Caring and attending to our relationships heals us.
Many of our farmers care deeply about their land, their animals, and their community. Their relationship to these aspects of their farm guides choices that result in increased fertility and health on the farm, and ultimately more healing food coming into our kitchens.
Likewise, our reliable relationship to them allows them to continue and deepen their work. Relationships are not quantifiable, but the measurable action of our relationship to these farmers and producers is that we prioritize ordering their food weekly so they can be reliable stewards and farmers.
Amy and Earl at Strafford Dairy and Organic Creamery personify caring and reliable relationships on their farm. A few years ago I showed up at their farm with a videographer to interview them and have them tell us their story. When we asked where they wanted to have me interview them they both immediately responded, “with the girls of course!” The girls are their beautiful Guernsey cows. All through the interview, surrounded by the girls, they told their story of caring for their land and animals in such authentic terms, it was clear this is their calling and mission. I could also see how the cows reacted to us, with complete comfort and curiosity—like a cared for family, everyone in right relationship.
But over and over they said, “we can’t do all this work alone. We need your families to buy our milk regularly so our work can continue.” (One thing about dairy farming is its regularity. The cows get milked twice a day, and both farmer and animal are completely interdependent.) “Without your Farmers To You families’ support we can’t sustain ourselves and these girls. So it really is a partnership. We feed and support each other.”
Please take a few minutes to visit with Earl and Amy and watch this wonderful video from FTY's visit with them. We truly do need each other’s support if we are going to heal our families and this planet.
Feel free to share this video too, so other families can see the kind of farmers and food they could be eating and why it tastes so darn good!
With Gratitude,
Greg
