Farm Friday

Last Friday's pizza (roasted red pepper and roasted broccoli)

I'm writing this as I'm baking a batch of granola for an order tomorrow. Seems like if I wait for the "perfect" time to sit down and write a post, it just doesn't get done. So now I'm grabbing a bit of time while I can.

A few highlights from the week:

• Attended a book discussion yesterday in which Bill's book was the one being reviewed. 
• Thought our refrigerator died and was going to have to buy a new one. I happened to mention it to a friend and he told me the problem might be simple to fix, that if it wasn't the compressor, then it was the fan. I plugged the refrigerator back in, heard the compressor come on but saw that the fan wasn't turning. I called our repairman and he talked me through a temporary fix until he could get the part.
• Tried a new dish - a spicy Indian one with cauliflower and potatoes.
• Prepared and delivered orders on Tuesday. We'll be making deliveries tomorrow, too.
• Getting ready for our annual farm review. Already know we'll be making some changes to the way we do things. Every year we get a little better at this business of farming.
• Have a handyman scheduled to come do some repairs on our farm house and our house. While we try to do as much of this kind of work ourselves, sometimes we need to hire someone with more skill.

I thought I'd share an interesting perspective on the business of farming by a farm family here in Virginia. We're acquainted with the young family and have admired their drive and focus as they work towards their dreams. While we have some amazing regular customers who help support our farm - we love and appreciate every one of them - it's still a struggle to make farming a viable operation. While it's now popular to say that you support local farms and farmers' markets, it often turns out to be is just lip service. Many of those who say they support the idea don't actually shop at farmers' markets or buy CSA shares. Instead they drive to the nearest large natural food store to buy groceries. I'm sharing this information, not for us, but for young people who want to be farmers and, just as important, earn a living wage. That's the key - living wage. They need to be able to pay a mortgage payment, have vehicles and farm equipment that are reliable, pay for health insurance and medical care, cover the tax burden, etc. You know, the basics in life. As I watch the severe drought in California, I wonder what will happen when that state can no longer provide most of the food for the nation. If small farmers have to retire their tractors because they can't pay the bills, who will provide our food? Local is best and local is what is going to feed us all in the long run. 

Have a great week!