11/11/2023
Hi Folks!
Holly and I have some news to share with you all. I'm afraid it is time for us to get out of farming. This pains us to announce as the last 10 years on the farm have brought SO many incredible people into our lives. The support of our customers kept us going through the toughest of times. When we needed help the most, time and time again our community stepped up. Whether it was our Kickstarter campaign in 2016, our veggie oversstock crisis of 2020, or just people showing up to lend a hand when they knew we were falling behind... it all made a difference, it all meant the world to us.
Unfortunately we have gotten to a point where it is too much of a struggle. We had severe droughts in 2016, 2020, and 2022, followed by the wettest summer in over 100 years. The rains killed more than half of our crops, and accelerated disease through the remainder. We also continue to deal with the aftermath of covid and the impacts that it had on the restaurant industry, which has been our main outlet for produce since the beginning.
But when I look back on the last 10 years, I'm going to choose not to think about the hardships. I'm going to think about how lucky I am to have worked with the incredible people that helped us at the farm. The friendships that have resulted. The enthusiasm and creativity of chefs who were turning our veggies into something special. The kindness of the folks I would meet at the farm stand who were so grateful for what we were doing. I'm going to think about taking those little moments to watch my girls running around the fields and playing, and appreciate the beauty of it all. And having Holly by my side, someone to laugh with about how crazy it all was. Someone to lean on when things got tough and celebrate the victories with.
Finally, I'm going to remember just how much our crew accomplished despite all the challenges. In 10 years, we got our produce into 87 restaurants, 2 distributors, 2 school districts, 6 non-profits/food pantries, a grocery store, several farm stands/retailers, and even food trucks. Not to mention all the produce that moved through our farm stand and 3 years of a CSA program. 65,000 lbs of fall squashes. 30,000 lbs of pumpkins. 35,500 heads of lettuce. 42,500 lbs of salad mix. 76,000 lbs of tomatoes. 46,000 lbs of carrots. 38,000 lbs of zucchini and summer squash. 22,000 lbs of potatoes. And countless thousands of pounds of other crops.
Holly and I want to thank you all so much for everything. The farm stand will be open today and tomorrow for our last weekend. Much love!
