03/28/2026
Dear Friend,
I want to share a little about the imminent threats to the existence of many farmers and to the national and global food systems right now and one way you can help.
With the Middle East war raging on, oil supplies globally have been severely compromised. Along with oil for fuel are many side products critical for the global food economy that are rapidly disappearing. Ingredients for conventional farming fertilizers, plastics for almost every step of farming and many other items that are in short supply or not able to travel globally as they could before now.
With the massive migration crackdown happening in the USA farms are struggling to find workers. Many farm workers are staying away from their workplace out of well-founded fear. It is estimated that dairies employing immigrant workers produce 79 percent of the nation’s milk supply.
One local organic produce farm has been bringing the same families over from Guatemala for 20 years. They undertake the onerous efforts, not for the faint of heart, to navigate visas, work permits, provide housing and much more both here and in Guatemala. This year the visas were not awarded in a timely manner and planting season does not wait. This is just one example of a business and many people's livelihoods under existential threat as I type this.
The farmers we work with have a mix of staff, some entirely family, some a mix of local and migrant workers and others any combination of these. Their costs have skyrocketed this year. We are all suffering from inflation and I have kept our share prices the same, impacting Boxed Organics also to a point of crisis, in an effort to keep this viable. All our farms have doubled their fuel surcharge in the past two weeks, the extra cost of being able to grow and farm will be reflected in the continuing upward trend of their prices to us, no doubt.
However, here's a big advantage we have. We work with local farmers! The chain of delivery is them to us or, at most, them to a local aggregator, who we have worked with for twenty years, to us. Our transportation costs are therefore way more limited than buying from further afield (literally). Our farmers practice organic and sustainable farming methods so they are not reliant on conventional fertilizers and pesticides whose costs and availability are rapidly changing. They do have many rising costs, I can't and won't sugarcoat that but, if we can support them then, in addition to all the benefits to us of this amazing food, we are literally helping them afford to put food on their families' tables. We are helping them farm in ways which are kind to the planet, help offset climate change by nurturing the soil and supporting an environment pollinators and wildlife can live in.
When I ask you to join us for Spring Session it's not just about keeping Boxed Organics going, your membership is a critical component in so much more.
Sign up now for Spring session, invite your friends, neighbors, people you chat with in lines. Together we are making a positive difference.
Spring Session runs from April 24th through June 19th. Then we'll roll straight into Summer Session. Everything you need to know is here www.boxedorganicsnj.com
Melina Macall
Founder Boxed Organics
