I want to be your personal farmer... and here's why you should 
let me.
Some of you have asked me... so just what is a Personal Farmer?
In an age where 'natural' and 'organic' are all the buzz and half the store shelves
at your neighborhood grocery store scream as much, I think we might be getting just
a bit confused. Just yesterday I read where several major retailers are being sued
because the 'organic' and 'natural' labels they place on their food products are
NOT indeed either... at least that's what the suit contends. For consumers who care
about the food they eat and where it comes from, what we are seeing as it relates
to terms such as 'organic' and 'natural' just isn't working. We need to get more
specific.
Frankly, I have nothing against big corporate farms. They have every right to exist
and sell things. What I am against is when they claim to be something they are not.
Their sudden interest in caring about what you eat is disengenuious at best. Those
efforts, unfortunately, are often supported b
y the government agencies that bend
and bow to their bigger is better mentality.
In an effort to become more specific as to what it really means to provide a healthy
quality product, I have attempted to articulate exactly what it means when you do
business with me. Like a personal trainer, I exist, in part, to show how you might
benefit from eating a healthier beef product.
Therefore, as Your Personal Farmer, I have committed to the following farming practices;
1. Transparency- I commit to opening up my farm to your scrutiny. You are encouraged
to physically view any of my farming practices and processes with as little as 24
hours notice. I believe that what many people want is to know where their food comes
from. I will show you.
2. Accountability- As your Personal Farmer, I am actually the owner and operator
of my farm. I derive most of my living from my farm and oversee all of my farm operations
and do a substantial amount of the actual labor. A 'corporate' farm hires managers
far removed from the share holders. Most of their pride (and paycheck) comes from
providing the share holders with the best return possible.
3. Direct to You- I market and sell my farm products directly to you. As your
Personal Farmer, I take your satisfaction 'personally.' If you're unsatisfied with
my product, you can tell me because I'm the one that can do something about it.
4. Sustainability- A significant advantage of being a small Personal Farmer is my
ability to operate on a sustainable basis. In other words, most of what I need to
farm comes from the farm. An example is that I raise my own hay. During the winter,
my beef animals eat what the farm grew... not truck loads of hay brought in from
another state.
5. Humane- the well being of my animals is important to me... which is why I raise
grass-fed animals. Why do beef animals have multiple stomachs? Because they were
meant to eat grass and grass is difficult to digest which is why multiple stomachs
are better than just one. Feed-lot beef (which is where the vast majority of beef
comes from) are generally fed a ration high in grains- particularly corn. Beef animals
fatten quickly when fed starchy sugars and so would we if all we ate were donuts.
6. No artificial drugs- Most of us don't trust not knowing whether something is
bad for us. Take growth hormones for example. Both hormones and anti-biotics are
fed to feed-lot animals as part of their standard practice. As your Personal Farmer,
I will not place my grass-fed animals on growth hormones or long-term anti-biotics.
