First, we wanted to let you know we have all sorts of beef back in stock and some new things too. The online store is freshly updated and you're welcome at the farm any time. We will also be at both Clinton and Hamilton Market this week with all the goodies if you need anything. Scroll down for more on what's available right now...
Second, have you seen Jaws? If so you might remember the scene where they first spot the shark and then realize exactly they're dealing with. The man tossing chum into the water gets an eye-full and then slooooowly backs into the wheelhouse to flatly tell the captain, "You're gonna need a bigger boat."
We haven't seen that movie in years but we've been thinking about that scene a lot in the last few days. It seems like a good metaphor for any situation in which one realizes a different plan is needed. And it's looking like we might need a different plan...
Just a few years ago a small farm like ours could eek out a decent living by selling at farmers markets. That no longer seems to be true. All the local farmers we talk with have theories on how and why this change occurred, but we're not sure there is any one answer. Sometimes things just change and that's OK. What we do know is that when we come home from market and tally the books, we feel a lot like the man in Jaws realizing we need to do something different. It makes us sad to write this but it's true: farmers markets alone no longer pay the bills. Something needs to change.
So friends, where to from here? Since we farm for you and with you, we thought you might like a say in what the new boat looks like. As your farmers, how can we make it easier to support local farms?
Some ideas we're considering:
on-farm store/farm stand -would you be willing to come to us?
cooperation with other local farms for more diverse CSA/farm store offerings - we can't do it all and other local farms have great stuff.
more structured online ordering opportunities and home delivery
farm tours, farm dinners, and homesteading/farm skill classes
shipping...
others....?
If you have any ideas and a second to reply to this email, we'd love to know your thoughts. What works for you? How can we serve you and others in our community better so we can better pay the bills and keep farming for years to come?
Thank you so much for being here and for the gift of your time and support. We truly couldn't do it without you, nor would we want to.
Sincerely,
Your farmers - Kelly and Adam and Silas
Here’s a photo from yesterday's sheep move. They are currently grazing a field without any trees so we build them a new shade structure in each daily paddock. Bella and Cosmo are doing their jobs beautifully and the fields are bonkers with butterflies! High welfare farming is hard work but it certainly has its perks... :)
