How do I support family farms like yours?

It’s one of the most common questions we get asked: How do I support family farms like yours?

This is our family farm, my in-laws and the five of us!  Some family farms are bigger and some family farms are smaller but 97% of all farms in the United States are family farms.  And I think the answer to supporting family farms might surprise you.

Family farms like ours are in your everyday store. The one you stop at on a busy night when all your family has activities taking you every direction.

Family farms like ours are part of the system providing year round food choice. We are part of the “industrial agriculture” noisy people complain about, but that we are proud of.

You see, food isn’t perfect. Its perishable, and seasonal. But modern agriculture has improved upon that. More safety, more availability, more convenience. Trust the system thousands of people work together to create, that supports us. Appreciate that your family does not have to think about the availability of food 365 days a year. Understand the benefits, and the issues, and the difficulties that our food system provides.

Know where this system evolved from. Food has never been easy. The prior generations of consumers had different sets of problems, ours might seem trivial to them. Think about your meals and how they connect to farms. I know sometimes the link is murky, sometimes clear, but it is there.

When you look around at fields they may not seem full of “food”.  Food that you can buy, hold, eat straight off the farm. But we can explain how our products fit, the role they play. Take time to learn the real story, from a farmer. That will help my farm as much as anything.

How do I support family farms like yours?

Be well educated about your opinions, be open minded and support choice for every one.  There is a lot of information and mis-information in the world today.  Take the time to learn the difference.

Support choice, yours and the right for others to make their own.  Everyone, no matter how much they have to spend on groceries deserves the opportunity to choose.  Not all of us are looking for organic or non-GMO and certainly not everyone can afford it.

By definition, a family farm is any farm where the majority of the business is owned by the operator and individuals related to the operator, including through blood, marriage, or adoption.  Big or small, family farms help feed the United States and beyond, they help provide choice and are an important part of your world as well.