Sunday, February 5, 2012

Enter the "Positive Farmers"

Welcome to an introduction to our new series of blogs from “The Positive Farmers.” Every day I read stories of how young farmers are struggling to survive, or how roadblocks such as access to land, knowledge and funding squelch their dream of becoming a profitable farmer. Our media would have you believe that small-scale farming is a thing of the past and nobody could possibly succeed in our current economic situation in this country. A mindset has been prevalent over the last few decades that in order to be a successful farmer one must “get big or get out.” Other reports claim that the main culprit of many food scares in this country is the inability of the small producer to create safe food. The media as well as many farmers in this country seem to believe that it is impossible for someone to get started in farming and make a living at it. It is not just the media but more a pervasive mindset in this country that believes the only avenue to success is a college degree and anyone who would choose to work with animals or dig in the dirt is a second class citizen not worthy of respect or notoriety. This mindset is quite puzzling since the most important commodity for survival is food, yet we denigrate the individual who produces it. It is time to, instead of focusing on the “why we can’t”, focus on the “WHY WE CAN”.
Enter “The Positive Farmers”. The focus will be on how a small-scale family farm is a viable means for a fulltime income not just a secondary income. Believe or not six figure incomes are not necessary for a high quality lifestyle nor are the latest and greatest gadgets or trips to the coffee shop for a latte. There are many examples of successful small scale and micro farms that started with nothing or very little. You find us in your restaurants and stores. We would not be there without some level of success. The small scale and micro farmer are not only that quirky family at the local farmers market but the future of a food supply in this country that has relied on foreign countries and large corporations. If you are looking for the freshest and highest quality you are looking for these seemingly rare and obscure farms that are finding a life and a level of success against odds of the current economy and naysayers of the media.  I intend to introduce you to some of these farmers and share their stories with hopes that you will feel inspired for a life change and confidence that if farming is your choice it is possible and profitable. I also plan to share suggestions as well as basic information that can enable you to pursue such success in an agrarian lifestyle.  Successful authors claim that you right best about what you know. With that being said our first story will be ours. Stay tuned to hear how we got our start, how our success is growing and where we are growing even though we started with almost nothing.

No comments:

Post a Comment