Community IS Something You Can Give

Lot's of very positive comments from last weeks Newsletter. Vanessa gave me permission to share her reply. Here goes-

You have known my stance. They are trying to modify us to break our connection to our Creator. To be "unnatural" is to be without God. The definition for "sin" is "without God". These modified foods may be without the light of God, but I think no matter how injured we are, we can always find our way home.

Where Attention Goes, Energy Flows. It's what I have always lived by. Our energy/attention is very valuable?

We started selling beef from our farm in 2010. Along about that time I subscribed to Acres U.S.A. magazine.

Acres is a long-standing magazine known for its eco-friendly articles from noted leaders as Dr. William Albrecht. However, for the past few years - until January of 2024 - the quality of the magazine had decreased. Then, in January's issue we learned that Acres had been sold to a Wisconsin regenerative farmer named Taylor Henry.

He has done an awesome job turning Acres around. His Executive Editor - John Kempf - wrote a really good article in the June edition titled "Regenerating the Capacity for Stewardship". The basis of the article is that regeneration is much broader than just soil health (principles).

Regenerative is about regenerating relationships at all levels, including soil biology, microbiome and plants, livestock and the landscape, between people and the landscape, etc.

John writes, "Relationships that are not fully functional are relationships that are very transactional. When I say "transactional." what I am trying to communicate is an "I scratch your back and you scratch mine" kind of relationship. This type of relationship is looking for reciprocity-it's ultimately based on how the relationship is going to serve me, rather than serving the greater whole. An inherent function of transactional relationships is that, on some level, they are also inherently extractive. They are always looking for one's own benefit".

Contrast to self-serving relationships is relationships that are symbiotic-that are collaborative and cooperative. Here, organisms, people, organizations all serve the greater whole for the greater good, rather than exclusively for their own self-benefit.

John used the term Heart-to-Acres ratio. Think of it this way. If we want to engage with the land as caring stewards, that means we need to have a heart connection to the land. You may call it something else, but the point is that we need people who care about the land to be involved-many people-many more than we have today. This is the crux of the issue -- we do not have enough stewards today nor coming along in future generations.

Why? There is not enough economic energy flowing into rural communities. Just a few weeks ago one of our long-time Flowood customers shared that a row crop farmer in her area retired and made a deal with a solar farm enterprise because his children were not interested in farming. To truly have regenerative agriculture, the first link in the chain must be to regenerate the capacity for stewardship - more young people in rural communities caring for the land and compensated well.

I listened to a Mike Rowe clip a while back and he said we have a shortage of plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians. Today, they are making $60 to $100/hr and they do not have any college debt nor a worthless degree that won't get them a job.

Not having your A/C working or a toilet that will not flush is bad enough. But, can you imagine a food (of any kind) shortage? The three things people require to live (in this order) are: oxygen, water, and food.

I'll close with this quote from John, "To be part of these expressions of community requires a frame of thinking. This is not something that you receive. This is something that you give. This is something you contribute. If you want to be a part of a community, you have to contribute to the community".

** Product Availability Update **

NOTE: Restocks are made about 6 PM on the dates indicated below!

Chicken -Restocked July 10th. Next Restock is July 24th
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Turkey - Sold Out! New poults arrived, but will be months before ready. Demand popped and I dropped the ball on this one.

Eggs - Restocked each Wednesday. We are well stocked on eggs - especially large at this time.

Beef - Next restock will be July 18th. Half Beef added to store for July 30th harvest

Pork - Restocked fresh cuts July 10th. Link sausage July 14th. Cured items about July 22nd

Lamb - April 17th lamb did not work out. They were only 50 lb live weight or about half the weight needed for slaughter.