Over the years we have heard a bunch (no pun intended) of requests to bring in bananas. So we found a great grower in northern Mexico and started to offer them. In the first few weeks, 25% of all orders added bananas. So we knew the demand was there. But then there is the sticky part, bananas are the ONLY thing in our offering that cannot be refrigerated. They turn black. So how do we create a completely new system for just one product?
The answer is that on paper it worked out great, but in practice was another story. The bananas would come in at various levels of ripeness, we could not refrigerate them, and our ability to consistently deliver perfect bananas to our members was close to impossible. So I have to wave the white flag of surrender and let this item go. I apologize if you have been counting on these being a part of the box, but I want to set up systems to succeed and the bananas were a far cry from being able to succeed.
Another Harvest Box note that I want to mention is the surcharge items that we have added in the box. For the most part, we are able to provide a really nice fresh CSA box to you every week of the year for the standard $30/36/42 price of the Harvest Boxes. We can make things fit fairly well into that structure and all works out.
Well what happens when summer hits and we have growers with cherries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.? Those items, as anyone who goes to the store or markets knows, are more expensive and more of a seasonal splash rather than a staple. So being in charge of your produce happiness, I come to a crossroads—don’t offer these items because they are more expensive, or ask you to pay a small surcharge to bring all of the flavors of the seasons to your box.
As an example let’s look at strawberries. We can get you twice the strawberries in your order for just over $1 more to your cost. So we could get a smaller berry package that fits the normal cost of the box, or twice as much for $1.Last summer we dipped a toe in this water and trialed it when the cherries were in season. And folks got it and liked it. More fruit to enjoy for a small amount extra.
And this is just one example of the many. As consumers, we get better value when you buy more. Hence, Costco will sell you 1,000 rolls of toilet paper when you clearly only need 975. The produce world is the same. So when things are in season and they are at the height of their quality and flavor, I want to enjoy them. I want you to enjoy them. So I will ask you to pay a bit over the norm to enjoy some products that are out of this world. Lastly, you can remove any of these items from your order and keep the usual Harvest Box price. Thanks for understanding.
From there and seeing how we are upon the summer solstice, let’s take a look at how the CSA is shaping up to look this summer. For me, the CSA boils down to one word in the summer, raw. We have fresh produce all year, but the summer is the time when we tend to eat raw. Our ovens shut down until Balloon Fiesta and we try to take the heat from our kitchens and move them to the grill outside.
Seeing that trend, I try and make sure the Harvest Boxes mirror that tendency to eat raw. Very few items need to be cooked. No grill would be complete without the smell of onions and oven roasted potatoes, but other than that, we try to keep it cool and fresh.
Another primal tendency takes over too in the summer and that is being on the run. We nest in the winter months and fill our homes with smell of a crock pot. In the summer, we are on the go. So having fresh fruits, sliced carrots, and cucumber and tomato salads fit our lifestyles.
Cheers to the longest day of the year and to a truly magical time to be enjoying the abundance that Mother Nature gives us. We will try to keep up with your busy schedule this summer, and you amigos, stay hydrated and hungry.
Happy Solstice,
Farmer Monte