[email protected] (909) 547-4163

Farm2Mountain Big Bear

Warm weather means summer produce!

Updated 4/30/2020

**New pick-up time 5:30-7:00 PM at BLT’s**

Since the farmer is overwhelmed and under-staffed, we are not getting direct delivery to Big Bear and have to pick up the produce in Chino, and the order hasn’t been ready until after 3 PM most weeks. With traffic increasing and temperatures rising (making it harder to keep produce cool and fresh mid-day), it’s better to plan on picking up produce a bit later. We will work our hardest to deliver by 8:30 PM on Tuesdays, and extra helpers are being brought on to accomplish this.

**You can help us find your home by making sure lights are on, house numbers are easily visible from the street and well-lit, and any additional instructions are included in the order notes when you place it.

Ready for delicious fresh-from-the-fields summer produce?!

The farms are experiencing summer temperatures already, which means delicious summer produce is coming soon! Strawberries and blueberries are already here, and more items will be added soon. Check these email updates as items are added.

Order issues

Thank you for your patience with recent orders as our volume tripled and quadrupled overnight, new helpers have been brought on at every level of distribution, new processes are put into place each week, and there have been inevitable growing pains! Please–if you have an issue with your order or delivery, let us know ASAP! Some things we can fix, some we can’t (like the fact that the farmer’s new helpers only put 5 oranges instead of 5 lbs, or 8 zucchini instead of 8 lbs. this week–sorry!).

Crate return

Many of you probably have empty crates stacking up or stored from past orders, and if you find them they can be returned to BLT’s any time you pass by. If you are ordering regularly, the crates can be traded out at your next order. You are always welcome to transfer produce to a bag, box, or other container to avoid having the crate.

Visitors who will return home soon…

If you have been a visitor in Big Bear during the covid19 stay-at-home order, please return your crate before you leave Big Bear. If you wish to be removed from the Farm2Mountain email updates, just let me know as well. You are always welcome to order if you return!

BLT’s discount coupon & additional grocery items

BLT’s has  been including a 10% off coupon for your next takeout order there. If you select the delivery option for your Farm2Mountain order on Tuesday and call in your food order to BLT’s Tuesday by 6:30 PM, your food will be delivered with your produce at no extra charge if you request that. You may clip the coupon from this post, or get a paper copy when you receive your order. Just mention it when you call in to place your takeout order.

To serve the community right now, BLT’s is also selling fresh eggs, milk, a few veggie items, and a selection of restaurant-quality bread items (English muffins, croissants, Texas toast, squaw bread, bagels, and more!). Check it out when you pick up your order.

Safety measures are in place

Especially during this time of coronavirus concern, extra measures are being taken to protect the Farm2Mountain produce from unnecessary human exposure, which will probably become the new standard procedure (speaking as a committed germaphobe, this is good news!). Produce is sourced from local farms and packed into the crates at an open-air agricultural facility with just a few workers in Chino, then loaded into my vehicle from a forklift. It is covered with a clean plastic-lined blanket that is only used for this purpose and brought straight to Big Bear where individual orders are sorted (CSA boxes aren’t changed unless additionally ordered items are added). Anyone interacting directly with your food once it’s in Farm2Mountain’s possession is wearing gloves and a face covering. (The crates might be handled without gloves, which is ultimately safer since disinfecting hands with sanitizer or soap between items is better than re-using dirty gloves or wasting a new pair with each customer.) The sorting space at BLT’s is away from activity, and customers picking up orders are on the other side of the room. Orders that are delivered directly to customers are covered in the delivery vehicles and drivers wear protective gear. Big Bear has done a good job staying isolated and virus-free, and we are working to keep it that way!

How to clean produce

To clean your produce, a few drops of natural dish soap in a sink of water will be enough to wash off anything lurking on your food. Thick-skinned produce can soak a few minutes, leafy greens just need a dip and swish, and thin-skinned produce can be dipped and wiped or soaked quickly. Rinse everything well. Vinegar can turn leafy greens black if it’s used as a veggie wash in too high a concentration, and it might not kill viruses. Soap-based cleaning products will strip the virus of its outer coating and kill it.

Pick-up information

Orders can be picked up by customers at BLT’s Restaurant at 41799 Big Bear Blvd in Big Bear Lake, near Summit Boulevard, between 5 PM and 7 PM on Tuesdays on weeks that deliveries are scheduled. Produce arrives in the farmer’s crates, so bring a container or bags to transfer into if you don’t want to hassle with returning the crate. A supply of reusable bags and boxes is available.

Direct delivery to the address you specify for shipping is available for an additional $5, which is selected at checkout.

Do not hesitate to contact F2M about delivery needs: 909-547-4432 (call or text).