A couple of things are really starting to affect us here on the farm. The first is cheap organic produce arriving from Mexico, masquerading as local produce. These are in the stores with local farm labels, and on the back is a little stamp hardly visible saying Produce of Mexico. Competition is great, but when the farms in Mexico pay only 10% of the wages we do here it makes it very difficult for us to compete and pay everyone here a decent living wage for California. This is getting increasingly difficult for all farmers. We have to produce more from everyone’s time here each day. One way is to use labor saving devices. This harvest rig makes it more comfortable to pick many of the vegetables that we harvest and quicker. We are leasing it over four years at a cost of $630 per month. More details to follow when we get it fully assembled in the next couple of weeks.
The second thing we are aware of is that with the Codex changes to food safety, we will no longer be allowed to have our harvest crates touching the soil. Now the last time I checked your delicious food was grown in the soil, even so, in the future once it is picked it must never come into contact with soil again. This harvest rig will carry the crates as we move along the beds harvesting it.
We strive to bring you the very best from our fields, produced in the most ethical and safe way possible, for everyone involved and we thank you for your support!