A few weeks ago, none of us could foresee the challenges our community would face as Covid-19 has affected our lives in so many ways! Last week, as the situation continued to unfold and the magnitude of impact became more clear, we farmers started to work on how we could positively contribute to solutions right here in the Northwoods.
Working with our software team at Harvie, we have created a weekly Farmstand option to have meats, Superior Small Batch products, bakery, and more delivered right to your house for those of you living in Duluth, Superior, Ashland, Washburn, and Bayfield. That's right - we'll deliver your boxes directly to your home and save you an unnecessary trip into town! This home delivery option will begin next week on Wednesday March 25, and will continue on Wednesday each week tentatively until the Summer CSA season begins in June.
To order these boxes, head to the Bayfield Foods website and hover over the Bayfield Foods CSA tab at the top center of the page. Under that tab, about 2/3 of the way down the list, you will see the option for Farmstand. Click that tab and you will be directed to the ordering page.
*Please note that the Home Delivery tab at the top is another option to have a limited selection of non-customizable meat boxes shipped via Speedee overnight delivery right to your door as well. Speedee serves most of MN/WI/upper MI, so if you have friends or family living further away that might enjoy Bayfield Foods meats delivered to their door please let them know about this option!
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This "Spring Season" is a little different than our regular Summer or Winter CSA seasons. First of all, there are several different options for boxes you can order:
1. A fully customizable meat box for $85, which can include value added items and produce, when available (we'll have a limited quantity of spinach and beets available this week!)
2. A mixed bakery box (not customizble) for $25
3. A 5# Superior Small Batch meatless-protein box (not customizable) for $35
4. A 5# ground beef box (not customizable) for $35
5. A 5# pork brat box (not customizable) for $40.95
All of these boxes are ONE TIME boxes (through the Farmstand feature) and are not recurring weekly or biweekly like our Summer or Winter traditional CSA boxes. You will only receive a box on the week you order it during this Spring season. When you order any number of boxes, there is a flat $10 delivery fee that will be added on to your purchase. This fee will not be PER BOX, but PER DELIVERY. If you order 1 box or 10, the delivery fee will remain the same.
We want you to know that despite these uncertain times, the growing season will continue! Sheep are lambing, cows are calving, and greenhouses are beginning to fill up with flats full of germinating seeds. Here at Great Oak Farm, lots of seeds are up and growing: early alliums like onions and scallions; hardy spring greens like chard, beets, and collards; as well as summer staples like tomatoes and peppers. We seeded the first round of carrots in one of our high tunnels a few weeks ago, and they should be germinating in the next few sunny days. The spinach we planted in the fall has begun to regrow for additional spring harvests. Now more than ever, as our notions of a globalized supply chain begin to be challenged, the significance of local food security has become increasingly clear!
If you know anyone who would be interested in getting locally grown foods delivered to their home this spring, please help spread the word! Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions and I'd be happy to help. We're all in this together, and we'll get through it together.
Yours in community,
Chris Duke
CSA Manager, Bayfield Foods
Farmer, Great Oak Farm
