Farm Update Amid Covid-19 Virus

Last week we purposely wrote an upbeat newsletter! This week will be a bit more "frank" considering the public response to the Covid-19 virus.

As you can imagine, orders have been brisk.

Steps we are taking include:

* Yes, we intend to continue to make our monthly deliveries
* We continue to work every day to care for the land, forage, and animals to bring nutritious protein for your families
* Chicken - I have contacted the hatchery and had them add 20 more to each of my upcoming deliveries. That maximizes processing capacity. Additionally, Thursday I purchased materials to increase production to process an additional week per month.
* Beef - our beef has just started to be ready for processing. Three weeks ago I scheduled processing for the year, taking 6-8 per month. Today, there IS NO OPEN PROCESSING dates available. This is a result of regulation and consumers choosing national brands that put 70% of the local processors out of business. More on that at a later date!!!
* Pork - I will pick up fresh cuts of pork today, March 21st. The cured cuts like bacon & sausages will be closer to April before ready. Additionally, I have scheduled pig processing for the year taking 8 per month
* Eggs - we have plenty of eggs. Hens lay about 1400 eggs per day. We have added distribution to Ramey's in Purvis and Brandon, MS

Key FACTS:

* The American Farmer IS STILL WORKING and annually produces more food than can be consumed in the USA
* Grain bins are full. CAFO feedlots for beef, pork, chicken, and eggs are filled waiting for the big meat packers to process
* 40% of food produced in the U.S. is wasted, including 1 billion food items annually from U.S. schools - enough to feed ALL the hungry children in the world!

I remember reading an article in the late 1980's about archaeologist who were taking core samples from landfills to study human behavior. They were surprised to find many unopened steaks, hot dogs, etc. in the samples. They researched to learn that this part of the landfill was filled in 1974 - the year there was a scarcity of beef. You see, people caused the scarcity by their behavior and then much of the overbuying spoiled before it was consumed.

May we suggest the following:

* Do not create food scarcity by overbuying. For example, we currently process chicken every other week. There is no need to buy 50 chickens at a time. The same goes for beef & pork.
* Watch food waste! Cut back on portion sizes. Most nutritionist recommend a 4 oz portion size which means a pound of hamburger will feed 4 people.
* You will do yourself a big favor by turning off the TV & radio. Listening to the news 24/7 will drive you crazy. Stations sensationalize air time with what ever they can find to keep advertisers paying their bills
* Take a break from being "entertained". Watch some really great documentaries where you can learn something important. A few suggestions include:
      o www.agendadocumentary.com
      o The Magic Pill
      o Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry
* Stay busy doing something useful (and that you may have been putting off). Remember how your Mom taught you that idle hands & minds are the devil's workshop!

* Consider planting a garden! The fresh air, sunshine, and exercise will reward you with fresh vegetables in about eight weeks or so! Our garden area is only 100' by 50' and feeds six plus people for the year. Include family & friends

* Lastly, having a daily Bible Study & Prayer Time has made a tremendous positive impact in my life. My daily quite time with The Lord helps me remember what's really important - Faith, Family, and Country! For my study, I listen to Les Feldick (www.lesfeldick.org). Les is a retired rancher in OK who is now 90 years old. All his adult life he has studied the Bible and taught in-home Bible Studies. He is the most knowledgeable and gifted Bible teacher I know. I suggest starting with Book 17 Lesson 1 Part 1 on ACTS.

Our goal is to protect the health of our family and customers. 

* We have improved physical security to include gloves and social distancing

* We now include personal security in addition to the security cameras on the farm

* At PICKUP LOCATIONS, we ask that you remain in your car upon arrival. Ben will attend to each vehicle in turn, loading your order into your vehicle.

The reality is that none of us can predict how this situation will unfold. You must decide for yourself how and where to focus your efforts in the days, weeks and months to come.

I firmly believe the regenerative farming community is positioned to be helpers and a source of confidence and resilience to the folks in our communities now more than ever before.

Please join me and my family as we strive to be part of the solution vs. a part of the problem as our country works to overcome the short and long term effects of this virus.

Until next week,

Ben

Katie T. recently left this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Google Review:

"Nature’s Gourmet offers great tasting beef and chicken. And, the eggs are the best that I’ve ever had! This was my first experience buying directly from a local farmer and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Thank you for providing such a healthy option to our community."