David vs. Goliath: Small farms and false claims of meal delivery services

On Jan. 20, Western Nevada College hosted a workshop focused on the evolution of community-supported agriculture in the 21st century. There were around 25 participants representing farms and ranches from all over rural Nevada, Lamoille to Winnemucca, Fallon, Wadsworth and Reno. Every participant was dedicated to figuring out the formula in which CSAs can compete with national meal delivery services and farm box programs. It truly is a conundrum.

Participation in local farm-based box programs has declined over the last decade — while in the same period the societal values of supporting local businesses, responsible ingredient sourcing, respect for the environment, and sustainability are on the rise. A decade ago, farms with CSA programs were the only source for locally grown fresh produce — now the market is flooded with companies that offer home delivery of farm boxes and meal kits that claim to support local farms, invest in communities, and maintain sustainable environmental standards.

On the eve of the workshop, Walmart sent out an email promoting the new availability of subscription-free meal delivery programs and farm crates delivering seasonal produce sourced locally at small farms. The truth of these claims is suspect at best. I reached out to Farmbox Direct, Walmart’s partner in its farm crate program, with an inquiry about their sourcing. The response was non-specific — the claim that they sourced from local partner farms from around the country was re-iterated with the caveat that they did have to purchase produce from outside of the country to meet demand and to provide ingredients that are not available in the United States.

I asked for a list of local farms that were suppliers for their crate program — and they replied they do not disclose their partner farms. The problem with companies like Farmbox Direct and those offering meal-delivery services is that their marketing is misleading to a casual subscriber — they are not honest. The challenge for a small farm in competition with these national behemoths is combatting their huge marketing budgets.

The takeaways from the CSA workshop include: small farms need to sell their story, we need to support each other, and we need to expose the fallacy of claims made by national box programs.

In 2017, the Fallon Food Hub began administrating the Great Basin Basket CSA program. Twice a week, staff and volunteers would gather together in the barn at Lattin Farms. First, we would assemble boxes — sometimes as many as 100 at a time. Then, we would fill the boxes with produce grown by our friends at Lattin Farms, Pioneer Farms, Mewaldt’s Organic Farm, The Green Man, and more.

Frequently, our box assembly was interrupted by the arrival of Churchill County farmers delivering their produce for the boxes. During the summer season, it was not unusual for the pick-crews to pull up to the barn with a truckload of freshly harvested melons that we loaded directly into the NevadaGrown boxes. That is a true demonstration of collaboration, supporting local, and being environmentally sustainable.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Jan. 30 — Fallon Food Hub Strategic Plan Workshop, 5-9 p.m. Join us at the County Chambers to help identify the strategic plan for the Fallon Food Hub.

Feb. 2-3 — Nevada Small Farms Conference, Nugget Casino Resort, www.nevadafarmconference.com

Feb. 10 — Lattin Farms Craft Fair

Feb. 23 — National CSA Sign-up Day. Sign up for the Great Basin Basket CSA at www.fallonfoodhub.com, or check out www.csaday.info or www.localharvest.com to find a CSA near you!

March 22 — Healing Plants and How to Use Them, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Join us in the Barn at Lattin Farms to learn about medicinal plants and how to harness their benefits with Andrea and Matthias from Healing Spirits Herb Farms.