No Farms, No Food
We went on a field trip yesterday, us and another family. The trek took us pretty far out of our every day and all the way up to a sheep farm north of our city. The farm was celebrating the launch of its cheese production with a tasting and food and wine.
The two women farmers spoke at the event. They had started with just ten sheep, milking in the field, by hand, under a tent. The limited amount of milk was then used to work on recipes for the cheeses. One of the women gave up a medical career and, in her words, jeopardized any hope of financial security in the pursuit. Eight years of hard work later, the farm has 200 head of grassfed sheep, milking facilities, and has begun artisanal cheese sales as well as selling lamb for meat.
The cheese was very good. But, more incredible, was the sacrifice these two women made and the risks they take to succeed. All for the sake of creating real food. Now, some write this venture off as “elitist,” these artisanal cheeses, but then the farm also sells affordable and sustainable meats. Some would also label this farm as a “niche” and not relevant compared to the scale of Big Ag. But then, such “niche” farms were the way all food was produced for centuries, feeding communities the world over. Consolidated, “conventional” agriculture is only about half a century old. And there is nothing “conventional” about its methods.
