I could write a whole blog just by what I saw and learned on my orientation day at the farm. If it is any indication of what's to come, it is going to exceed all expectations. I arrived to the smell of bacon cooking and I was invited to sit down at the kitchen table with Shanan and her two small boys, Dylan-8 and Spencer-7, who are both home schooled. We talked about what it means to "believe in what you are doing." For the CSA shareholder (community supported agriculture), it means joining for more than just because everyone else is doing it. Ask yourself, "why you are member?" And are you conscious in other aspects of your lifestyle? Abbondonza went from 350 shares to 30 shares in an effort to redefine what it means to be a shareholder. For the organic farmer, they have to constantly remind themselves why they got into the business and keep believing in those convictions. It's not an easy balance to strike when weighing the finances. For instance, most organic farmers in Colorado import their starters (lettuce, greens, etc.) from California because it is too expensive to have an on-site nursery. That means that even though you think your food is local, it is still traveling over 1000 miles. To help correct this, Abbondanza is in the seed business and starting to provide "starters" for local farmers so they don't have to outsource from so far away. Farmers educating farmers. That my friends is the wave of the future!
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