hammering. Availability low, prices high. Not a good recipe for consumer confidence. With all of that, a huge spotlight focused in on New Mexico’s ability to sup-ply its own meat. After all, we have the land, we have the ranchers, and we have the pasture-raised animals.

The one bottleneck (and this is a huge limitation), we just did not have the processing capacity for the demand that hit our state. In the short run, this became a problem; however, in the long run, our state realized a huge opportunity. So here is an update with how our state is transforming to meat [sic] this opportunity.

This August we will see a processing plant in Las Vegas (NM) open its doors again. It closed several years ago as the move to centralize processing plants was the national mantra. Now, the pandemic has opened the eyes (and minds) of folks to realize how important a diversified regional food model is to our national security. We cannot have 85% of our nation’s meats processed in less than 10 plants. That is a system waiting for disaster. And COVID exposed that.

Now we are seeing a move, at least in NM (which is all I focus on), to open several local processing plants that have previously closed. This means a) less travel time and stress for animals, b) less cost/more profit for ranchers, c) more local jobs!, d) more animals that are raised in NM Stay in NM, and lastly, more diversity for our state’s food supply. This is a huge win for our state. We have seen so many losses due to COVID, we must celebrate every victory that we can get.

So look for our incredible beef and pork offering on the site right now. You will not find better quality, value, or mission anywhere in the country.

Another piece of wise Viking philosophy falls along the lines of “Let no good deed go unpunished.” Again, this rings in my noggin as we try to hire crew members in this challenging time. And let me pref-ace this by saying that this is not a political statement, this is a snapshot from a small business in a small state.

With the highest unemployment that this country has seen in decades, we have never had such a hard time hiring a crew. Read that again and let that sink in. The free money that is being handed out to Not work, is making it almost impossible to find people To work. It is hard on our business as we try to expand our services/offerings to more people through-out the state. I hope that this is just a momentary loss of sanity, but we need to find a better way to help people.

With that, if you know people who a positive force in this difficult time, please have them email me…

What else is happening around here?? All in all things are moving very well. We have our feet back underneath us after the first spike and we are ready for whatever comes down the road.

I cannot tell you how grateful and thankful I am for the amazing team that we Do have working (for you) right now. The nation is anxious. It is evident everywhere from the TV news to the supermarkets. But our team comes to work with a mission and with focus of what we are all up against. The stresses of life outside these walls are left at the door and our team is doing a fantastic job of filling your fridge and your family’s bellies. Rest assured that we have your back in these times and are looking at ways to better feed/serve you.

Thank you for your support and trust. We do not take that responsibility lightly. Stay healthy amigos!

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

On September 11th, 2001 all of our lives changed forever. Our world changed the trajectory that it was on. Life would never be the same as we knew it before then. And I know that I am not unique, but the way I viewed the world changed forever.

On that fateful fall morning, I was drinking my morning coffee and preparing to head out into the fields of Jubilee Farm (Carnation, WA) to harvest food for our CSA members that were coming to pick up their weekly share of the harvest. I, like everyone else in the world, heard what had happened. I did not, however, run to a TV to watch the aftermath; I went into the fields to harvest fresh food.

Whatever chaos was transpiring in our country did not change the fact that our farm members would be eating that week and they needed our food. And honestly might need our food more than ever. The seas were churning, and our small local farm needed to be an anchor for all of our families that relied on us.

As the raw emotion of 9/11 morphed into poignant memory, my life would never be the same. After seeing how folks loved the grounding nature of our farm, I knew that local food was a key ingredient to a happy/healthy community. And since that day in 2001, I have had a laser focus to promote local food every chance and in every way that I can. Many of you are probably sick of me blabbing about it all the time.

Here is the hard thing, when the world is calm and at peace, you might not even know how important local food is. In times of peace, you can allow yourself to say, “Oh, milk is .25 cheaper over there, so why pay more?” Well, this is why we support local producers. Food security.

For the past 17 years we have been fine-tuning our model. Building relationships with producers. Putting together the best crew that we can. And now we find ourselves on the front line. I know that you must have tons of questions, so please let me address as many things as I can for you.

Skarsgard Farms is an essential producer at this time. So please know that our food/service is not in jeopardy of being shut down. I think if anything there will be a move to more delivery.

Producers. I have spent a very long week talking with all of our producers seeing how we can help them and they can help us. And let me tell you that we are in a fantastic and safe spot. Rasband Dairy is committed to bringing you all of the milk that you need. We are NOT in a ration situation, so please relax and order the milk you need. We have plenty.

Burque Bakehouse, Sage Bakehouse and Swiss Alps Bakery have given us the thumbs up that their supply chain is strong. We will have All of the breads and baked goods that you will want/need. So again, relax and you will not need to stock up.

NM Grass-fed beef. We have ranchers with plenty of cows to fill our needs. We will cut no corners in this time. Same amazing beef we always bring you, fantastic supply.

The Farmers’ Markets are not looking good this season. With this, I am working with growers to take all of the food that they would have sold at the markets. We are ideally setup to help growers out who want/need the help. This week for example, you will see Seth’s spinach mix from Vida Verde Farms. Seth was an intern on our farm once upon a time and now is one of the premier local growers that call NM home.

All in all, our supply is looking great through this challenging time. We have built this local food model with the belief that we are stronger together than we are alone. And we have a truly amazing team to help keep you fed throughout this time. I urge you to try and relax and let our food be your anchor in the storm.

Housekeeping Notes. Our Orders doubled in a week. The demand for home delivery is insane right now. To help us, help you, I have changed All Order Cut-Offs to 8AM the day Before your delivery. No more express routes. Sorry, but I hate over-promising and under-delivering. This will help so much.

Delivery fees. Our crew is working like crazy to get your orders packed and out to you. And I realized that my Econ professor was right in that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” So to keep our service as strong as possible, I have eliminated free deliveries. Thanks for the understanding. We’ll keep trucking for you! Thank you for all the support. Be healthy and happy.

Farmer Monte

Wow! What a difference a week can make in our lives. Almost feels like we are in an avalanche of information and changing scenarios. I know that we have been inundated with updates of how businesses/sports/etc. are handling this virus, so you can add this newsletter to the stack.

Being brought up in a family of Vikings, we did two things in my family. First, celebrate Norway’s independence from Sweden on May 17th. And Second, never act (or overreact) emotionally. Relax, have a beer, and try to stay rational. So with my Viking code in place, I will dive into one of the craziest times that I can remember in my lifetime.

Our Goal: To make our warehouse a One-Way distribution center. Until there is better understanding as to how this virus behaves, I do not want to put any customer or crew member at risk from our foods and services. We have an impeccable track record over the last 17 years. We have never had a single issue with the cleanliness of our food. We aim to keep it that way.

So effective immediately, I have stopped the use of our reusable coolers. ALL orders will be sent out in our single-use cardboard boxes with no charge. Your order will be packed into a brand-new box. Never used before. These boxes are 100% recyclable through your municipal recycling program. Please recycle.

With that, I have asked our drivers to Not pick up any cardboard or Coolers left out. Hang on to your coolers and we will get the deposit issues worked out once we have a better understanding of the situation in front of us. But for now, we will not be accepting any coolers back into our distribution system. So please do not leave them out for the drivers or bring them to our warehouse. We will not be returning any coolers for now.

We recently launched the “Use Less Plastic” option for our customers who wish to limit their plastic usage. I have decided to remove that option for the time being. Again we will revisit this as we get more information from the CDC and State of NM.

Now, I have had folks asking me about measures we take to keep our warehouse and crew members clean. So let me address that for a few moments.

Our warehouse is a concrete bunker. I am not exaggerating. We are surrounded by concrete tilt-up walls, concrete floors, and even concrete roof panels. It is a tank. And we keep it clean.

Our crew is a very clean bunch. If the trade winds blow the right direction, you might even get a scent of lavender lotion. We all love food, respect the food, and are Very aware that our food ends up on your kitchen counters. We sanitize our prep tables 4 times a day and everyone wears nitrile gloves. You should rest assured that your food is taken care of properly.

But here is the biggest issue that can put your mind at ease…the Public NEVER comes into our warehouse food space. Ever. We have 16 employees who see and prep your food. But since we are not a store, no one comes into our space. Statistically a tomato is touched 8 times! before someone buys it. For us, it is touched once placing it in your order.

I will not hammer this topic all day but let me just assure you that there is NO better, cleaner, or safer way to get your food than Staying home, Ordering online, and Having us deliver to your door. It’s not even close.

OK, enough doom and gloom. I want to highlight a few things that happened this week that I know you will love. First, we had our new pasta machine delivered. Chef Steven is really good at making fresh pasta, I have to tell you. He made Beet ravioli this week that is some of the best tasting ravioli I have tried. We will be offering weekly specials on those guys and have weekly changing flavors.

Local Meats. We had fresh beef and spring lamb delivered to our warehouse. Incredible flavors, grass-fed, and supporting Local Ranchers. What is not to love about that?

The updated Scratch n Dent Box. “Farmer M., can we please know what is coming in the Scratch Box?” Yes, we have been working to try and find the best solution for this and we have a good one. We have increased the amount of produce you get from 8 to 10 lbs. Secondly, when you add that to your order, you will see all of the items that will be in the box. But, you will Not be able to customize. See contents, but not change them.

Stay Healthy & Happy, and don’t forget to laugh. Our bodies need it right now.

Remember “It takes a big man to cry, and it takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man.”

Salud, Farmer Monte