From the Fields - Thaddeus
Mandarins are so good. I remember in high school, a teacher asked me what my favorite crop was, and without hesitation, I responded “Satsuma Mandarins.” The smell of the petite, white blossoms in the spring is without a doubt the best smell in the world. The fruit, easy to peel, easy to eat and healthy for our body, is also amazing. Couple all of that with the fact we harvest them during a time of year when our farm doesn’t have a ton of other fruit options, and you can begin to understand my love for this crop.
The reality is that Satsumas are best harvested in October and November, leaving the rest of the winter fruitless until our Blenheim Apricots arrive. Since high school, I have learned that Satsumas are not the only Mandarins that are amazing. There are others varieties that harvest at different times — a match made by the gods! Clementines harvest in December and January. Murcotts harvest in February and March, and Golden Nugget harvest in April and May.
Yes! It’s time to invest in the future and grow some more Mandarins for you! The trouble with this type of crop is that I will plant them this spring, but will not receive a single harvest for over three years. The traditional method farms use to cover this gap is to have an operating line of credit with a commercial bank. We have this relationship, but many years ago saw an amazing opportunity to further the connection between the members of the community that define our shared food system — our Green Loan Program.
The idea behind our Green Loan Program is the mutually beneficial option for our customers to make secure investments and for our farm to borrow money to run a financially healthy business. Instead of us both turning to financial institutions, let’s strengthen the connection of our shared food system and complete these interactions directly with one another.
In simplified terms, qualified individuals can loan our farm money through our Green Loan Program. We then use the capital to bring farm projects to life. Investors can choose to receive interest paid in cash or in Farm Fresh To You credits. Licensed through the California Department of Corporations as a DPO (direct private offering), our Green Loan Program is a secure way to let your money grow while enabling our farm to grow too — win-win situation!
If you are interested in learning more about how your money can work for you, while also working for a local, sustainable food system, please reach out to us at greenloan@farmfreshtoyou.com for more information.
Enjoy your box this week and know we are working hard to provide you more than just great food!
Make sure to find us on Instagram @farmfreshtoyou and @farmerthaddeus
