April Farmer's Perspective: Tyler
April has been busy to say the least. Not just at the farm but in my home life as well. My wife and I are expecting our first child in just a couple weeks (scary even saying it!) and while we’ve been preparing for a new family member, I’ve also been preparing to be away from the farm team for a couple months (my family away from home).
I’ve seen Spade & Plow through all sorts of seasons, literally and figuratively, and got to experience many of the joys and hardships that come with startups. For the last 3 years, I’ve had my hands in everything from farmers market, CSA pack line, driving routes, shed and farm logistics. Now, as spring and my newborn approach, I’ve got a large task ahead of me preparing to step away.
Lunch break with some of my teammates in the shade of the box truck.
So April, for me, has been filled with all sorts of preparations and behind-the-scenes tasks: getting my brain down on paper, standardizing many of our shed processes, and helping train new hires. I’ve been working with Alejandro to nail down our inventory spreadsheet and make sure it’s utilized correctly and efficiently. This helps us see what we’ve got and what we need for all 3 of our sales outlets, which is especially important during peak season. I’ve also been putting a lot of time into refining our customer service standards as our CSA program expands down to San Benito and Monterey Counties. This has been a big task but rewarding to see how many new sign ups we’ve been getting each week! Lastly, I’ve been helping to support Jenn and Sam as our wholesale partnerships are increasing. Many new restaurants, supermarkets, and other partners are interested in getting produce from us and, while that’s encouraging, it requires us to have all our stuff together. Crossing Ts and dotting Is- we’re getting better at it with each step.
Some big steps forward for us this month have included offering more variety in CSA (blueberries from Coastal Moon Farms, Vertigo coffee, and continuing rotating pastries from Midwife & the Baker). This variety is crucial as new customers continue to sign up and want the most from their box. It also has required us to share tasks and communicate as a team better. More variety equals more preparation, ordering, and training of pack-line members. As a small team, we’re continuing to get better at communicating both the big and the small.
Farmer Mike and Peter Van Dyke catching up at the TP sale.
One of the biggest wins from the past month was our 3rd annual transplant sale! Though I didn’t play a huge part in pulling it all together, I got to watch and support my team as they made sure all the seedlings were pre-ordered and ready to be planted in their new homes. Along with the transplant pick up, the team set up a super awesome farm stand at the Van Dyke property and got to meet some new neighbors at the sale. Peter Van Dyke, legendary farmer and owner of the property, said his mother would have been proud to see the barn being used like that. While it’s hard to believe, by the time those baby plants start producing tomatoes and peppers, my baby will already be a couple months old!