27 March 19, 2011 Harmony Food & Produce Co.
60 East Dakota Junction Road
Chadron, NE 69337
308-432-3640
www.harmony-ent.com
harmonyfoodandproduce@yahoo.com
Dear Friends:

My calendar says that Spring is just around the corner, but the tree buds and birds have been saying for some time now that Spring has arrived early!

I have mentioned before how I love this mix of solitude and socialization that this type of farming affords. I enjoy the interaction and the associations formed by meeting and serving folks like yourself.

It has always been true that I try something new each year and I usually encourage each of you to contribute to that process with your comments and suggestions; this year is no different. First I’ll mention that I have decided to do what many other farms like mine have done; I am looking for someone who would like to participate in a farm internship. This will be a negotiated seasonal commitment. For those who are interested, I can provide a description and application for further consideration.

Once again I am offering CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) packages. For those of you who have not yet heard of this yet, allow me to offer a brief explanation. CSA’s are basically a food package subscription service. They allow the customer a priority share of the harvest throughout the season at a locked-in, one-time (per season) price. The customer receives a bag of “in-season” produce once per week , delivered to their home, office or agreed-upon pick-up site. They are also offered the opportunity to visit, work and learn on the farm, if they choose. The farmer(s) benefit by having commitments by which they can plan and make business decisions, as well as having some up-front revenue to help with cash flow during the most costly time of the farm business year and avoid borrowing with related interest costs.

This brings me to my next point: If you have received a copy of this newsletter by postal service, email or read it on the web, I really need to hear from you by April 15. I will be making some important farm decisions at that time and your commitment (or lack of) will impact those decisions. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in this matter- thank you!

Some of you have asked about farm tours and my answer has always been, “You bet!” Just let me know of your interest and we can set a time for you to visit.

This is my now my 17th year of farming and I enjoy it just as much as when I was only dreaming of it. I am grateful for the support, encouragement, friendships and patronage that many of you have offered. A number of you commented last year how low my prices were on different items and services- my accountant said the same thing a few weeks ago! Although I don’t measure the “success” of the farm strictly in “dollars and cents”, it must be factored into the overall long-term sustainability and viability of producing this type of food for folks like you and your household, in years to come- it must make “dollars and sense”.

The first batch of baby chicks will probably arrive by the time you receive this letter, and in a short time from now I am hoping to see the birth of this farm’s first calf. The steers are growing and the chickens have really “upped” their egg production. Those of you in the Chadron area are invited to add your name to the “egg list” for delivery now! Please make your chicken, beef, egg and CSA orders soon- it really helps with planning. Note the attached order form.

Thank you again for your confidence and appreciation of what I do. I look forward to seeing each of you again soon.

Truly,


Lyn Miller
Harmony Food & Produce Co.


Harmony Food & Produce Co.
2012 Order Form

Quantity Item Unit Price Total

________ CSA Summer Season- Chadron $270.00 __________
________ CSA Summer season- Rapid City $325.00 __________
(Summer season June 2 through
August 11, 2012)
________ CSA Autumn Season- Chadron $270.00 __________
________ CSA Autumn Season- Rapid City $325.00 __________
(Autumn season August 18 through
October 27, 2012)
________ Eggs- Dozen per week -11 weeks
Summer $ 38.50 __________
Autumn $ 38.50 __________
________ Broiler/Fryer Chickens Six for $ 60.00 __________
(birds average 3.0-3.5lbs each)
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