Restock Dates: Please see our Farm Blog where we post our weekly newsletter for the latest updates

Really Bummed Out Friday Afternoon

written by

Ben Simmons

posted on

July 19, 2022

We all have our Good Days and Bad Days. It is a fact of life.

This Friday was a triple bummer day for me.

First, about four weeks ago Moises started working for us. I knew in the first few days he was going to be a great addition to our farm. He caught on real quick and took the lead. If he had not performed the task before he watched closely and asked questions to clarify his understanding. Then, he would perform the task exceptionally well. He earned my trust and was someone I could hand responsibility to and know things would be taken care of.

Then, before he left Friday afternoon he told me this would be his last day. Boy did that take the wind out of my sail!

As a small farm, there is not many of us here to get the work done. And when one drops out abruptly the rest of us feel the impact.

While Moises is a big loss to our farm he will be a big plus to Georgia Pacific (there is no way I could match what they can offer for his family). So, we thank him for his time and wish him well.

Secondly, today is Ben's (NOT your farmer Ben) big day! After giving 20 years to the U.S. Coast Guard he has retired and is moving back home to fulfil his dream to farm. We first knew them as a customer before we started the Mobile pickup locations. Then, as friends (Brothers In Christ) as he would take time to come to the farm and work while asking lots of questions. And, we rejoiced with Ben when he found a farm that fit his vision and was able to buy it.

This all sounds like good news right? And it is. The bum part is packing & loading has taken longer than expected and they were not able to leave Friday to come by to say good bye on their way to Texas. And, we will be on our way to our Jackson Metro stops Saturday when they come through our way - Who knows, God may work this out somehow anyway.....

Lastly, for many, our farm is like a community of like minded folks who believe in the value of eating healthy as well as the importance of knowing your farmer & where your food comes from. These folks are like your favorite "neighbor" down the road.

Well, one of our Madison neighbors (The Keeton's) are relocating. They have been a blessing to us in many ways - faithful supporters and encouragers for the work we do and the contribution to the health of their family. I pray God will watch over you and may you soon be a blessing to a new farm community.

We are Hiring! Monday through Friday with an occasional Saturday. Person should like the outdoors and working with animals as well as maintenance skills. There are certain chores that are done every day which equal 40-50% of the day. The balance varies greatly. The goal is to support and improve the farm to meet the needs of a growing customer base. Please contact Ben at sales@naturesgourmetfarm.com

Maybe you have been looking for premium ALL NATURAL GOODNESS of beef, pork, chicken, and eggs raised on pasture as God intended - with emphasis on Regenerative Principles and NOT conventionally raised animals (with growth hormones, drugs, chemicals, and antibiotics) - and where animals are treated humanely - then you have come to the right farm. Our delivery schedule and product availability is listed below along with order buttons that will take you to our website where you can browse over 90 product choices and place your order from the convenience of your home. It's that simple!

Lastly, Beth & I thank you for trusting us with your food dollars.

** Product Availability Update **

Chicken -Fully Stocked. Next harvest date is July 27th with restock the following day

Eggs - Eggs are still very tight but getting better. Thanks for your patience and remember to check our website each Wednesday just before YOUR delivery.

Beef - Restock Saturday July 23rd.

Pork - Fully Stocked! Harvested 4 more pigs on June 23rd

Lamb - Harvested three lamb April 12th with restock Wednesday, April 20th.

More from the blog

Taste Test

Greetings Ben and Beth, I'm really looking forward to my next order pick up. I'm trying to improve my cholesterol numbers, thus eating more chicken, and ran out of your chicken products. I ended up buying some industrially produced chicken, and man was that a mistake! It smelled terrible raw, also while it was being sauteed, and also later when I reheated it to put into an otherwise healthy salad. I have enough of this subpar stuff to last until I pick my order, but I don't think I can ever buy this CAFO stuff again.

Beef Update & A New Product

Beef Update – Typically this time of year folks are hesitant to buy bulk beef for their freezer due to hurricane risk. That is why we have delayed our next custom half & whole beef processing until September. If you are interested, our next harvest will be September 2nd with pickup on September 22nd. If you want to be included then please email me your name, email, and cell number to be added to our wait list - and be the first folks contacted and guaranteed to receive an order. Beef prices continue to increase and hit a new All-Time high this week fueled by strong demand and limited supply. For example, based on what a 700 pound steer sold for at the Hattiesburg Stockyard Monday, I could make more than feeding him till he weighs 1100 pounds and sell as packaged beef - but our mission is to provide nutrient-dense, clean food to our customers. Effective immediately custom beef half and whole prices will increase $0.50 to $6.25 per pound based on the hanging weight. Retail cuts will increase for September deliveries as well.

Real Health Is NOT A Pill. It's A Practice!

Two Great Must Read Articles – Typically I don't make a big deal about articles we have read, but these two are so good that I felt they needed to be shared. The first is by Joel Salatin titled "Food Think" that is part of his The Lunatic Farmer blog. You can read the full article at this link. The second article is one Beth forwarded to me from the Health Viewpoints section of Epoch Times titled "Americans Spend Trillions on Health Care but Remain Unwell - Here's Why" Dr. Yang, FAPA, a board certified psychiatrist, begins by stating the difference between treating disease and building true health lies in a proactive and preventative lifestyle. Note - Beth and I would agree with other folks who commented that his article is spot on and very important for folks to read and understand. You can read at this link.