Remember last week when I posted a thank you note to all of you? Well, the comments you all left on that post amazed me. Especially this one from Jan:
“Hi Susan, speaking as one of those other farmers, I think that most of us had absolutely no idea that there were other people, like your blog community, who wanted to share in what we do. Perhaps this is another reason for the demise of the family farm–so few farmers feel that anyone supports or even cares a bit about what they are doing. Nor are many of us technologically adept enough to figure out how to do this so that we can share our farming experience with those who are out of the area (for example, my son just attended sheep shearing school, but I have no idea how to post the photos I took)(heck, just posting to someone’s blog is a new skill set for me)(but I am pretty darned good at pulling a stuck lamb or tubing feeding a weak lamb–just depends on what you have learned). You have the right combination of technical skills, warm heart, creativity and a willingness to share to introduce this new idea–a farm with a community of supporters, many of whom are on-line. But I think your example shows that there are people out there who do care and who support and are willing to encourage small, sustainable farmers, for which this shepherd in Idaho is both surprised and grateful to know.”
Now, I am an admitted kitten-head, and I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep lately, but Jan’s comment made me all teary. Because everything I know about farming, I learned from farmers. Farmers who are generous with their wisdom. Farmers who are the stewards of the land that sustains us. Farmers who quietly and anonymously grow the food we eat.
I have been so lucky to be able to use the skills I learned in my previous life to connect with all of you, but a lot of farmers don’t have those skills. However, that doesn’t mean that can’t learn them.
In the coming months, I’m going to start a non-profit to help teach farmers how to use the internet to connect their farm to the rest of the world. Imagine the difference that a blog, a camera and a couple of hours training could make to a farm. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it- look at our farm.
In addition to helping farmers connect with the people they are feeding, these tools will help everyone else connect with where their food comes from.
I am really excited about this project. I don’t quiet know just where I will get the time or the money to pursue it, but that has never stopped me before. Wish me luck!
EDIT: Because, GOOD LORD, this post was full of typos!
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I got teary eyed reading this post, and I’m not even a farmer. It just goes to show you are a beautiful and generous person.
Susan, your idea sounds great. And from all the comments, you already have alot of the help you might need, Good Luck
Go, go girl you know do it and you can do it.
Hi Susan and others,
I don’t know what made me more teary–reading your post with the brilliant ideas or reading all the enthusiastic responses to your post! My first thought was, this would be such a great help! As an example, I have tried to get a web page up but my designer and I don’t seem able to communicate well with each other and so I really don’t like how it looks. But to modify it, I need to pay for her time. Now this winter was the snowiest on record and, when I usually have spring pasture by April, instead I had banks of snow. So my feed is running out. Now what do you think I am going to spend money on first, more food for my animals or a web designer?? I guess I will need to learn HTML inbetween helping new lambs and putting up portable rotational fences this summer. And once the site is up, how do I find people to come and visit our farm through it? To tell the truth, I *love* writing stories about my farm animals and have been doing so for years. But I have never had anyone (but my mother when she was alive) to share them with. So here I am, a consumate story-teller with a barn full of critters and no way to connect the dots to the people who might want to hear those stories and thereby enrich their own lives with a connection to nature. If you can help us connect those dots, Wow, what a help it would be. It would be *Wonderful*!!!
And in the bigger picture, I recently heard the quote, “If you don’t like being dependant on foreign oil, how are you going to like it when we are totally dependant on foreign food? The only way to keep that from happening is to save the family farms. If someone were to purchase yarn or roving from me, it not only supports my family but also others in the local economy: the guy who grows my hay, the cooperative where I get my winter grain, my awesome shearer, my veterinarian, and the people at the incredible eco-conscious mill where I sent my wool for processing. Supporting farmers is a gift that truely goes on giving. Oh gosh, here I am writing a long post again, for which I again apologize……
I just love your blog…I have a farm, very small and own two pygmy goats along with other critters..feel free to visit my blog to see pics
really interesting what you do here…love the pictures, adorable
What a beautiful idea! I’d be happy to lend you some volunteer hours. I can teach them some basic blog-writing skills for those who might be nervous about the writing aspect of it.
Susan. What farmers need most are customers! You’ve found a way to connect to your customers. To help other farms do that – support Local Harvest at http://www.localharvest.com. ALSO, I like this idea, but I would suggest you become a project of an established non-profit. There are already so many for small farms. Then you wouldn’t have to become an administrator, just an advisor on the stuff you love – animals, CSA marketing, blogging, website, webcams etc. You’re probably already familiar with many of them, but just in case – http://www.smallfarm.org for starters.
Susan,
Maybe your farmers readers could help by send you a comment to give a brief description including the following: location, type of farm, if know what help they need, do they want volunteers to come to and stay with them in exchange for training or would a workshop work better ,what would be the best time to plan this?
Also your technical, writing, marketing, photography, cooking, fun experts, organizers and project managers could also send a comment listing their skills, availability, can arrange travel, have frequent flyer miles to donate or use and a passion to serve.
Example”
Carol Gibbs, Fort Worth, TX. Skills include: communication, project management, marketing, problem solving and a willingness to help others. I am flexible to travel, have some air miles and can drive. I know how to design, and deliver training workshop. I grew up on a farm and love animals and love teaching others who want to learn.
farmers (fiber, food, & etc)
Hi again,
I think that Carol is on to a good plan. I had just been worried that it might not have been polite to mention on your blog that I was also getting some yarn made from my wool (first time ever, but I have long admired this particular mill in my region and I decided to take a plunge and get some yarn made to see what it is like.) But as I thought about it, I realized that none of us shepheds who sell our yarn, roving or wool or have CSAs are really in competition with each other because each of us has a unique farm and each of us sells (or tries to sell, in my case) a unique product. My sheep are Corriedales, so this is a different kind of yarn than what is produced with your Cormo/mohair blends. One third of my flock are natural colored with variagated grey-charcol fleeces. And Cindy in Texas likely has a different product entirely. (That is one of the things I love about fiber animals–so much variety!) And I am in Idaho, so have to use a different management plan than would someone in New York or Texas. One friend of mine locally raises Icelandics, another has suri alpacas, another has colored mohair goats. If someone contacted me and wanted to knit a project but it would be better if done with Icelandic wool, I would send them down the road to my friend with the Icelandic sheep. So we need a way to network, to match up people with skills that can help us get our farms accessable on the Internet, help knittters and other fiber fans and animals lovers to find us and we need a way to know who each other are and what our farms have to offer so we can encourage people to visit other farms as well. Susan, I think you are not just nurturing animals on your farm, you are nurturing a movement…..
A wonderful idea to get the word out about local farms! A greater awareness of what’s available won’t be the only perk, but a greater appreciation of the amount of work that has to happen to make the final product.
Susan you are a beautiful person. You have connected all of us and from this connection we give and we receive. It really doesn’t get much better. I know this world can benefit from endeavors like yours. We start small and watch the world come together. This is making me cry. thank you and I hope we can provide the energy for this work. I am an at-home mom of teenage boys so if there is any help from you need from me down here in Virginia… holler! Hugs to you. xo Louise
I just wanted to say hello, as I just found your site. I grew up on a small family farm, which had to be given up when I was about 15 due to my grandfather’s illness and passing. I am now 37 years old and miss my childhood and farm every day. There is so little appreciation for the hard work of all farmers, especially the small family farms unfortunately mainly of yesteryear. Thank you for sharing this wonderful blog…and a little insight into that wonderful world.
An amazing idea. I love reading your blog and watching the seasons pass with you. It would be wonderful to be able to connect in the same way with willing farmers in the UK.
Oops! I got the address for Local Harvest wrong. It’s a .org not a .com. Sorry folks.
Susan,
We will happily recruit from the Farm Aid and HOMEGROWN communities to help with this effort. You are one powerful woman, and I have no doubt you will bring this idea to it’s most rewarding fruition.
Thank you for all that you do.
Cornelia
it’s very inspiring reading all these wonderful posts.
…totally awesome!
I love this idea – as this comes to fruition I hope it includes a way for us to participate. I am very interested in helping.
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