Since I began farming, one of the most important lessons I have learned is to keep an open mind. Every season can throw new curveballs, and our ability to adapt hinges on our open mindedness and creativity.
When I first started the farm, I never would have thought I'd become so focused on growing seed garlic. But being at the whim of forces so out of my control... drought, pests, pandemics, I have quickly learned that there is little room for dogmatism in farming. So here we are, with a big (for me) patch of garlic and hopes to keep scaling.
I am excited to continue working in the cooperative model with these farmers. When I think of small scale farming, the local food movement, farm to table, whatever you want to call it, I always wonder... "what will it take for small farms to actually have an impact in this country's megladon of a food system?"
I don't have a clear answer, but I do believe that collaboration is one piece of the puzzle. A healthy food system has as much to do with how we relate to each other as it does how we relate to the land.
-Duke Jackson