We have been busy this week, getting the online store set up so that we have another venue for pre-orders and CSA member signups. While it is very helpful for us to have an online ordering system where orders can appear in one place and payments are processed through the same venue, it does cost us more (in processing fees) than business-as-usual where we accept most payments in cash or direct etransfer. Because of this, we may have to consider raising our prices slightly this year to account for the change in how we collect the majority of our payments. We will do our best to not pass on the increased costs of doing business during COVID to our customers, because we want the food that we offer to be affordable for as many people as possible (while still being able to pay ourselves). If we do decide to raise prices, we will be very transparent about what the processing fees are, what other expenses we are incurring (such as sanitizers, masks, plastic bags, etc), and what proportion of our income these kinds of numbers represent.
In terms of our job postings, we are looking for people to work with us at market and at the farm. We have been planning to hire for these positions since the winter, but because of COVID, it is even more important 1) at market to have a second person present every week to take payments and help keep everything sanitized and running smoothly, and 2) on farm to have someone outside our household who is able to harvest and keep up with the most vital tasks in the event that we become sick.
So, check out the job postings on the Updates page here, and check out the store ("Shop" button in menu at the top). Pictures of all products will take a while to collect and upload. Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions!
Now on to the fun stuff!
We've been tilling, amending (adding compost and mineral dusts), and setting up irrigation.
The first greens are going out in the field under row cover! Salad mix and lettuces to start, brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, etc) and other greens to follow.
This week we'll be starting to pot up some of our perennials and flowers to 4" pots, getting more sections ready for planting, getting more plants in the ground, and hopefully working on our walk-in cooler and wash station. The 2 weeks before we are set to return to market are going to fly by! We will be updating everyone closer to the 18th about how exactly our market stand will look (very different from in the past, sadly, no more pretty displays).
Nice and warm in the greenhouse these days, but there's still ice in the hose some mornings!
Stay well everyone and dream of warm sunny days ahead when you can get outside.