Yup, it’s another unexpected COVID challenge

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posted on

August 10, 2020

***We need jars. If you pick up or get door delivery, please read at bottom about how to return jars.***

The COVID pandemic just keeps on giving us new obstacles to overcome. It is a true test of resiliency and community.

First, farmer Aaron dealt with a spontaneous increase in demand. The staff rose to the challenge of fulfilling double the amount of orders. They are amazingly dedicated. You can read about all they did here.

Then, the large scale meat processors closed. Small meat processors became overwhelmed with new clients wanting slots and current clients wanting more slots to meet the increased demand.

Whew - I’m glad we have meat inventory under control. FYI, Miller’s Bio Farm is extra prepared with meat and has some exciting ideas for securing meat processing in the future.

Next, ice packs were in short supply for odd reasons. One ingredient to make the ice blankets comes from China and was unavailable for some time. And, one ingredient to make the ice packs is used for hand sanitizer and was in short supply.

Egg cartons were mysteriously sold out. We don’t really know why this happened but assume it was a breakdown in the supply chain. I’d have to say, our pickup customers rose to the challenge and sent us hundreds of egg cartons for reuse (You know who you are, and thank you!).

There have been shortages of coolers, refrigerated vans, and many other odd things....

But now… our current shortage is JARS!!!

Why are there no jars? Have people been stockpiling them? Are more people canning at home? Is there a material that isn’t available to manufacture them? We don’t exactly know why.

If you pick up at one of our locations or receive door delivery with a private driver, we would very much appreciate it if you returned your jars this week. Instructions are below.

Thanks all your support and your help working through the challenges of the pandemic. The Miller’s team is here for you and committed to remain a reliable food source.

One big lesson I’ve learned from the pandemic is that life is about community.

I cannot rely on the big systems set up. Big agribusiness, healthcare, government, education… they are showing many weaknesses. They are broken systems.

It’s my friends, my family, and the small farms, businesses, and organizations I support that are truly helping me now. Together, we are re-inventing new systems that are sustainable, successful, and reliable.

What unexpected challenges have you faced in the pandemic? What’s helping you through this incredible time?

All the best to you and your family,

Marie (and the Miller’s team)

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HOW TO RETURN JARS

*Pickup location and door delivery only

1- Put the jars in a bag. This is really important. If they happen to break en route, it makes it safer to clean up.

2- For pickup, put the bag in your cooler or give it to your driver. If you use a paper bag, the cooler must be dry. For door delivery, give the bag to the driver or leave a note with instructions.

3- The farm staff will wash and sanitize the jars for reuse.

*We do not offer credit for jar returns. First off, it’s an administrative nightmare. Second, it takes a considerable amount of time and energy to clean the jars for reuse and is not financially sustainable.

Opinion

Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Not a fan of the confusing, greenwashed labels in store? Yea, me too! And it's especially real for me, because I'm responsible for getting our labels approved with the "powers that be". Here's a little story with a big inside scoop... I made new labels for our bone broth a little while ago. It didn't go as smoothly as planned. Why? I put the little icons about our farming practices on them. They look like this: Yup, despite being 100% accurate and true, they were denied!! We're not allowed to put those statements on our food labels. So, I asked the USDA guy, "What would it take to get those claims on the labels, anyway?" The answer was kinda shocking. First off, there's some guidance on wording. Silly technicalities in my opinion. For example, you can't use the term "No Spray" but you can say "Produced without the use of synthetic pesticides." Or another example is that you can't say "No Routine Antibiotics or Vaccines" but you can say "Raised without routine use of antibiotics or vaccines." Second, the processor needs to update their documents to provide traceability. In other words, they need to document how they make sure the bones for our bone broth don't get mixed up with bones from other farms. I mean, this is pretty simple, especially with small batch foods like ours. But the documentation needs to be meticulous. Drafting it in government-approved language can be time consuming and/or costly. And lastly, once you get the wording and process right, you need proof. This was the real shocker for me: Want to know what proof would suffice for all the claims above? A 2-3 sentence affidavit (AKA a super short letter) signed by all farmers that supply us. That's it!? This lead me to a bunch of questions: What if a company submits a letter from one farmer but actually has other farmers that supply them, too? What if a company changes farmers? Will they submit new letters?What if a company's farmers change their practices in the future? Will they immediately update their labels?Are the "powers that be" checking on this? Is anyone checking on this?Is this why most farms and food facilities don't allow outside people coming in? It seems to me that, if a business isn't doing what the label says, the only way to find out is via a whistleblower. And the only way to make them stop is to take them to court. You know, like what's happening with Vital Farms and their pasture raised egg claim right now. It seems to me that, all that good natural stuff on labels - grass fed, pasture raised, antibiotic free, etc - doesn't mean it's true. Certifications are a little better, but the same kinda thing can be said about those, too. This is why, at Miller's, we choose to NOT sell in stores. No wholesale for us. In fact, we don't even have an on farm store. We only sell directly to our customers via our website. And, we choose to only get certified for what's required. This way, we can make our own natural standards. And, we can provide you will all the info and proof you need. Descriptions, photos, blog posts, test results, and more. So, what do you think? Should we do the affidavit thing to get claims on our bone broth labels? What proof do you need to feel confident in your food choices? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - just start typing) or contact us 😊

Yup, it’s another unexpected COVID challenge

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566