The Never Ending Story.....

Nicole and I had some great news....... The Coweta County Commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance and variance last night. This now paves the way for us to apply and have our own public hearing. This hearing will allow neighbors to come and speak in favor or against our having a farm off of Emory Phillips Rd. The board will then approve or deny our request at that specific location.

What is a little concerning is the perception of farming in the eyes of some folks within the community. I do not fault them for their beliefs, having obviously experienced some not so pleasant things to make them feel that way.  But for us, it will be re-educating the fine folks in our community about the right way to farm. The way God intended.

From talking to someone on the board last night, I get the feeling that a few folks think we will have a "chicken factory" or "2000 pigs” in a small confined area that could stink up a two mile radius. Fortunately, that is not the case. That would go completely against our beliefs. Certainly, if that was the case, there would be no reason for us to get into farming, because the "factory farms" already have a monopoly on that - unhealthy, drugged up animals, major environmental pollution and poor working conditions just to name a few.

The perception of our community is important to us. That is why we believe in transparency. We believe it is much more impactful for a customer, or a critic for that matter, to come to our farm and see what we do:

• See how we treat our animals with love and respect, believing that we are caretakers of Creation.
• See how rotational grazing benefits the animals and heals the land.
• See how smell is not an issue because the animals are moved daily, allowing the land to absorb and use the manure much more quickly.
• See employees who are happy and proud of the work they do.
• See a community that is tired of getting sick from the food they eat and want personal relationships with local farmers in order to know where their food came from and what was done, or more importantly, what was not done to it.

The message will get out there to the disbelievers. Maybe one at a time, but it will happen.

The other concern some have, is traffic. A few folks believe we will be dropping in a grocery store on our property with 200 parking spots. Again, that is not the case. We will have customers coming on to the farm to purchase food, but to think it will be a scene from the end of the movie "Field of Dreams" is just not realistic.

This is a very long road we have been on. For us, growing "clean", natural foods for our family, friends, neighbors and our community is just as important as teaching people how to do it.

A Call To Action.....

I encourage you to let The Coweta County Board of Commissioners (770-254-2601 ) know how you feel about local, sustainable, organic farming in our community. Sometimes, in cases like these, it is the loud minority speaking for the silent majority. After we have a scheduled hearing date, I would love to have the loud majority at the hearing, showing support for what we believe to be good and righteous. Thanks for your support.

Quote:

"We all find ourselves in situations that at times seem hopeless. And, we all have the choice to do nothing or take action."

~Catherine Pulsifer