A new year. A new decade. What will our canvas look like 10 years from now? Can’t wait to find out.
I do have to say though that I love when the holidays are over. I am not really good at sitting around the house watching lint collect in my bellybutton. My body and spirit feel better in motion. Not very Zen Master of me, but I am ok with it.
For me, January is a time of reflection and a time of optimism. What have we learned from the last 12 pages on the calendar? And what kind of new adventures are in store for us? So seeing as how it is freezing outside and I have a fresh cup of coffee, let’s dive in here and look at a few things.
What a year of learning. And I feel like I end up saying that every year, which I am hoping is a good thing, albeit humbling. We moved into our new warehouse early this last year. What a change this place has brought to our systems and to our crew. The movement between people and food has come together in a special way I have to tell you.
Because of this better Food Flow, we have been able to add some great projects to the mix. 2019 we launched our Fresh Juice program as well as our Meal Kit category. In less than a month, those new additions grew to over 18% of our sales. Truly incredible to see these additions become so popular so quickly. And the energy continues into the new year, so check out all of the new faces that we are bringing you on the site.
I feel like we are at the convergence of two big movements right now–the Artisan/local food movement along with Convenient food. I really think that these two forces are shaping the future of food. People are looking for more convenient food choices, but they don’t want crappy fast food either. So the vacuum that has been created is for quick meals (or already prepared foods), healthy offerings, at a good value for your money. Fine dining is transitioning in this country to more interesting flavors in a casual way.
This trend is perfectly suited for what we have built over the years. We are high quality foods in a very approachable way.
So in 2020, look for a lot more energy and focus on Meal Kits and a launch of a Prepared Food line. The idea (to begin with at least) is a seasonal fresh deli with a lot more Grab n Go options. Use the prepared foods to be the Synergy among all of our suppliers. If you think about it, in one sandwich you can support a local farmer, baker, dairy, and rancher in one bite.
This is the reason why Wendell Berry reminds us that “Eating is an Agricultural Act.” What we choose to eat shapes the way our vegetables are grown, our animals raised, and our food produced. As I have written about many times, our dollar bills are essentially votes. Where we spend our money, we in turn cast our votes. It is the purest sense of democracy that we have.
With that, I have to tell you that New Mexico is (and has been) very supportive of the small agricultural producers. I have seen many farms and local food businesses in other markets close due to a lack of support. Not many home delivery companies still out there when 5 years ago there were tons. So personally I am grateful to have started this mission (and was born) in a community that values food choices. You should feel proud of all that you support too. Because the Mom n Pops could not do it without you. Keep up the good work!
Lastly, we had a driver out this week and so I had the opportunity to grab the keys and get some deliveries done. I wanted to share with you a cute story that happened. I was delivering an order to a customer’s house and their neighbor also was getting delivery. The young girl (maybe 6 years old) who lives at the house saw the delivery van at her neighbor’s, she ran outside and (patiently) waited for her order.
It made me smile and think of how important it is for our kiddos to love and be excited about their food. I can promise you that if you love food at 6 years old, that girl will make better food choices throughout the rest of her life. Sure she might eat cheap ramen in college or live on peanut butter and jelly for a month straight at some point…But her folks are giving her a relationship with her food. And that amigos, is priceless.
Enjoy the adventure with your food! Farmer Monte