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#1 Question Customers Ask – what would you guess the #1 question customers would ask our farm about? Maybe, how do you raise your animals? Or, what does your beef eat?
Nope, not even close. The ANSWER to the #1 question is actually posted in every Saturday's newsletter. Additionally, at the top of our website homepage is a yellow banner that also has the answer to the #1 question.
Yep! that's right. When will you restock your store? This one question comes in the form of a call, text, or email at least once just about every day.
We try to be transparent in all that we do. This includes how we raise our animals, what they eat, our land & animal stewardship practices, AND when we expect to restock our store. Product Availability Update is also included in the Newsletter bullet points showing that information is included in this issue.
Our plant team spent Tuesday-Thursday cutting and packing eight beef. Then, Beth & I spent Friday and most of Saturday making sausage, slicing bacon, and smoking hams for Christmas orders. Please see details below in Product Availability Update. Thank you!
Response to Senator Cindy H-S - My first experience with advocating for small farms (especially with regard to chicken) was when she was the Ag Commissioner. Then, someone thought it was "her turn" and appointed her to take Thad Chochran senate seat, but that is another rabbit hole for latter. She was not even interested in discussing allowing small farms to operate under the Public Law 492 and USDA 9 CFR that Congress passed that allows small farms to raise up to 20,000 chickens per year and sell to individuals and into commerce within state boundries.
A few weeks ago Senator Cindy H-S and Commissioner Andy Gipson had this post.
Here is my response. Note that she has yet to reply to my feedback.
Regarding S.3099
your write-up states "help family farms and ranches succeed" however you later state " S.3099 would allow processors and butchers or other retailers to sell normal retail quantities (300 lbs. of beef, 100 lbs. of pork, 27.5 lbs. of lamb) of state-inspected meat online to consumers across state lines." So, which is it - help for family farms or retailers? Why can't the farmer be the retailer? For farmers to be successful they have to be very close to the consumer - not big businesses that take advantage of them.
PL 492 and the USDA 9 CFR regulation offers a clear path Congress created for small farms to sell up to 20,000 chickens that they raise and process on farm to individuals, retailers, institutions, etc. WITHIN their state. However, MS DOES NOT ALLOW small farms to operate under the Federal PL 492. In fact, when you were MS Ag Commissioner you told me you were totally against allowing small farmers to raise and sell per PL 492 and left the limit at 1000 per year and on-farm pickup only.
Commissioner Gipson has increased the limit to 20,000. However, his restrictions on where farmers can sell makes it impossible for small farmers to be successful.
If you really want to make a difference then use your influence in MDAC and our State Legislature to remove restrictions so small farms have a chance.
Any law/regulation that favors one group at the expense of another is WRONG!
Are you aware that only 2% of the food consumed my MS citizens is raised or grown in Mississippi? That is shameful... and is a result of laws/regulations. I am sure small farms in other states ship a lot of orders into MS every year because there are not enough small farms growing food that people actually eat. Mississippi is a FOOD DESERT!!!
In 2016 a report stated MS imports $8.5 billion in food annually. That equals about $103.6 million dollars per county in LOST income ANNUALLY. No wonder our rural areas are dying.
Farms should be growing food that people actually eat - not this garbage that fuels processed food plants. Check out this 14 minute YouTube video
of a farm in GA
With the new Federal Dietitary Guidelines coming out in December that will focus on whole foods vs. processed foods will further obsolete the corn/soy row croppers. What will they do then?
Lastly, I would like to invite you to visit my successful Regenerative Direct Market farm - Nature's Gourmet Farm in Petal, MS. Our website is https://naturesgourmetfarm.com
Thanks for your time,
Ben
Folks, the only solution for your food security is found in decentralized food production made up of tens of thousand of small farmers selling directly into their communities. This gives consumers freedom to choose and pays the farmer (by removing several layers of cost & profit between the farmer and consumer) a living wage. For this to happen requires laws & regulations like we have for chicken to be rescended and thus freeing up the CONTROL big business has on our lives. Joel Salatin calls it Food Emancipation Proclamation and gives a brief description in this short video.
Nature's Gourmet Farm product value proposition is to create a community that evolves around one of the most intrinsically important things of the ages, and that’s the provision of sustenance. That's our passion - to raise healthy animals to provide high quality protein and saturated fat that nourish families and strengthen immune systems.
Our Beef is always grass finished with NO grains. Additionally, our animals are free of mRNA, GMO's (chemicals), Antibiotics, and Hormones. We ethically raise them on diverse forage pastures that regenerates our soils and protects our ecosystem.
Let me encourage you to "Be The Change" our food system needs by "Voting With Your Fork" at every meal.
** Product Availability Update **
NOTE: Restocks are made about 6 PM on the dates indicated below!
Chicken - Next restock November 25th (TUESDAY before Thanksgiving)
Turkey - Thanksgiving whole turkeys arrived October 1st. SOLD OUT!!!
Eggs - Restock each Tuesday prior to your delivery date.
Beef - Next restock will be November 23rd
Pork – Next restock will be November 11th. Cured items November 23rd
Lamb - Restocked September 29, 2025
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