What would you say to the following headline?

Kellogg's CEO Tells Cash-Strapped Consumers That Cereal For Dinner Is A 'Great' Option — Meanwhile, Pepsi's CEO Encourages Struggling Gen Zers To Make Meals Out Of Chips And Pretzels

I liked the comment from one man who said, “learn to use the kitchen in your home-it is far cheaper and better than eating out.”

Our world is FULL of excuses today! As I sat down to write this out I was reminded about a book I read back in 2006 titled NO EXCUSES by Kyle Maynard. It is a true story of a Congenital Amputee who became a champion in wrestling and in life.

Congenital Amputee means he was born with arms ending at his elbows and legs ending at his knees. Let that sink in a moment! How was Kyle able to overcome seemingly unsurmountable odds to become a wrestling champion?

Inside the front cover answers that question – His parents allowed him “no excuses” – and the book explains how that benefited Kyle as he learned to eat, type (50 words per minute), write, and live without hands. Very inspiring.

On page 205 Kyle explains it this way, “To live with “No Excuses” means to take a robust, rugged individualistic attitude toward life’s problems; it’s about freedom and responsibility; it’s about hard work and hard choices; it’s about self-reliance that is joined naturally with family, friends, community and faith. No excuses is about America as it used to be and should always be."

Today, I was encouraged by a young family who has been buying from our farm just over two years. The vehicle license plate says 100% DAV (Disabled American Veteran). During our conversation they shared that last year they raised 50 chickens for their freezer plus their garden. This year they have added lamb, turkey, and geese to support/sustain their growing family (now 3 children). Why can’t more people be doing this? I think you know the answer….

Many people ask me where can they buy organic vegetables? “We don’t trust that stuff in the stores.”

Well, the same day the above headline came out I read the following in Dr. Mercola’s post. Let me encourage you to make time to do the things that are important to you… like having a garden that provides your organic vegetables.

Planting Your Own 'Victory Garden'

During World War II, a time when potential food shortages were looming, victory gardens became so prolific that they supplied an estimated 40% of Americans' fresh vegetables.⁷ Now, "corona victory gardens" are becoming a thing, and while it's always an excellent time to grow your own food, if you've been considering it in the past, now is a perfect time to get started.

In addition to providing you with fresh vegetables without a trip to the grocery store, gardening is a simple way to reduce stress — another important benefit during times of crisis.

A study in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports also concluded, "A regular dose of gardening can improve public health," noting that gardening is associated with reductions in depression and anxiety and increases in life satisfaction, quality of life and sense of community.⁸ Gardening by older adults is also linked to:⁹

• Feelings of accomplishment
• Well-being and peace
• A decrease in depressive symptoms
• A protective effect on cognitive functions
• The development of social links

In addition to the vegetables mentioned above, which are ideal for their high productivity and/or long storage potential, other popular garden vegetables include tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers, snow peas, spinach, lettuce and chard — all of which are easy to grow.

Remember, too, that the No. 1 rule for growing nutrient-dense food is healthy soil. To develop healthy soil, protect it by diversifying your plants, avoiding tilling, and covering the surface with cover crops or mulch. Even starting with one or two vegetables will provide you with an important food source, increasing your food security and giving you a pasttime you can be proud of.

** Product Availability Update **

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

Chicken - Next restock will be Mar 13th.

Turkey - Whole turkeys are sold out. Restocked Ground, legs, thighs, and wings Jan 31st. Added six whole turkey breasts for pre-order.

Eggs - Restock each Wednesday. Received 500 new pullet hens Friday. Feb 23, 2024. We are well stocked on eggs - especially large at this time

Beef - Next restock will be March 22nd. I have contracted processing custom half beef orders to Homestead in Lucedale to free up capacity at our plant so we can increase our farm store beef availability. Thanks for your patience as we work through tight inventory and try to take care of all our customers needs.

Pork - Next restock on fresh cuts will be March 13th. Cured items like bacon, hocks, etc. will restock about 10 days later.

Lamb - Restocked September 13th. Grower called this week and said he was very disappointed in his lambs and thus decided to sell them at his local sale barn. Please stay tuned.