Farm Delivery Program for Locals!

In a surprising new twist, Runamuk is now offering a weekly Farm Delivery Program for locals! Fresh breads, muffins, cookies, leafy-green pea shoots─and whatever other farm-products I have available─delivered directly to the home of participating local customers. Whaaaaaat!?

Originally I’d intended this program to begin in the spring of 2020 with the availability of vegetables. However, I’ve recently resumed my old bread-making habit and as I was kneading a batch of dough one day, I had a sudden revelation. Other folks might also be interested in farm-fresh bread made with a list of ingredients they can actually pronounce. Gasp!

The more I thought about it, the more I realized bread is a staple for most households, and something which I am more than capable of producing. What’s more, my kitchen is already licensed for home processing, and I’m insured under my farm-insurance policy. Quickly following on the heels of that thought, was the same Theodore Roosevelt quote I’ve followed for years:

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

On impulse I posted to facebook, offering white, wheat, and oatmeal bread to the Kingfield and Madison communities. The response was tremendous: 29 loaves that first week!

And so, I’ve decided to run with it. Each week I’m offering up whatever I can produce, whatever I happen to have available to local customers through Runamuk’s new “Farm Delivery Program”. I even made up a “fancy” list which gets printed off and included with every delivery so that customers know what options they will have the following week. Check it out!

This list will change just a little each week, and will vary greatly from one season to the next. Some things will always stay the same─like the breads, for example, but the offerings for cookies and muffins will vary to keep things interesting. Then, when the growing season comes back around, I will add vegetables and honey, etc. to this list as they become seasonally available.

It’s a pretty exciting turn of events for this farmer. Knowing that I’m increasing local food access in this part of rural Maine where I was born and stayed is intrinsically rewarding for me, and hugely motivating.

In rural regions across the country, accessing quality local foods can be a challenge for many folks. While Maine is blessed to have an extensive network of fabulous farmers’ markets, the further inland you travel, the farther locals have to travel to reach those markets. Often it’s not feasible for people to make the trek some 30 minutes or more to the nearest farmers’ market. Sometimes schedules do not line up with market days. Other times the cost of market-goods is out of reach for locals of rural regions where low-income households are more prevalent. By keeping Runamuk’s prices affordable and offering this delivery service, I’m hoping to make eating quality local foods more attainable for a broader spectrum of households.

Local readers: For more details on how the program works and how you can get Runamuk’s farm-fresh products delivered directly to your door, check out the Farm Delivery Program page.

Thank you for following along with the story of this female farmer! Be sure to subscribe by email to receive the latest from Runamuk directly to your inbox. OR follow @RunamukAcres on Instagram for a glimpse at life on this bee-friendly Maine farm!