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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so THAT’s the secret
BEAUTIFUL
EXCELLENT
AWESOME
WOW!
Groooooovy.
Susan you are a most awesome and kind compassionate woman. I am honored as I’m sure most of us feel, to be able to share in your joy, creativity, love and inspiration.
I’m so glad Jan made the comment she did.
Lotsa love and energy (and time) to carry this out are yours.
How wonderful
Giving back is the best.
Love…
Rona
giving back and sharing (is what i meant above)–it makes the world a far better place with lots more EASE, right?
i was just coming here to ask about linda and the other mama left to kid (i forgot her name despite just looking it up)
how r they doing?
hugs and love to all…
xo
rona
The not-for-profit idea is great! Sounds like time for research and all of those gifted readers to give a few ideas too! This is a great movement-get to know your foods’ farmers to start Susan.
I’d love to help
I love you, Susan.
Susan, that is another of your fantastic ideas. I don’t know exactly how, but I would be willing to help!
The world is a much better place because of you, Susan. And don’t you forget it!
Sign me up too – I’d love to help.
Great idea!!!
You don’t have to be kitten headed for that comment to bring a tear of joy to your eye. What amazing affirmation!
The nonprofit idea makes me the OH MY GOD I WANT TO DO THIS kind of excited that gets my adrenaline pumping. I worked on an organic veggie farm and have worked for the local farmers markets for the past 6 years. There is such a need out there on both sides, and the internet is such a valuable tool if used right (and when it doesn’t overwhelm the user).
My 9-5 is with an environmental nonprofit doing project management for internal technology projects. My job history is managing information coordination and dissemination–hard copy and online–much of which was for alternative to pesticide or farming organizations. I want to help in any way possible.
A great idea!!! You may want to watch where some of the stimulus money for broadband development goes – it is specifically meant to target “rural” or “unserved” communities – I don’t think you want to submit a grant to the Dept of Ag, but maybe pitch one of the firms that eventually gets the grants??
Like everyone else, I would love to help – email me if you want some links to the websites where you can watch the federal money rollout process for opportunities.
Jennifer
Would love to help!
terrific idea! count me in- in any way you need. i work with technology and grew up in iowa- and cant stop watching your adorable lambcam!
I have goosebumps.
Susan,
I think that is a wonderful idea. I would love to help in any way I can, need a number cruncher for anything?
-Sarah
Susan! I just don’t have the words to express how wonderful you are! You have brought a tear to my eye on many occasions. Thank you for sharing! And good luck with your brilliant idea!
Sign me up! I’d love the opportunity to learn from a like-minded sheep person. I’ve been struggling mightily with learning how to blog about what happens on my farm.
Good for you! and hooray for the farmers who grow the food and poduce the fibre and take care of the land, too.
Yes, it would be great for farmers to add some techno sklls to their already considerable repertoire of skill, to make sure we know about you all, and if you can extend your sales this way, even better.
This is such an excellent idea – I’m in the Midwest and if there’s any way to do this for farmers out here…
I felt exactly the same way when I read Jan’s post.
You are just so full of wonderful, creative ideas, Susan. When they clone you, the world is going to be a better place.
Susan – I’M IN! I have benefitted so much already from your time, advice, example, encouragement… My little CSA here in TX is growing and the snowball is moving to the edge of the hill. If I can keep up with the technology, the exponentially exploding opportunities, and the poop scooping, this thing will take off like a rocket. It can take off for others around the country!
Please let me know how I can help. Small farmers, surrounded by supportive communities, will save the heritage we have as Americans. They will buffer the extremes of the economy, and they will provide haven for weary souls in troubled times.
Just say the word, and I’m there…
(See, I recognize this rhythm – you’re about done with babies, and you really need a new mountain to conquer. You. Go.)
I would love to get involved in this! I am a techie by trade and would love to use my powers for something like this!!
A great idea. Need help?
I saw her post and knew it would strike a chord in you. I know it did for me.
Another brilliant idea! Let me know how I can help.
Hooray! Wonderful! BRAVA!!!! I whole heartedly support what you are pioneering here. Whoah, you are the new PIONEER! w00t!
You are indeed boundless…thanks for setting such a high standard for the rest of us to aspire to! I offer any services you think you can delegate to a wanna be farmer, and technologically just barely competent!
Pig cams! Milking cows cams! Even corn harvesting cams! I would absolutely love this. I’d have all the cams open on my work computer screen. I am intrigued with farming but never make it out to a farm. I have really enjoyed the lambcam even though half the time I can’t tell if I’m seeing sheep or goats, pregnant or males, soon to deliver or all done. I do recognize the sweet lambs, though. I would have loved to have had a twitter commentary for what I was seeing. Thank you so much for sharing your lambing days with us. I know it probably meant you got even less sleep!
Oh, Susan, that IS an exciting (no longer) secret project!
great idea… let me know if I can help. I would love to do this kind of thing. I may still have a few contacts over at the USDA FSA whom might be interested if not know a bunch of fiber farms who would be interested in this.
Do you know the folks over at Greenwood Hill Farm? They are well connected to the local fiber farm community in my neck of the woods.
Oh my! I am smitten with this idea! I would love to help in any way I can! Marketing, fund-raising, anything!
I’ve been talking to my local farmers (where I buy the fiber for my yarn biz) about this, trying to help them see how it would help!
For those who are adamantly anti-tech, it seems we could organize something for the fiber-community…like how *I* go to the farms, take the pictures and blog about them…maybe an adopt-a-farm program for bloggers?
I’m getting excited just thinking about it!
I love this idea. I absolutely adore this idea. This is a really inspired idea. I wish you all the luck and success in the world!
And one of your biggest fans happens to be a non-profit fundraising consultant. Let’s make it happen.
Susan,
I think Jan is absolutely right! What you and the others have done by having this live feed camera and other pictures and …explaining what is going on is just phenomenal. I have always been involved with animals (horses, dog and cats), but have limited knowledge about goats and sheep. Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn from you firsthand. This is such a valuable tool.
I live just outside of Washington, DC and I can’t tell you the number of children I meet who have never seen a live cow, pig, sheep or goat. They have no idea that milk comes from a cow or goat. Your website is a great tool!
Susan K.
PS Thanks for all your effort! And good luck to Jan with her endeavor, also!!
PPS My two nieces are in 4H and they are working with goats. They have been glued to the site every minute we will let them. We have also been actively campaigning for 4H to include fiber animals in their programs, not just meat animals.
Susan, what a GREAT idea! And if you’re a big kittenhead, then so am I!
Putting on my librarian hat — this is the sort of thing that public libraries could play a role in as well. It would take some fleshing out, obviously, but between the technology classes offered at libraries and the resources available, libraries could really be a strong ally in this sort of endeavor.
I would love to help you with this in any way that I can!
What a fabulous thing you are going to do. You will no doubt enrich a lot of lives!
I love what you’re doing and what you’re planning to do. I’ll be ordering more yummy yarn to show my support!
Well, I realize I’m WAY down the list on this, but my immediate response was, “I wanna help!”
What you do to help promote CSA farms is wonderful. I don’t have a farm, currently, but I grew up on a dairy farm, and the more we promote small farmers and the important jobs being done quietly on small family farms, the better our country will be. Already, I had contacted the CSA farm from which I buy my produce and I will be doing a series of blog posts with pictures about them during the growing season. It’s just a small part, but it makes me hungry to do more.
Hm, I think that there would be foundations interested in giving grants to support this project. I’ll keep an eye out for funding sources.
I’d love to help, what a great idea. Please let me know what I can do. Say hello to all the babies for me!
Excellent idea! Great for the farmers to tell us city dwellers about what they do and how they do it and great for us city dwellers because we not only learn about the joys and hardships of farming but also about where to get excellent farm products. I know that there are a number of small farms near where I live that I’d l like to buy products from (organic food, alpaca fiber, etc) but I cannot for the life of me find them! More farms on the web would be spectacular (well except for that part where I’m supposed to get some work done!)
You mentioned needing help. What sort of help are you looking for?
I like to consider myself fairly tech savvy and if there’s something I can help with to encourage others to make use of technology I’m all for it!
Susan, I don’t even know you, but when I read Jan’s original post, I was thinking, “I bet Susan could/will do something about this.” Your intelligence and caring, committed nature come through in you posts, your photos and your whole website. I have enjoyed reading and watching for the past month or so. I don’t have a farm and can’t have goats or sheep in my “restricted” little neighborhood, but I’ve really been hooked on watching yours. I know you will succeed at what you want to do.
What an AMAZING project!!!!!!!
Back in the 80s, I was part of a team that developed an online videotex system, loosely a precursor to IPs like AOL and the internet as it is today. We partnered with Infomart of Canada to develop and run a test in Southern California. At that time, Infomart, I believe, was also involved in a Canada videotex trial called Grassroots, which brought Canadian farmers online in a community to get information and provide support to each other. I have no idea if it’s still alive. Most of those early trials failed because they were too expensive to run and the technology hadn’t caught up yet. But it might have morphed into something modern.
This is exactly the kind of thing the internet could do so well. You might talk to the Ravelry couple, who could have some ideas and advice.
What a great idea! It sounds like you’re at the perfect place to get this started, and I’m sure it will have a positive impact on many people. Best of luck!
What a beautiful idea! I too live in Idaho (near Boise) and if Jan needs any help at her farm – I would love to help out!! One of the reasons I read this blog and watch the LambCam (besides the utter cuteness of it) is because I am from the Hudson Valley in NY and miss home. Looking forward to getting a share this year. Again, great idea!!
Susan,
I was so pleased to read this. I sent it on to a connection who has been blogging about a family dairy farm going out of business because they cannot compete with the big milk producers. My heart is breaking for them. The lovely pictures of their dairy cows, and a farmer who can hardly speak at the thought of loosing his animals. Small farms need support in this “big” economy. The people who run them are strong, responsible and skillled. These days they need more entreprenurial skills than ever and I think the internet gives them a great economic advantage. I am just past the age where I learned about the internet in school, wish I had a young person in my house to ask for help. It does not come intuitively, but… I have learned. It is a boon to all independent small business, artists too.
Please, keep the faith on finding a way to help other small family farmers get internet saavy. They need the help and your production skills, lambcam and all, can be a great example and help. I will do what I can to help, most likely that would be financial or some business writing if you need it.
Thank you,
Melanie
you’re an amazing woman and I love what you do!
The first thing I thought of when I read this is that it would be relatively (key word!) simple to match up farmers like this with people with tech skills and have the techies teach the farmers to do these (to the nerds) simple online tasks. Hell, maybe you have the techies go to the farm and do it right on site. The farmer hosts the nerd for a long weekend and they exchange some skills.
I know lots of techies in Silicon Valley who, theoretically at least, support small farmers – or at least the idea of small farmers but who themselves never spend a minute on an actual farm (ahem, the photo of me milking a goat at Harley Farms in Pescadero – posted online no less – is about the entirety of my farm experience) and would probably love to see it up close. If I just had to show someone how to edit and upload videos and photos, set up a Twitter account and a simple blog, I’d pay my own way somewhere to have that kind of fun.
Farmers are the best sort of people. I grew up on a dairy farm and not only did I have childhood full of all the wonder that abounds from being around that sort of thing every day, I have wonderful memories of the farmers and hired hands who made it all work (my mother was one of the hired hands). I always felt like part of the big family that was ‘the farm’ and I can’t imagine who I would be without that. (and what would I do without all those county fair blue ribbons?? lol)
I really enjoy your blog, thanks for sharing what you do with the world!!!
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