Alright, let’s cut to the chase. Food prices are climbing, and everyone’s feeling it. But here’s the kicker: while you’re out there hunting for the cheapest dozen eggs or the lowest-priced chicken, you’re feeding into a broken system that’s screwing us all over in the long run. Yeah, I said it.
So, how do we make food affordable again without sacrificing quality, health, and the environment? It’s not as complicated as Big Ag and Big Food want you to believe. Let’s break it down.
First off, supporting local regenerative farms like ours isn’t just some feel-good, hippie movement. It’s a practical solution. When you buy from us, you’re not just getting top-notch food; you’re investing in a system that’s actively healing the environment. We’re rebuilding soil, boosting local ecosystems, and doing it without relying on nasty fertilizers or pesticides. Plus, when the next government shutdown, pandemic, or trucker strike hits, guess what? Your food supply from us doesn’t get interrupted. Can’t say the same for those big-box grocery stores, can you?
Our animals are primarily fed commercial grain right now, sure. But if push comes to shove, we can switch them over to feed produced right here on our property. We haven’t done it yet because we’re still reestablishing the land—we’re playing the long game here. But the point is, we can do it. How many industrial farms can say that? Spoiler alert: none.
You want to make a real difference? Stop throwing your money at the very system that’s making food unaffordable and unhealthy. Buy from local farms. Hell, buy from us! We’re even EBT approved, so if you’re on government assistance, you can still get high-quality food without breaking the bank.
Now, let’s talk about how we farm. We’re not just rotating crops because it sounds cool. We’re working with nature’s cycles—composting kitchen scraps, manure, even the carcasses from processed animals. We’re not confining our birds to tiny cages; they roam freely over our acre, eating bugs and spreading manure naturally. Healthier soil means better crops, which eventually means lower costs. It’s a win-win.
Did you know that for every 1% of organic matter we add to an acre of land, that soil can hold an extra 20,000 gallons of water? Think about that. More drought resistance, less erosion, more life, and a significant reduction in carbon in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the government is busy subsidizing monoculture crops like corn and soybeans, which are trashing the soil and doing squat for our food diversity.
Here’s where you come in. Start supporting farms that are doing it right. If you’re not near us, there are plenty of others: Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farms in Virginia, Will Harris’s White Oak Pastures in Georgia, Gabe Brown’s Nourished by Nature in North Dakota, and so on. These folks are paving the way, and they need your support.
Local food systems mean shorter supply chains. Less reliance on fuel and long-haul trucking keeps costs stable. We don’t have to jack up our prices because some ship got stuck in a canal halfway around the world. We’re right here. Places like White Oak Pastures have their own processing facilities, which is the ultimate goal. For small operations like ours, building a co-op processing plant would be a game-changer, cutting costs and keeping everything local.
Let’s get real about subsidies. They’re supposed to help, but often they just prop up failing systems. Some economists say that if a business can’t survive on its own, it shouldn’t be artificially kept afloat. I agree. Let consumer demand drive the market. If people stopped buying garbage food, companies would stop making it. Simple as that.
Diversification isn’t just a buzzword; it’s survival. When our garden got wiped out by that storm in June 2024, we didn’t fold because we had other income streams—eggs, meat, rabbits. If we were solely dependent on that garden, we’d be in deep trouble. By spreading out our efforts, we keep prices stable for you and maintain our own livelihood.
And let’s not forget about food waste. On the farm, nothing goes to waste. Kitchen scraps feed the birds or go into the compost. We’re considering a community composting program, but honestly, we’re hesitant. Too many people just don’t care enough to sort their trash properly, and we don’t have time to sift through and pick out plastics and other crap that shouldn’t be there. But something’s gotta give. We all need to do better.
So, what’s the bottom line here? If you want food to be affordable and high-quality, start supporting the systems that make it that way. Get to know your local farmers. Buy from them. Volunteer if you can. Invest your time and money into something that benefits everyone—not just the big corporations lining their pockets while the planet suffers.
Stop settling for cheap, nutritionally void, mass-produced food. Demand better. Because until you do, nothing’s going to change.
Until next time,
Traci
Hungry for More?
If you’ve been enjoying our Farm Table Talk articles, why not bring a little farm-to-table magic into your own kitchen? Check out our digital cookbook—packed with simple, seasonal recipes straight from our farm to yours. Whether you’re looking for hearty meals, quick snacks, or creative ways to use fresh, local ingredients, we’ve got you covered. Plus, every purchase supports our mission to nurture the land, care for our animals, and keep sharing the real stories behind farm life.
