Chicama Run Family Farm

At least 1 time per week I get a phone call from an over-zealous new chef with a brave new idea who wants to use local farm ingredients.  I say over-zealous because, well, they all seem to think this is THEIR new idea.  Hate to break it to them that I know of some restaurants that have been using local stuff for YEARS.

So anyways, I always turn them down and they seemed utterly SHOCKED that I have the nerve to do this to THEM.

Here's our reasoning.  We HAVE worked with A restaurant.  We LIKED working with them (and we still like having drinks with the owners).  However, it became non-feasible for us to continue.

See, I can sell all my eggs at $4.75 per dozen pretty much every week.  So why would I wholesale them for $3 per dozen?  Yes - it would be a 1 stop drop off and I'd be done.  But did you know there are certain rules and taxes if you wholesale BULK eggs?  Seriously - extra paperwork (which I wonder sometimes if people ever actually pay attention to).

Moving on to beef.  We raise a certain number of steers for beef per year.  This insures that the quality of the beef I present is consistent EVERY package.  It's all incredible (and that's me being egotistical - but heck - it IS amazing!).  If I were to increase production to make sure I have enough to supply restaurants PLUS our customers, well something would have to give... and I'm not willing to give up on quality - sorry...and I like my customers so I'm not dropping them!

The same thing with beef applies to pork... but it actually just takes so many pigs to produce a certain amount of products.  Everyone wants bacon.  Well there is only 7-14lbs of bacon per pig.... so how many pigs would I need to raise?  See why a containment system is good for bulk products?

Lamb and goat?  Well we don't butcher nearly enough per year to supply anyone but ourselves.  We sell all our lamb within the 2 weeks after butchering - so why wholesale?

Lastly, they want me to transport the product to them.  Do they think we have unlimited people available to drive out to DC or Fairfax to take them a couple hundred dollars worth of product?  Flat out - I don't.  I'm lucky that we got help for the market this season.  Running a farm and having a family is a full-time PLUS job.  There is no extra time and emergencies can happen which need my attention and I can't worry about a delivery if I am worried about a cow giving birth who is having a difficult time or a kid who is sick.  Yet their menu depends on my delivery and I wouldn't be able to make it.  Too much pressure.

It doesn't mean I condone the chefs that are searching - and I hope they find farms that CAN provide them with what they are looking for.  There are a lot out there that are just starting who would probably RATHER deal with just a couple of chefs vs the thousands I deal with every week.

There is a way to make it work - but it's just not going to include my farm at this point.