The Magic Meat Truck Dies Again
02 April 2023
NeverStill, Oregon
Well, that didn’t last long. A mere 60 minutes after scribing my email post yesterday morning rejoicing that “The Magic Meat Truck Rides Again”, I was pulled over on the side of Highway 30 near the Lewis and Clark bridge across the Columbia River from Longview, Washington with a blown engine. A little over an hour later, Carl’s towing arrived to transport the Magic Meat Truck to Pro Automotive and Diesel in Scappoose, Oregon where the incredibly helpful and friendly staff diagnosed that our engine had blown a cylinder and would need to be replaced. The good news is that 53 thousand miles and 57 months into a 60month/60k mile warranty, the replacement will be covered by FoMoCo.
Devastated
This is not how we expected the week to go. But as Rose wrote so presciently hours before I left the farm yesterday morning, it is wise to allow the River of Life to carry us forth to new opportunities. The devastating blow that the Magic Meat Truck will need a new engine is of course drastically softened by the good news that we remain within the warranty period and will receive a replacement for free. The total cost to us after towing bills, diagnostics and other expenses will be relatively modest, perhaps $3-4000. However, the existential threats we now face are primarily twofold:
First and foremost
The thousands of dollars of perishable product that we were forced to pack up and bring back to our storage facilities at the farm. Because we were on the way to our first sales of the weekend, the truck was loaded to the hilt with gorgeous cuts of perishable steaks, roasts, chops, sausages, duck, cheeses, pâtés, salumi, bacon and charcuterie. All of these products have a decent shelf life of 7-10 days, but without a means of transporting them to markets and selling them, we are in a very difficult position.
Secondly, and most difficult for us in our current plight, is the lack of revenue.
We are one hundred percent dependent upon the sales through the meat truck for the income and livelihood of our family. Sadly, having stretched ourselves to the limit to make the purchase and move to our new Nehalem River property, we have very little in the way of savings or financial buffer. The loss of one weekend of sales is essentially catastrophic to us financially. The loss of potentially multiple weeks of sales while the truck awaits a new engine is unfathomable.
Being resilient and creative farmers, we immediately have set ourselves to the task of solving this vexing dilemma.
We humbly request your support and following as we navigate this challenging situation. Many of you have reached out asking how you may directly support us in this time of crisis. Here are three ways:
I. Order from our Online Store.
You may create an account and browse our store selection here:
