Greetings CSA Members-
At Featherstone Farm we have so, so, so much to be grateful for this winter / holiday season, it’s unbelievable. In the midst of a global pandemic, when communities near and far are suffering in such unprecedented ways, this realization comes with a good measure of “survivor guilt” for me. Very briefly, in 2020 we
(a) Managed to get through an entire growing season with just (2) cases of coronavirus in our crews. Careful vigilance- and a good measure of sheer luck- appears to have paid off
(b) Had our very best growing season in 25 years. Experienced teams of dedicated employees, new tools and infrastructure and above all, dry weather… thank goodness!
(c) Saw all of our customers- from local CSA members right up through regional wholesalers- buy more of our crops at the right times, than ever before in FF history. 2020 was the perfect storm of huge production and huge demand.
(d) Avoided some of the acute climate driven catastrophes that seem to be plaguing our “industry”, from hailstorms (friends near Cannon Falls) to firestorms (friends in drought stricken California), to the derecho that wiped out so much of Iowa. We missed them all…again thank goodness!
(e) Invested heavily in people and infrastructure at FF- from paid sick time and housing, to warehouse equipment and even a “new” (8 year old used…) tractor- and saw those investments meeting real needs from day 1. So satisfying.
(f) Conclude the year with more options than ever, in terms of debt repayment, community donations, and further investments for the future (starting with research this month on retirement and healthcare benefits for employees… more on this later).
I’ve always been suspicious of this sort of self congratulatory recitation of accomplishment. For one thing, as the Generals in Afghanistan said year after year, “the gains are not irreversible”(!). Next year could be another critically wet year, when 30% of what we plant gets sick in the field and never makes it through harvest. Or we could have a major farm accident, or food safety scare; what we do is risky. In 25 years, all of us at Featherstone Farm have learned our share of humility the hard way, by enduring setback after mini-crisis after disappointment.
Featherstone Farm is now stronger than I have ever seen it, even as public health, civil society, the national economy and the global environment are in full blown crisis. And yet we cannot be overconfident. Not in the world we live in. I give thanks every day for all we have, I can assure you of that.
If there is one thing I think we can take some measure of comfort in- and this includes you, dear CSA member- is that the renewed strength of our CSA partnership is an example of the “right thing for the right reason”. From day 1, Featherstone Farm has dedicated itself to producing vegetables for people to prepare and enjoy in their own homes; we have very few restaurant or institutional customers. So when things go sideways in the larger world and more people cook food for their families in their own kitchens… this is a win-win for the farm and the family (my opinion, anyway! …though I understand that this may not always be a real choice for many people in a pandemic). And if more people- again, just like you!- chose to cook locally, organically produced fruits and vegetables long term, then it’s a true win-win-win (including the environment, the foundation of it all).
My true hope this holiday season, is that the new and rediscovered value that we’ve all placed in “local foods” during the pandemic, will continue to build through the coming year. That more of us will plant gardens in 2021, and spend time in them with friends and family. That more family suppers will be served at home long term… especially with neighbors and friends, some of whom do not look like us.
Sharing food is a great way to bridge divides, ethnic, social, political and beyond. Perhaps local farms like Featherstone can use some of their newfound stability to unite people, to focus energies on true solution building. The gains are not irreversible. The challenges are huge. But I’ve got to believe that the collective strength that we take forward from 2020- the entire Featherstone Farm community, near and far- will be lasting and a force for good in this world.
I’m committed to this vision, making it a reality. And I suspect that you are, too. We are ALL in this together.
Gratefully-
Jack
