The Flour That Saved Us
While doing some work for our new online course, The Homesteader's Annual, I stumbled across the vlogs we made at the start of lockdown and I was taken back to that strange feeling we had in those early days. The uncertainty and worry and adrenaline of both losing a part of our business and work and watching the world change. Looking back, April, May and June were a cloudy blur of sourdough kits, flour and back breaking work...but also connection, stories of people getting flour when they couldn't get out and baking bread for friends and neighbours.
Those orders saved our business. As we issued thousands of pounds of refunds for events and retreats, we knew we could still pay the rent and bills and feed the animals. But more than that, it felt good to do SOMETHING, you know? Something that meant we could help in a small way.
We became a "proper" e-commerce store - shipping hundreds of parcels a week. Kits, meat, soap, but mostly flour, flying out all over the country. Part of me loved this - its exciting to have orders going out and to pack pretty things, but the other part of me has at times struggled with mistakes in orders, shipping problems and negative reviews. I am not made of tough stuff and that is ok.
While other shop items have been continued to be busy, as flour has returned to the supermarkets, those orders have slowed down. Its been a good time to reasses what works for us and what doesn't. A few kits have been taken off the shelves, a few new products cancelled and as this last pallet and our last order of flour boxes dwindles, we've decided not to reorder large bags of flour.
And as quickly as we mobilised, we are decommissioning that side of the farm's business. Once these 16kg bags of flour are sold, we will go back to focussing on the kits, online courses and few select farm-made goods that we do best and are "from here".
I am really proud that we met this need in our local and larger community when it was most required. And I know that we can do it again if we need to, but mostly my back is really glad that it will not have to unload another tonne of flour from the courtyard! Oh and the small bags will still be in stock for awhile as they are used in our selection boxes and subscription folk, we will be in touch separately.
I have listed all of the remaining flour and yeast at cost price on the website. Locals, we aren't doing collections at the minute as the logistics are a bit tricky now the kids are at school! Sorry.
All the best
Kat
