"Everyone should farm something."
Sometimes I get in such a hurry that I forget to slow down and enjoy the moment. Most of you know that I still have an off-the-farm job, and so weekday mornings are usually very busy as I work to get chores done before getting cleaned up and heading to town. If I happen to get a late start and get behind, I can easily become agitated at just any little thing: the four-wheeler won’t start, or the fence charger Read More
The Earth was created with design and order, and at Triple J Farm, we embrace that design as we find it displayed for us in nature. On our farm, we work with nature and not against it. That means we are committed to healing the land and not destroying it. There is a direct connection between human health and soil health, at least for those of us who eat. We see ourselves as land stewards, seeking to improve soil health Read More
Last Thursday evening, I loaded up three cows that I would be taking to the processor early Friday morning, and the entire process took about ten minutes. It was quick and easy. Now when you hear most folks talk about sorting and loading cows, you hear horror stories about how difficult it can be. “That steer wouldn’t load, that heifer went crazy, this calf hollered all night,” and so on. To be clear, we have experienced that too, but not Read More
It matters how we treat the earth. We are to be good stewards and leave the land better than we found it. It matters how we raise our animals. Our animals should be allowed to express their natural proclivities. It matters how we treat our bodies. Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. It matters how we farm. Do no harm.
One thing that sets us apart is our transparency. We have an open-door policy for anyone who wants to learn about farming this way. That’s right, you can stop by anytime to see what’s going on. We don’t have any “no trespassing” signs. I still work an off-the-farm job, so if you come by during the week, you are on your own. Come by on Saturday afternoons and I’ll show around (see also Tour info). We believe farming this way Read More
“When self-worth derives from possessions, we’re in trouble. Of course, the whole object of advertising is to make us dissatisfied with our circumstances. If we just buy that product or service, suddenly our lives will be better. Unless we buy, we’re missing out on a life worth living. This “keeping up with the Joneses” creates a spending treadmill that never satisfies and like an addiction, it certainly impoverishes.” (Joel Salatin, “Your Successful Farm Business”, page 37) I love Joel’s latest book, Read More
Guest post by Emma Grace Pope (age 12)Â Why do you go to work everyday? Is it for the paycheck? Is it so you’ll look good among others? Or maybe it’s because you just really like working. Recently I was in a play, and I worked really hard to memorize my lines. I was working hard on my lines so I would please my teacher and my parents. Being young, I had a lot of pressure coming from my teacher, Read More
In the documentary Polyfaces, Joel Salatin’s mother Lucille recounts her words early in their farming venture “If the Lord wants you to do this, He’ll bring customers to you. Let’s try it and see.” I could not agree more, and those words, even though not spoken directly to me, still apply and serve as a wonderful reminder during our own pursuit to produce quality food for our community. I attended the Polyface Intensive Discovery Seminar last year, and when I Read More
The ultimate American fantasy is the idea that you can spend today and pay tomorrow. Today consumer debt makes up almost 80% of the national gross domestic product. In 2007, just before the great recession, consumer debt was over 95% of the GDP and personal savings was below 2%. Do you see a connection here? Our “paper economy” is built largely on DEBT. That is not sustainable. The main culprit in 2007 was mortgage debt. Now we see college debt Read More
Are you ready for some real food? Here at Triple J Farm, we go the extra mile to grow and produce the best beef, poultry, eggs and pork possible. Everything we do is grass-based, and all the animals move around the farm regularly. They are here today, and there tomorrow – everything moves! We don’t use any chemicals in the process, and our animals don’t do drugs. As a result, we produce premium products and they bring premium prices. Why Read More