MS Ag Commissioner Visits NGF

SEE WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK FROM YOUR FARMER

• Order Deadline Reminder Email
• MS Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson Visits NGF
• Product Availability Update

Order Deadline Reminder Email – many times at order pickup we have customers come who did not finalize their order. So, starting June 2nd, we have added a note that reminds customers that IF you did not receive an email titled Thank You For Your Order (sent immediately after you finalize your order) then you have not finalized your order and we will not have an order for you at pickup. The Order Deadline Reminder email goes out every Monday prior to your order delivery date.

Received an email from a customer Monday, June 2^nd after the updated reminder email was sent - Messed up again on ordering bacon and chicken! I don’t ‘finalize’ my order…dumb dumb dumb! One day I’ll learn. Hate that. Glad to get eggs tho

We are simply trying to help folks make sure they have an order prior to arriving at pickup and be disappointed.

Commissioner Andy Gipson Visits NGF - Monday, Commissioner Gipson (Andy) visited our farm for the third time. First, was after he was appointed and Senator Hill and I were working to increase the poultry exemption for Mississippi. The second time was after we built the USDA poultry processing plant that Andy supported our LWT Grant which helped fund about 50% of the cost.

This visit was to support Andy’s efforts to both support existing farmers as well as encourage more people to farm and help feed our citizens.

Monday’s agenda started with an interview between Andy and me in front of our plant. Afterwards, he would sit down and discuss some of the concerns from our Small Farmer Network here on the farm – most of which were listed in my newsletter from May 10^th.

Someone who receives my newsletter had forwarded Andy the May 10^th newsletter where I offered my advice of our top three issues. Not long after my newsletter delivered to inboxes I received a call from Andy. During our brief conversation he mentioned that he had changed the MDAC Regulation on poultry to comply with the Federal Exemption of 20,000 per farm annually. Later that week he sent me a link to the regulation.

After reading most of the regulation I emailed him about a few points of concern which might have been worded better on my part since it “aggravated” him.

ALL of that to say, the first thing Andy did when he arrived Monday was come over to me, shake my hand, and apologize for his response to my email. That was huge for me and the other folks standing there because it spoke volumes of Andy’s Christian character.

We then had our interview and his video team recorded the interview and our plant (even flew the drone inside the plant as well as over our pastures). I’m looking forward to viewing the final product which will also be shared with our customers.

Some points I spoke to during the interview are:
* 100 years agoo there were roughly 110 million people in the USA. 35% plus had a connection to farms - most farms were small
* Today, there are 320 million and <2 percent have a connection to farms - most of which are BIG
* Farms follow laws, regulations, policy - in 1974 then Sec. of Ag Butz told farmers to Get Big or Get Out
* Wendell Berry debated him on this and stated you will kill the small farm and rural communities-and Berry was right!!!
* Very few "farms" raise & sell real whole food consumed by people-but is processed into stuff with lots of ingredients added
* In Mississippi only 2% of the food consumed in Mississippi is raised on MS farms. People's food purchases exceed $8.5 billion annually-that is a lot of low hanging fruit for small farms to capture
* Growing a decentralized Mississippi small farm base that sells directly to consumers is critical

Afterwards, Andy sat down with folks from our Small Farmers Network (I introduced them at the beginning of the interview with Andy). We found him very attentive and engaged and know that we have much more in common than not. For example:

• Andy’s family has a milk cow and they drink raw cow’s milk which is full of nutritious enzymes that closely mirrors human mom’s milk
• Andy believes Mississippi needs many more people farming. I agree 100% and without trying to say only “X” method of farming counts. Let the consumer decide how they want their food grown. The cream always rises to the top!
• Andy was open to our suggestions and stated he was very willing to do what it takes to help more folks farm. Frankly, it does not get any better than that.

There is a LOT of work to do to educate farmers all the way up the food supply chain to consumers.

As awareness grows “The need to reform our broken industrial agriculture system to build a better future for our food is paramount. The MAHA commission recognizes that the overuse of pesticides in America’s industrial food system is a critical piece of the nation’s health crisis and acknowledges the now well-established scientific evidence of the dire harm these toxins are causing children, public health, and the environment.” George Kimbrell, Legal Director of Center for Food Safety

At Nature's Gourmet Farm, our intent is to create a community that evolves around one of the most intrinsically important things of the ages, and that’s the provision of sustenance. That's our passion - to raise healthy food to nourish families and strengthen immune systems.

** Product Availability Update **

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

Chicken - Restocked May 28th. Next Restock will be June 11th

Turkey - Hatchery is now taking orders. Have poults scheduled for June 9th and August 6th. Additionally, Thanksgiving whole turkeys are on order for late October delivery.

Eggs - Restock each Tuesday prior to your delivery date. Note that we are stocking Corner Market Hattiesburg & Petal locations

Beef - Next Restock will be June 22nd.

Pork – Next restock will be June 11th.

Lamb - Restocked March 27th, just in time for Easter. Next Restock will be September 2025.