It’s August, and our summer production cycle is drawing to a close. As we reflect back on the experiences of the summer, we are thankful that we were able to overcome the challenges thrown our way and give our customers an even better experience than the year before.
There were days of stress—days where our spring planting schedule was skewed thanks to the rainy weather, where we didn’t accomplish everything we wanted to in a day, and where we faced pest problems. We battled weeds and won, learned to plant in six inches of mud and all types of weather, and fixed technical and website issues. All of these experiences taught us patience and perseverance.
One thing we worked hard to fine-tune this year was our packaging practices. We appreciated the positive customer feedback we received, and took their advice to heart by changing when we harvest and how we store the produce until delivery. Now, our vegetables arrive at your doorstep fresher and crisper than ever—and knowing this makes us happy.
A highlight for the year was our incredibly successful brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower) and our tomatoes. The cool nights and steady rain we received this summer made the brassica crops take off and stay strong to ward off any pests and diseases. At our peak, we were picking 300 pounds of store-ready tomatoes per week from our greenhouses—not including the yields we harvested from field-grown production!
Through stresses and success, we can say with confidence that it truly was a good summer. As Ryan put it, “Every single curve ball that was thrown at us, the Lord really helped us and everything worked out.” Each new success or failure serves as a learning tool, and inspires new ideas, systems, and practices that we are researching and implementing to make the future of Freedom Foods even better.
