Everything is connected at the farmstead. My philosophy and farm practices revolve around managing my land that supports more healthy diversity. That in turn nourishes the animals I raise on the land. That nourishment comes back to me and you full circle. Through meat from the animals I raise or milk from the San Clemente Island goats.
I would consider myself to be a sustainable farmer. Recently, I have been having more discussions with friends and peers about trendy words in food marketing and farming. Words and phrases like regenerative, renewable, small footprint, local, and green. Often, I just describe what my farming and business practices are. But sometimes, finding the right word or definition can be helpful.
The definition for sustainable agriculture also ties in financial profitability. You really can't be sustainable if your business is failing, even though you might have really great farming practices. To be honest, EB Ranch Farmstead has wavered many times on being actually profitable over the years.
I encourage you to look up the definitions for these words and even certification processes, in some cases you may find the definitions to not hold much meaning, or each individual creates their own definition. And in other cases, people just use these words to make you feel better, even though they don't practice most if any real sustainable farming practices.
It is not always possible to "get to know your farmer". But when you can follow a farmer, producer, or business owner that is transparent with their practices, it is like finding a nugget of gold.
In the end, what makes EB Ranch Farmstead sustainable is not my passion, management practices, or hard work. It's every single one of you that supports this farm and business that makes this a sustainable farm.
