Instead of seeing my farm as my own secluded hideaway, I am getting the community involved in our farming, bringing them out to see our principles in action. We are not only exchanging food and dollars with our customers, we are also exchanging ideas with them. This is creating a lot of trust and a solid, environmentally sound food system. We are also providing kids and their parents with experiences that will shape the way they think about farming and food. Most kids today won't be farmers, but many of them will vote on farm issues of the future.
People have a natural affinity to the land, the soil, and the food they eat.
The computer age leaves people feeling detached, but farming brings them back to the land, connects them to each other and to things that have meaning. Creating positive experiences and memories are an important part of farming. In Larry's view, strong viable farms are really the foundation of a community. We can think of our farms and communities as a 'foodshed' like a watershed where the small individual streams eventually flow together into one healthy, sustaining river. The produce of our farms, grown and marketed within the community, provides important multiplier effects.