|
2023 was Daybreak’s fourth year in business and thanks to the support of our farmers, customers, staff and community stakeholders it was a massive year!
| |
|
Highbush blueberries (not as susceptible to frost), brassicas thrived, fall flowers (sunflowers, zinnias) did great, robust and high quality leafy greens, onions thriving with lots of summer rain but became susceptible to disease in storage from continued moisture. Late start for nightshades but solid main season supply, good season for potatoes (more rain=fewer pests, late arrival of potato bugs) but some rotted in ground, radish loved rain and cooler temps in start of summer, sunshine delayed sweet corn but rebounded.
Apples saw 60-90% loss due to May frost, summer carrots/celery choked out by weeds from constant early summer rain, peaches/plums near-complete loss from sub zero temps in February, strawberries challenged early season, non-everbearing did better than ever, never enough of a supply of asparagus but we managed to get some to all our customers in the early summer. Zucchini and summer squash were more susceptible to disease and the wet summer equaled shorter shelf life for winter squash and pumpkins.The wet summer also proved a challenge for soil fertility management and delayed plantings of fall roots resulting in shorter supply of some winter crops, while our carrot producers had an abundant harvest. Sweet potatoes, one of Maine’s “newer” storage crops, seem to be in solid winter supply and are such a treat in our winter Farm Boxes.
Despite the challenges that are inevitable each farming season, because of Daybreak’s collaborative sourcing model and crop planning we are happy to report that we were able to still provide customers with those crops that were especially challenging this year. The only crop that was a complete crop failure being peaches - let’s keep our fingers crossed for 2024! We anticipate this collaborative model will be increasingly important as variable climate increases and our partnering farms work harder than ever to weather the storms.
See Bangor Daily News Op-ed "Farmers are on the frontlines of climate change" here.
| |
What Did Farmbox Members Like Most in 2023? | |
|
DAIRY - yogurt and specialty cheeses, cranberries, honey, asparagus, GREENS - leafy & salad, (big year for spinach), flowers!, blueberries, sunflower oil, BAGELS (gluten full & gluten free), and specialty crops like chicories and winter radishes making modest but notable gains!
*items in italics available to customers now and many months of the year if not year round!
| |
Join us at the Ag Trade Show! | |
Are you a farmer or producer interested in being part of what we do? On Thursday, January 11th from 10am - noon, join us at Maine’s Agricultural Trade Show to learn about working with Daybreak and our sister wholesale company Peak Season. | |
|
From Simply Recipes, we like this colorful, fresh version of the classic garbanzo bean-packed dip. Before serving, drizzle with Yost sunflower oil and enjoy with Maine Crisps, toasted slices of Vesper sourdough bread, or carrots from one of the many farms we partner with!
INGREDIENTS
8 oz beets (about 4 medium beets), scrubbed clean, cooked, peeled, and cubed
2 Tbsp tahini
5 Tbsp lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp lemon zest (zest from about 2 lemons)
Generous pinch Maine sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Sunflower oil for drizzling
DIRECTIONS
- To cook the beets, cut off any tops, scrub the roots clean, put them in a covered dish with about 1/4 inch of water in a 375°F oven, and cook until easily penetrated with a knife or fork.
- Peel the beets once they have cooled.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings and ingredients as desired.
- Chill and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
| |
Pick-Up Site Spotlight:
Maine Beer Company in Freeport
| |
|
Starting January 3, swing by Maine Beer Company in Freeport to pick up your local and organic farmboxes! Just outside of the bustle of the downtown, plenty of parking, and of course awesome brews and pizza, this is a great place to have an excuse to visit!
Sign up here to start getting your farm boxes every Wednesday at Maine Beer Company from 4:00-7:00pm.
| | |
Orders must be picked up during the published pick up times.
Don't see a pickup location that works for you? Start a new one!
Contact us if your community is interested in setting up a delivery location. If you are in Central or Southern Maine and near our current delivery route we’ll happily consider it! Learn more.
| |
|
When our team talks about one of the favorite parts of what we do at Daybreak, our food access work and efforts to feed all Mainers Maine-grown food is always a highlight.
This is a central tenet of our work, allowing us an additional channel to distribute food in an effort to help meet the crop planning expectations we set with growers before the growing season.
In 2020 we were a CoFounding partner of Waldo County Bounty and each year for the past three have distributed $60,000 worth of produce to 16 hunger relief organizations in our home county to ensure our neighbors close to home can access food from farms.
In 2022 we expanded this effort Statewide through a USDA Local Food Purchasing Agreement grant in partnership with the Maine Department of Agriculture. This expanded our reach to every corner of Maine and an additional 80 hunger relief organizations served!
In 2023, we are incredibly proud to report that through the LFPA partnership alone we purchased and distributed over $200,000 worth of Maine-grown foods to over 100 hunger relief organizations Statewide! This included over $50,000 distributed to the five Tribal Communities in partnership with Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness and over $20,000 to Maine Medical Food Pantry, where the majority of the clients are asylum seeking new Mainers. We are thrilled to be able to continue this program and these partnerships in 2024!
| |
What do you think would be a good addition to the Daybreak Box lineup? | |
Here at Daybreak, and beyond in the many fields and facilities of our producer partners, we work hard to keep local and organic food in your homes year-round. With this week’s storm meaning that now all of Maine has seen its first flurries, you might be wondering what that means for available inventory. It means that we get to highlight some of the wonderful value-added and specialty items, proteins, and cheeses that might get overlooked when summer's juicy tomatoes and strawberries are taking center stage!
Now is a great time to try something new when you customize your Daybreak Box.
What do you think would be a good addition to the Daybreak Box lineup?
We would love to hear from you! Let us know in the form here!
| |
Reach out with any questions or for assistance! | We're always here to answer any questions you may have or to assist with online account navigation and subscription adjustments. | |
|
Maine Grown Local & Organic Foods Delivered Year Round
www.DaybreakGrowersAlliance.com
| | | | |
