Greeting Farm Fams!
Welcome to Week 1 of our newly expanded Great Basin Basket Farm Share season! We are so excited to welcome new subscribers into the program and to welcome back our returning subscribers.
We just want to take a quick moment to congratulate you on taking the step towards participating in a very real way with our regional food system. Not only are you at the start of an amazing produce journey, but you should feel good about spending your food dollars with agricultural producers in our area--it is not as 'usual' as you might think.
Over the course of the next 11 months, we will share with you stories about your produce and the amazing people who grow it. Our farmers are a proud bunch and they should be. The produce that is grown and harvested by our partner farms is fresh & delicious, picked just for our program, and are varieties that are specifically selected because they are the tastiest varieties.
As we have in past seasons, we will supplement with produce from “local” farms in California. We like to pick from small family farms that are within a 400 mile radius (what the USDA defines as a local foodshed). Don’t fret, we are only doing so until our local Nevada farm partners have their produce available and are harvesting a sufficient variety and quantity to meet the needs (and expectations) of our subscribers. Brrr... It’s still cold out there, but we promise you won’t be disappointed in our produce we picked for the first week of the season.
There are a few changes to the program this year that we want to tell you about...
First - you may have noticed that we are launching this years box significantly earlier than in years past. We have expanded our program and aim to deliver boxes of local food for 44 weeks in 2022. As part of this transition, we have shifted to a "pay-as-you-go" format because with a (mostly) year-round program, we anticipate that there will be times when you are traveling or have other reasons for not needing a box delivery. With pay-as-you-go, you will never be charged for a box you don't receive, which eliminates a lot of the work that we and our partners at Harvie were doing to facilitate credits and refunds.
Second, you may also have noticed that we are using the word "we" alot! The food hub is growing and we have added to our team! Our newest addition is filling the role as the farm share coordinator and will be handling the day-to-day operations of this program. I (Kelli), am thrilled to introduce you to my friend Ashley Robertson. Ashley is a Nevada born gal who spent a majority of her life in Fallon! She and I were worked together at the Slanted Porch restaurant where we both developed relationships with local agricultural producers and cultivated a love for local produce. She and her husband, navy pilot "G-Rob" have just returned to Fallon after spending a few years in Lemoore, CA. Ashley will be your point of contact for most issues that might come up over the next 11 months, but rest assured that Kelli is still around helping, advising, supporting, and guiding!
Third, we have made some changes to the types of subscriptions that we have available. We are now offering "regular" and "large" sizes of our "Local Food Box." We eliminated the coffee and egg subscriptions and will start to deliver flower subscriptions in the early summer months. Coffee and eggs (and other locally made foods that are not produce) will be available to swap and add into your boxes each week. This way, we don't over promise and under delivery (#Eggs2021) and you won't end up with a subscription that is either providing you with more or less than you need at any given time.
I know that we are getting a little long-winded with this first farm happening... there is just so much to tell you about! But in the interest of getting to the important stuff like What's In Your Box, we will try to wrap it up!
Fruit Breads of the Week
B-Ann Lattin asked us to help her move through her stored inventory this week, so you will find a WIDE selection of available fruit breads including cantaloupe, pumpkin, lemon, zucchini, and banana varieties.
Coffee of the Week
We are continuing our partnership with Telegraph Coffee here in Fallon and have increased the diversity of coffee offerings. You have a choice of three different varietals including coffees from Guatemala, Kenya, and (Kelli's fave) Ethiopia. All are roasted to medium - tasting notes are included in the descriptions of each coffee. Pick the one you think will be your favorite or order all three and do a taste test!
Featured Produce
There is quite a bit of produce coming in from California this week. We also sourced some potatoes from Oregon. As we move into the season, you will see the sourcing shift to feature more and more produce from our Nevada farmers. We do have a good selection of winter squash from Fallon including sweet dumplings from our friend Scott at Pioneer Farm, stripetti and small wonder squashes from Rick at Lattin Farms, and NEW NEW NEW kabocha squash and autumn frost from Farmer Bob at Dexter Family Farm.
Thank you for joining us on this journey and, as always
Thank you for your support of small family farmers (especially those in our great state)!
Kelli and Ashley
