With the economy in the tank, we all have to tighten our belts. We run a tight ship here, so there is little to cut. What we can do is constantly look to see if we can be better and more efficient at producing and delivering your boxes each week.
Jose and I spent time Saturday morning looking at where we can make improvements. This is not the time to spend money, but we discussed a few strategic investments to save us time and make the crew happier by making one of their  least favorite jobs easier. The prime target for investment is a tool to pound in the tomato stakes (for trellises). Nobody likes to do this—it’s extremely difficult and time-consuming. Since no one enjoys the work, the stakes tend to drift further apart from one another as you move through the field. This means the crop isn’t supported well enough. The fruit can get sunburned if the plant falls or sags on the support strings. I am now looking at ways to drive in these stakes with a machine.   
The photo above is the result of our seeding machine which sows 12 rows of lettuce on one bed at a time. This has dramatically improved our lettuce harvest.