So where to begin...
I do know that I can't tell you what it is....yet. But what I can tell you, if I am being totally honest with you is that over the past 10 years I have made a lot of farming/business mistakes. The field is a brutally honest mirror and this is the time of year, if you have not been careful, if you have been lazy in any way or if you have failed to manage well... this is when you get your report card.
The good news is that if you survive that storm, and ideally learn from it, the year resets and you get to come back that much wiser and move along the path to become better. It really helps when quality people come alongside and offer some of their insight or skill sets. That is when community is at its best for sure and it is a gift of caring that is deeply valued. Case in point, the two men sitting on either side of me are Chris Biggs and Jason Barr of the CHEZ 106.1 Biggs&Barr morning show. They have have used their platform to go above and beyond to help promote all that we do.
Reflecting over the past decade, I have come to understand that there are three levels of development over the course of a season:
The first, is simply a farm that produces vegetables and people come and purchase them.
The second level, is when some of those people move past the role of consumer and find themselves interacting in the field at some key point in the season and as such, become engaged with life on the farm and how their food is grown. This allows for education and a more meaningful connection. Get these two things right, then that sets the stage for the last level.
The third and final stage is when we...as a whole...from our bounty are able to in turn, come full circle and give back to the larger community that surrounds us.
I am proud to say, that as a farm, because of our CSA members, have each year reached that third level every single year. There have been significant donations to families 'in need' through the foodbank network, social services and quiet private offerings.
But what of 2023 you ask? What are 'we' doin'?
To this ...I just smile. There is a twinkle in my eye but I shake my head.
All I am going to say... is that this opportunity is the very best one yet and we, along with CHEZ and the Ottawa Police Association are leaving no good deed undone. It is happening mid September and it is happening, in a large part, because of you and all of our CSA members and Farm Subscribers that have made it possible
So thank you so much and as they say in the radio biz... stay tuned (lol)
~Michael
