The Village Farm was born out of being close to the land and knowing
the value that this connection has on human lives. Our farming model is
different as we offer many opportunities for our
members and community to connect with their food
and the land on which it grows.
We are dedicated to education and community collaboration. We
understand the times we live in and are responding with open minds
and hearts. We offer work trade for food and for connection to
community.
We appreciate your support!
Greetings and gratitude–and a suggestion–from Carolyn Shaffer:
What a beautiful welcome statement! It captures a good deal of the uniqueness of Village Farm. I still remember the thrill of my first visit last spring–after my husband, Sypko, insisted that I join him on a Saturday there when the farm-stand was first happening. He couldn’t wait to show me just how beautiful the place is.
And then I was invited to walk into the growing area so I could choose the exact head of lettuce to bring home. Truly a privilege and a delight. And, of course, the lettuce and the carrots and the kale I returned home with were exquisitely fresh and bursting with flavor.
Yes, it does make a difference to visit the actual farm and walk the land and see upclose the rows of veggies and flowers. It’s a heart-opening and earth-bonding experience beyond what can happen at a vendor stall in the in-town farmers market (as wonderful as that market experience is). I realize that accompanying customers into the field and letting them choose their own heads of lettuce is not an efficient way to do business. But it certainly does grow loyal customers and long-term supporters.
I strongly suggest that you add an “Endorsements” (or “Testimonials”) category to your web site. And think about putting one or two endorsement quotes on the welcome page and the CSA page.
I’d be happy to come up with a pithy endorsement quote for you and so would my friends–and enthusiastic Village Farm supporters–Valerie & Edeltraud. Would you like me to gather a few of these quotes for the Village Farm? And what would you like endorsers to emphasize–besides the deliciousness and vibrancy of the food you grow?
In gratitude–for the food and the community,
Carolyn
Last year, my partner and I got involved when we first saw the Village Farm and realized that a deep understanding of the earth and its workings undergird the cultivation of food crops on that acre.
Then one day, Edeltraud and I were walking through the Tuesday Growers Market, stopping at vegetable stands and making our choices. We turned the corner and looked down another row of stands and noticed one at a distance from us where the vegetables seemed to be emitting light. They stood out from other produce in the open-air market. Even though everything presented at the Growers Market appeared to be organic and fresh-picked, there was something unique and alive in what we discovered was The Village Farm’s booth. Soon after that experience, we became part of the CSA.
Last summer we hosted a Japanese student who was in Ashland studying English. We invited her and several other students from Japan to join us on a walk from our house to the Village Farm, about 10 minutes away. We all grabbed crates and sidled up alongside several varieties of tomato plants to help with the harvest, eating almost as much as we picked. This became one of the fond memories the students took back with them to Japan.
(Oh yes, we’ve joined the CSA again this year!)
-Valerie
yayayay its nice village