Can You Say Freight?

Over the last several years I have been asked "No... Really... Do you do all that stuff?" I respond with the polite yes... roll my eyes and move on. I am not sure anyone can fully grasp the scale of what we do here unless they actually see what we do. Just yesterday a friend asked me what I was doing. It was 6:55 in the morning and as much as I would have loved to have said drinking coffee swinging on the porch with my feet up... that wasn't the answer. It was more like I am up in the rafters propping HUGE bags of peanuts up for later use talking to you like an idiot. Obviously I shouldn't have answered the phone having myself in such a precarious position. Oh well... if I fall whats one more broken bone. Add it to the list. Anyways... to make a long story short we are CONSTANTLY asked if we make our drieds ourself or "is this stuff from China?". Well... folks its NOT from China. Our wares are made right here in Troy MO. and in a partnership with farmers. Basically we take the cast off's that can't be sold to grocery stores or food producers like Ocean Spray. Ever wonder what happens to the pomegranates that Ocean Spray rejects for juice? Well look no further than my front door. Yesterday we took delivery from a farmer who had a ton (literally) of cast off fruit and vegetables. This artichoke has a brown spot, this apple has a blemish, this persimmon has a bad color to it. No problem... we can use it. Waste not want not and lets help out the American farmer in the process. So... having had all these questions over the years I thought I would share with you the scale of what we do to put it in perspective. Remember... this is but one load of produce and we do this all year long. Just wait until I show you the oven pictures. I completely understand the meaning of sweat shop when the ovens are running for days at a time and its 90 degrees outside. Not to mention its 105 in our building. GREAT in the winter time... HORRIBLE in the summer.



While we were moving freight yesterday someone actually stopped and asked us if we were in the "Pie Business". Hmmmm.... Maybe next year. LOL.