But totally worn out.
Sales of flour at the mill are skyrocketing- at least 15 times more than usual. For every one order two weeks ago I now have fifteen . And yes – we were in no way prepared for hundreds of orders a day. People are so afraid that their panic buying has extended to organic flours. Or maybe there is no flour in the supermarkets- I have not been near a store in weeks.
We have piles of wheat of course so there is no need to panic – I can send flour out endlessly for years – we grow it after all maybe people are afraid that deliveries will cease. I am working seven days a week twelve hours a day and still not keeping up. I have re- configured my systems and brought in two college girls to keep up with demand and I am not keeping up. But we are getting a lot of flour out onto the UPS truck every day.
I try to tell people that my supply chain is the field down the road / there is no need to panic about our flour. But every day more and more orders roll in. 
So this is why I am so quiet on the airwaves – I am a bit worn out.
Today I came home early so I could sit on the couch and send you a letter.
It is now that I realize the great safety in growing our own food. We have meat from our fields, eggs from our chickens, we grow wheat in the fields and already John has greens in the glasshouse. I sell all the duck eggs cheap to a restaurant who is making take-out pasta.
The pig food vegetables have dried up. No restaurant veges anymore. But they have plenty of sprouts and I am not fattening any hogs at the moment. Just the five pets. Sheila and Poppy. Tima and Tane. And Wai Wai.
The cows are good. Mr Flowers is Ok. The chickens are not laying too many yet but John collects 33 duck eggs a day – lucky I found a market!
I am going to work another half day tomorrow and get everything ready for another week of orders. The irony is I have no time to bake!
Well, I hope you are doing ok. There is so much to unpack but we are all too weary. Stay home and stay safe. Things have changed now, there us no point in complaining about it. I cannot get to my children and that makes me feel very anxious. But I need to get strong about creating a new normal within the parameters of our health crisis. Soldier on.
Love to you all!!
Tell me how you are doing. We all want to know how you are doing in all this.
Love love
Celi
If we take every challenge one thing at a time it is better. As a whole this is very frightening. But one thing at a time we will get through it.
The Kitchen's Garden 
63 responses to “I am here”
Funny you should mention the need to grow our own food. My husband and I were just discussing if and how we need to expand our already significant garden this year considering the current world circumstances–for ourselves and possibly to help our neighbors too.
Glad you are doing well. Take care and hold your loved ones close.
I agree! We will have a bigger garden this year too. We are being taught a lesson about independence
And when you’re planning, don’t forget a few flowers in the mix. No matter the state of the world, flowers can lift your soul. Plus they are great for the bees and butterflies and all those pollinators. My favorites are the giant zinnias, while my husband loves the cosmos, and of course there are always some sunflowers marigolds and nasturtiums in our beds too.
I sowed way too many Zinnia recently and potted some up today for cheerful gifts for neighbors when they’re nearly blooming.
I’m fine here, plenty of flour although the bakery is quite this time of year. It’s going to be closed for good now, I’ve sold the property and now about to start on a whole new adventure. Presently my plan is to buy some vacant land and live in a travel trailer while I build. It will likely be a couple of years before I can open a bakery again. I’ve a design in mind and it will essentially be a smallish building to house a bakery with living quarters. I’m going to use straw bales and cob to build this time, and put together precisely what I want and need. I’m hoping to document the process via youtube.
People here are getting frantic and some are doing the panic buying thing. In the country though most are more calm and pragmatic. Still, this is going to play out over quite a long time; we are just at the beginning of the mess.
Your plan sounds wonderful- I too hope to build on a patch of land in NZ one day and have always said I would build a big kitchen with a bedroom in the back. Isn’t it great to be able to create a place for yourself exactly how you want it.
Feeling very privileged to live in the country where food is accessible even when not home grown (still…) and I can go outside. I’ve been picking up lots of wild garlic which is great fro the general health. But sad to be separated from children and grandchildren. Hopefully not for long, but things are not looking good for the moment… Virtual hugs to all
Thanks for your update. 🤓glad you are well. Hard to understand all the panic buying. ? Hang in there. I’m staying close to home in the city. It’s Saturday night and the traffic is really light.
It must be eerie. But I am glad to hear you are ok.
Thanks, Cecilia!
Best wishes to us all. Stay in and stay safe.
I drive 10 minutes down the road then drive back so I am
Not going too far from home.
We have been on complete lock down for 8 days because my husband was sick and one of his coworkers tested positive. He didn’t have Covid19 and has turned the corner so that is exciting. I can’t imagine how exhausted you are but I am so thrilled that business is so good! Thank you for checking in, I have missed the farmy.
Hope everyone is safe and sound and that we will come out the other side soon!
xoxoxo
I am glad your friend is ok. It is hard not to be afraid of a sneeze now.
It’s those who insist on meandering about when they have The Cough that you need to be most wary of (but seriously, how do you know if someone’s been infected and they’re just not symptomatic yet?
Celia- good ti hear from you — but I think you need to take a breath. Is the flour sales increased so much due to the virus and everybody staying home?? Poor piggies – no veggies to eat. The ducks looking great!! Take a few hours of rest and stay healthy.
Cheers🥰🥰🥰
I will / thank you! At least we both have bob gardens to get out into!!
Please take care of yourself too and be well
Great to hear from you and that all is well. We are well, getting through daily knowing that things can change with each day. Have been making a sour dough start for the past few days so I can make good bread with few ingredients. Less trips out means less exposure. Working between a nearly empty office and home. My daughter has been FaceTiming with friends and doing karate classes online, reading and baking. Her school curriculum will be online this week so we will be trying to keep up on school work. Take care, stay healthy and get some rest.
Take care Miss C. We will come through this together.
The retirement community where I live is on semi-lockdown which means there is limited access from the outside and we keep our meetings to fewer than 10 people, plus other changes. We can’t even have family visits. But today your photos included my farm which made me happy!
My wife and I are hunkering down here in Colorado. Our new Governor is doing a mighty fine job of dealing with the CoVid19. Most everything is shut down excerpt gas, pharmacies and groceries. Neighbors are calling each other and checking in. Very nice to “slow” down a bit. Don’t forget another reason for your increased sales is due to YOU and your dedication and passion for getting the word out. Also glad you got some help. The “farmy” is what we all should have: a home grown, self-sufficient food source. Stay Well you and John.
Happy to hear from you!! I work for a small retail coffee roaster where we only sale beans , no drinks, and we have also been extremely busy and shipping coffee all over the states to former customers that moved away!! We have plenty of green coffee to roast but people are going overboard with their buying!! Be safe and remember to put your feet up every once in awhile!!
Great to get an update. And see and hear the farmy is functioning normally . . . the ducks ended up being a great buy, didn’t they 🙂 ? Thought your flour would be in high demand . . I believe none is on most Australian supermarket shelves alongside much usually in the ‘centre isles’ . . . meat also here, probably partly as a result of the bushfire crisis barely past. The cards have been dealt world-wide . . . it is a case of put-up and shut-up and ‘carry-on’ !!! Since I am ‘ancient’ enough to remember WWII I went fishing amongst my vinyl and have been playing Dame Vera Lynn . . . good value at this point . . .am certain your parents had all her records . . . ‘We’ll meet again, don’t know when, don’t know where’ was a favourite . . . and ‘When the lights go on again all over the world’ rings a definite and positive tone . . . .keep on being well . . and do occasionally come on line . . . best . . .
I’ve been using this as an opportunity to push people towards more sustainable farm to table living. I’m hoping this is a massive wake up call about the danger of globalizing food production, factory farming, and the inherent fragility of an economy that has outsourced most of the domestic manufacturing.
I’ve been advertising for the small farms we do business with as much as possible (as you’ve commented on) hoping that people make the farm-to-table switch permanently.
I’m sorry you are so exhausted! I appreciated the card in my last order. I hope that you all stay healthy and that this turns into a long term production increase!
Very glad to see you back for a check-in. Thanks for the duck video. It cheered me to watch them waddle around.