I have recently had to go through an inspection with the local environmental health team, regarding my meat boxes. Unexpected calls like this are never nice, and although I was naturally a bit nervous. I also knew I had followed regulations properly and had the appropriate records to prove it.
Record keeping is something I feel passionate about, it’s not a fun or exciting part of the job but in situations like this it saves so much stress and you’re glad you’ve done it. So If you take one thing from this blog (and I hope you take lots) be it to keep good records.
The person I spoke with was lovely and really helpful. I know a lot of people dread dealing with these kind of officials, but in my experience, we are all working towards the same end, a fantastic local product, produced and delivered safely.
In the same way, I don’t mind that someone contacted them about me. If they saw something that worried them, they have every right to question it. Again it helps keep everyone safe and makes sure the industry maintains good standards.
As you can tell, I like to look for the positive in any situation. Farming is hard enough without focusing on negative thoughts. It also means I can find a learning opportunity and if that means I help another farm improve or avoid trouble, then even better. In this case, the call came at the same time as I am prepping to run another round of my “Box Clever” course. I realised I had a great opportunity to double check my section on transporting meat and hopefully add some more tips and information directly from the Environmental Health team.
Something the environmental health officer said during our chat stuck with me, and that’s
“ Folk hate seeing others being successful."
Sadly, she is right about that, although thankfully I think those folk are the minority but being on the receiving end can still be damaging.
On the whole I love sharing my farming life with my followers who are a great bunch but as things have gotten bigger, I have found the odd troll creeping in.
Social media plays a role in marketing and customer service. I have also decided to add info on handling social media negativity into the course, because how we handle these comments matters both for our business but also our own mental health. It doesn’t need to spoil our success.
Selling meat directly to customers is a great addition to a farming business, as well as being an amazing way to bring farming and food production to people’s attention.
If it’s something you’re curious about whether you’re looking to sell beef, lamb or pork, I’d love to help you.
Message me if you have any questions or just book on to the Box Clever group running on 11th and 12th November 7 pm on Zoom.