In our culture of urbanization, farming is an occupation of choice, a choice that has its challenges.  It is becoming increasingly urgent for those of us who believe in food independence to support the growth of small, family/community-owned and operated farms.  Despite the challenges, we have chosen to support this movement by making the farm way of life our way of life.  Here are a few reasons why:

• Over the past few decades, the number of small family farms in our country has dwindled as industrialized agriculture has been exclusively promoted and large corporations have taken control of the world’s food systems.  We farm because we believe in the power of individuals and communities to shift the balance in favor of a local food movement.

• Living on a farm means daily access to the natural rhythms of death and life, planting and harvesting, hibernation and transformation, pruning back and regrowth.  The closer we are to these miracles of creation, the healthier we become in our own human relationships.  We farm because we love the land and animals and the way they bless us.  We farm because we want to work in partnership with them toward sustainability.

• The average piece of food in our culture travels 1,500 miles from it’s place of origin to your plate.  In order to maintain product “quality” through all that travel, or to please our need for food “perfection”, products are sprayed with harmful chemicals, genetically modified, and boostered with growth hormones and antibiotics.  As a result, the vital nutrients we need for our own bodies are compromised.  We farm in order to provide healthy, natural food for ourselves and our community.