Welcome to the Against the Grain Farm Stand where you can pre-order for pick up at either Watauga Country Farmer's Market or at the farm for Saturday, June 13th. If you're reading this in an email, you'll see the items that we have to offer this week below. You can simply click on the yellow button "purchase from the farmstand" to reserve a box, make swaps and add extras to the base box that Harvie will put together for you. If you're reading this in the Harvie platform, navigate over to the "farm stand" to reserve your box.
The ordering period for Saturday pick-up closes at 8pm on Thursday, June 11th.
If you have any questions about your box or the farm stand process, please reach out to Holly directly by email at atgfarm@gmail.com or by phone at 828-406-4439. If you are having any difficulties placing your order or would like to confirm the contents of your box, please reach out to Holly. Her job on the farm is to help trouble shoot and double check orders for Farm Stand Customers. It is part of our mission that the food produced on the farm be easily accessible to members of our community. The Harvie system has proved challenging for many, so please don't feel embarrassed if it's not working well for you. Holly is here to help as best as she can!
It's probably not hard to believe that farm life can be all-consuming. As farmers and crew, we often joke that we live and work in a bubble. Long, focused work days don't necessarily leave a lot of time for off-the-farm socializing and social media consumption. Much of the time, day-to-day life on the farm is not deeply impacted by many of the cultural and political news events. We plant, harvest, weed, trellis, eat and sleep. We go to the farmer's market, deliver to restaurants and connect to members of the community through food.
But recently, names in the news including Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, James Scurlock, David McAtee, and Tony McDade are capturing the attention of the farmers in a way that little else has in recent memory. We wish to be clear and resolute when we say that Black Lives Matter. Period. This time in our human experience offers great opportunity for understanding, growth, tolerance and love. It is our current perspective that it is up to white folks (including the farmers at ATG) to increase their awareness of their privilege and work to affect positive change.
In this time, ATG farmers find themselves asking questions like: What does it mean to be an ally to people of color? How can the farm do more to foster racial equity and anti-racism on the farm, while also supporting community-wide efforts? What specific conversations does the farm need to be having among farmers and with the crew? How can the farm do more to increase food access in local communities of color?
As a farm, which was founded by two white farmers, we are dedicated to increasing our awareness and understanding of the ways in which our privilege has impacted the growth and development of the farm itself. Our wish is to continue to develop the farm as a place of equality, love and respect.
The farm always grows and thrives anytime engaged people come to the farm, regardless of their heritage, skin color, intellectual background, and culinary tradition. As farmers, we are firm believers that diversity is essential to the resiliency of both the farm and our human culture, at large. We have seen the farms knowledge and experience grow immensely from the contributions of many and we are grateful for all the folks that come to share in the experience of living and working together for a common good.
As a farm, we stand humble and with open hearts to learn and grow and continue to work to contribute in positive ways to our community. We acknowledge that we will most likely stumble along this path, but we are dedicated to moving forward in solidarity with people of color across the country and the globe.
Much love and happy eating,
