Farm + Flour
Cloverdale’s Farm Fresh Local Food Service
The first day Mendocino County’s shelter-in-place order took effect was also supposed to be the last day of Shannon Moore’s lease on her commercial kitchen. After over a decade supplying Cloverdale with cupcakes, pies, cookies, galettes, cakes, and other edible delights through her baking enterprise, Flour Girl, Shannon was ready to slow down, have a rest, and explore some new options.
One new project includes managing the Cloverdale Farmers Market. The small Tuesday gathering has historically been held in the lot next to the popular coffee spot, Plank, in Cloverdale’s charming business district. Small and intimate, the market enjoys a loyal following of customers for the farmers and other vendors (including Flour Girl) who sell there. The market was in the midst of its certification process when the former manager retired earlier this year, and Shannon was willing to step in to keep it alive.
Like so much else that was derailed by the pandemic, the year-round market was suspended when shelter-in-place orders came down, and ultimately the decision was made to cancel it for the foreseeable future. “It was just too many logistical things for us,” Shannon reflects. The market will return once conditions allow, but in the meantime, the link connecting farmers and other food vendors from their customers was broken.
The solution for its repair came via a phone call from Shannon’s friend and Cloverdale farmer, Rebecca Bozzelli of Lantern Farm, who suggested creating a farm box program where members receive a weekly box of local goodies. At first the partners started small with just produce and baked goods, but the project quickly evolved to offer much more. While customers can get the typical CSA-style farm box full of the best of that week’s harvest, they can also add all sorts of other a la carte items, including Flour Girl cupcakes, cookies, and galettes, as well as sausage, sourdough, olive oil, mushrooms, preserves, and handmade pasta, all made by local Cloverdale food businesses. Customers can even add non-edibles like t-shirts, soap, candles, and flower bouquets to round out their order.
Members can log onto the Farm + Flour website starting at 10am on Thursday and place orders through Sunday at 5pm. Deliveries and pickups happen on Tuesdays. There was high demand from the start, with news of the new food operation spreading through social media, email lists, and word-of-mouth. Says Shannon, “Everyone is so grateful we’ve been offering this outlet for people to get fresh, locally grown produce.” Meeting the demand while building out the business has been challenging for a two-person venture, making the support of friends and volunteers indispensable. The website was developed pro bono by a friend, and even the delivery drivers are volunteers.
It’s tempting to think of Farm + Flour as the Cloverdale Tuesday Farmers Market online, but Shannon is quick to point out that it is an entirely separate project. The endeavor allows Cloverdale farmers (as well as bakers, butchers, and craftspeople) a place to sell their goods, and it gives area residents a place to buy locally produced food.
While it looks like the relaxation Shannon was seeking won’t happen any time soon, she finds this new adventure deeply satisfying. It’s even possible that these types of hyper-local food hubs become the “new normal” as we move into an uncertain future, providing a much-needed marketplace where farmers can sell to their local communities.
Farm + Flour | FarmAndFlourBoxes.com
Photos courtesy of Farm + Flour.
