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I have received an e mail from a much appreciated long-standing supporter about our price increase of March, and would like to share my response. My guess is, many farm members would like to know why in this economic climate Farmer Donna would increase prices.

Donna:

What is going on with the dynamic invoicing price swings and increases? Are these rates expected to be stable for the next several months? Also, it seems like you just raised the rates……….

Here’s my response:

Hi ____,
I really appreciate your support and understand price increases effect everyone. Two and a half years ago, when diesel fuel was half what we’re paying today, the large basket was 40 a week. Now it’s 44.50.

Since fuel costs are a critical component of our produce delivery program, I don’t know what the future holds. Rumors of diesel going to $6 a gallon would certainly effect our weekly basket price, as well as everything else for sale in this country. The basket’s recent price increase was at the end of March and was a $2 a basket increase, pretty much a reflection of the minimum wage increase of January and the sky rocketing gas prices. Property taxes on our farm increase without fail, every year. Water prices have significantly increased in the last 12 months for farmers in San Diego County, due to the water shortage crisis. Fuel prices have effected deliveries as well as the farm’s fertilizer costs. In fact, anything at all that has to be shipped to us, has been increased. And all necessary services provided to us, such as soil analysis, certification, fertilizer deliveries, seeds, and animal feed have increased in cost, no doubt because of the minimum wage increase and fuel costs.

There was a time, early in my CSA days, when I ignored the fact that the CSA wasn’t paying for itself, or paying me anything, either for that matter. Hey, I was used to not getting paid, as the farm had never supported an income for me, even before I had a CSA, and had never paid the farm’s mortgage. I so love what I do, I just had faith that eventually as new plantings came into production, as I found markets for hard to sell rare fruit, and as I became more experienced in general, the farm would be able to pay me a salary and all of it’s expenses. For years, I worked full time, delivered a great product, and dipped into savings each month to make it all happen. That’s not working for free, as my husband has pointed out, that’s working for less than free.

I changed the model of the farm’s operation from farmers’ markets to CSA when he insisted I staunch the red ink or sell the farm. But with only a handful of CSA members, the red ink continued to flow. Not discouraged, I figured when I got enough supporters, and no fruit or produce was being thrown away, the bottom line would iron out. And it has! We’re closing in on 80 fabulous supporters, for whom I am really grateful. I have no choice but to keep a close eye on actual costs and pass them on to the community of supporters that want the farm to continue. That is the very definition of Community Supported Agriculture.

I am very aware that my farm is supported by people, many of whom are being hit hard by the current economic climate. I know there may come a day when I have to give up the farm if supporters are unable to assist me in keeping it going. I sure hope that day doesn’t come, but know that despite my love for the farm and passion for what I do, I am also running a business that has to be relevant and financially, not just environmentally, sustainable.

I think your concerns are valid, so much so that I’m going to post this on my blog. Thanks for letting me know what you think, surely lots of others are thinking the same thing.

Sincerely,

Farmer Donna

1 cup pureed kumquats

2 cups butter

1 TBS vanilla

3 cups sugar

10 large eggs

4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Cream butter with half the sugar. Then add the other half of the sugar, ginger and nutmeg. Beat at high speed for 4 minutes. Add eggs two at a time. At low speed, add flour until blended. Stir in kumquat puree. Turn into greased and floured 10″ tube pan. Cover with foil and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Invert and remove from pan and cool. Serve with strawberries and freshly made whipped cream.

1 baked shell, I use Trader Joes which come frozen in two packs. They’re as good as the ones I make myself and don’t have any preservatives or chemicals.

3 tbs. butter

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup pureed kumquats, seeds removed

3 egg whites

3 yolks

1 and 1/2 cup water

1 tsp. lime juice

1 pinch salt

3 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Combine water, sugar, constarch and salt. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil for around 2 minuites until thickened. Remove from heat, add juice, kumquats and butter. Cool a little and pour in baked pie shell.

For the top of the pie: whip egg whites with a little sugar and the vanilla. I add the sugar and vanilla after a minute or two of whipping. Whip until peaks are easily formed, and they are glossy. Spatula onto the top of the pie, making pretty peaks and put in a 450 degree oven for 3 or 4 minutes until golden.

Eat.

Adapted from the Kumquat Growers, Inc. Recipe site

Packed with wholesome food value, these are different and delicious!

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 and 1/2 cups REAL oatmeal (none of that weird already cooked stuff)

2/3 cup white chocolate chips

2 cups all purpose whole grain flour (I actually use half white whole grain purchased off the shelf from Trader Joe’s and half whole wheat berries freshly milled in my kitchen., using the Vitamix. I’ve discovered 100% freshly milled can be a little heavy. This is a function of the type of wheat, nothing else. On my to-do list is to find a California organic wheat grower that can supply the different kinds of wheat berries for different cooking needs )

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup pureed kumquats

(cut lengthwise, flick out seeds, add a little water to assist blending, drain off water)

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs to the mixture and mix well. Combine everything else except kumquats and chocolate. Mix well. Add kumquats and chocolate. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes at 375. Makes 2 and a half dozen.

This weeks pick ticket:
Limes, avocados, kumquats, radishes, navel oranges, baby lettuce and head lettuce, Swiss chard, golden and red beets, green onions, green garlic, cilantro, strawberries, and mint. Large baskets saw peas and the first of our passionfruit. Here’s something quick to do with kumquats: Throw a handful in the blender with water and a little powdered stevia and a couple sprigs of mint. Blend, sieve pulp out, pour liquid over ice, enjoy. Although I love raw kumquats, I have to admit the full flavor of the fruit doesn’t appear until cooked. I think that may be true, also, of quince. A kumquat marmalade will made a jam-eater out of just about anyone!

As we have been adding more and more row crop to our little farm, it was suggested we fire up the old Kabota tractor to so some of the heavy work. Son in law Duane, a professional rancher for many years, came down from Sacramento this week and took the time to give me his opinion. Could the Kabota be repaired, or should it remain a “lawn ornament?” It’s a pretty cruddy looking thing; you have to stick a knife in the ignition to get it to turn over, and it needs $1,000 worth of tires all around. There’s not much remaining of the seat and the paint is so faded it looks like it belongs in the trash heap. It’s missing part of the starter mechanism and a valve. He added up all the parts we need to get it running again, and it definately makes sense to repair. That’s great news. Daughter Tessa says the most important thing is new paint.

Plenty of the ususual stuff, but I want to mention a couple new things this week. There’s a strange looking lemon that has a little cap on the top. That’s the Pakastani Sweet Lemon. I use its zest; the juice isn’t really sweet, and it’s juice isn’t really sour. It’s the skin that’s to die for. Use a potato peeler and shave off every bit of the outer layer of skin. Chop and use in a number of different recipes. I like to add to my sugar cookies, imparting a scented geranium note that is very unusual. I also add to a basic olive oil and lime juice salad dressing. Or make a limeaide with the juice limes in this week’s basket, and then add the juice and very finely shopped zest of the Sweet Lemon.

There’s a bunch of young garlic greens that looks something like the green onions (also in this week’s basket). Use it chopped in stir fries, raw salads, soups, etc. to impart a gentle garlic flavor and aroma.

There’s a large head of Kale in each basket; use as you would Swiss Chard. And there’s a small bunch of Arugula. The last of the Moro Blood Oranges and Mandarins.

This week’s baskets: Our juicy, juicy limes, pomellos, avocados, peas, tangalolos, blood oranges, navels, baby heirloom lettuce, heirloom new potatos, young heads of lettuce, Swiss chard, turnips (large baskets) beets, radishes. I know I’ve shared the lime merainge pie recipe before, but am including it here because there’s so many new members.

Juice Lime Meringue Pie
Prepare a baked pie shell. For simplicity’s sake, I use Trader Joe’s ready-made. It doesn’t have any preservatives or chemicals and tastes the same as the ones I make myself. The following recipe makes a pretty tart pie. If you like your dessert a little sweeter, add more sugar.

Put into a saucepan: ¾ cup of sugar, 5 tablespoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup lime juice. Blend until smooth. Add 3 well-beaten egg yolks (save whites for the meringue), 2 tablespoons melted butter. ¾ cup warm water. Bring mixture to full boil, stirring gently. Mixture will thicken quickly. Remove from heat, pour into pie shell. Cool a little.

Meringue:
Whip egg whites until frothy, add 4 tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla with ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar. Beat until peaks will stand up and lean over only slightly. Do not over beat.

Spatula meringue over pie top, bouncing spatula over surface of pie to create pretty peaks. Place in oven at 350 until golden brown.

Eat.

Sorry to have to announce a small price increase this coming quarter of $2 per basket. Although operating costs have gone up a little in most areas, (wage, feed, fertilizer) fuel and delivery costs have doubled in the last year. Today, 3/17/08, diesel is 4.25 a gallon, with media commentary that higher prices should be expected soon. Effective for baskets delivered after April, 2008, small baskets will be 34.50, and large 44.50. I understand some of our fabulous supporters have to really budget thier food bills to participate, and apologize for the increase.