I'm just back from a much needed 2 week, totally unplugged vacation. It was a rejuvenating and relaxing time and it felt really good to reconnect with my little ones Mina and Jake and especially with my hubby Josh. You know, after a vacation I'm always amazed at the realization of just how stressed out I was before the vacation. I guess after dealing with stress for a while, it gets harder to accurately gauge how stressful life's gotten- if I explained that well. Anyway, I highly recommend taking time for R & R with those you love if it's been a while. It's energizing for body and soul.
Now that I'm back to work, I'm getting ready for 2 days of test runs at Farm 2 Table. Farm 2 Table is a co-packing facility located in Kingston, NY and if all goes well, I will be outsourcing production of my gourmet products to these folks. I have mixed emotions about outsourcing production of my gourmet products. On the one hand, I have really enjoyed making the products myself and have found that very satisfying. There's nothing in the world like hearing folks say, "I tried your gourmet products and they're delicious!" because I made the gourmet products with my own hands, do you know what I mean? On the other hand though, being a one woman show has made it a big challenge to keep up with demand or expand the business further. I'm also nervous because I'll be making 20 gallons of each product- the largest quantity made at one time so far and whenever production is scaled up like this, there's always a risk that the pH of the batch will be off. If the pH is off, the entire batch will have to be discarded and that's very costly for this small business owner. Regardless though, I must overcome whatever challenges arise if the business is to grow and go to the next level. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
So this week, I'm a shopping machine :) I'm buying labels, jars, lids and all the fresh produce and other ingredients that will be needed and delivering everything to the Farm 2 Table facility. Monday and Tuesday next week are the big days. Keep your fingers crossed that the test runs go great and that the pH comes out just fine! I'll let you know how it goes.
Terry
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Terry,
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for a sample of new foods and are headed up to the Albany area this week, I highly recommend checking out the street carts and vans that local restaurants drive over and line the capitol building plaza with during lunch hours. Many restaurants show up daily with fresh food to any pedestrians looking for something good to eat. This used to be a standard for me when I worked a couple blocks away...
Cheers!
Boz
Thanks, Boz. I didn't know about the food/concession vendors outside the Capitol building but I'm intrigued to stop by and check it out. Sounds like great food and perhaps I may find new partnerships for Baron's International Kitchen there too. I'll keep you posted on that.
ReplyDeleteTerry