“Beep Beep” the backup sound squeals as the milk truck pulls into position in front of a damp and cold milk house. Its an early spring morning, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining and the cows are out chomping on breakfast hay. The cows are unaware that something is different about this day but also keenly aware of the somewhat anxious movements of the farmer. They are extremely intuitive animals especially with the humans that care for them. There is an unspoken understanding this morning. The farmer goes about his routine but there’s a different sway to his demeaner. A mix of excitement, freedom with a subtle teasing of trepidation. The milk truck has come every other day to pick up milk for the last 50 years but this day, April 29, 2023 was the last day the truck will ever come to Sunny Cove Farm.
That was a year ago today. Almost all dairies across the country produce milk to be picked up, processed, shipped across the country and sold in Walmart and supermarkets for the consumer. This system is broken, it is not sustainable and we decided as a family that is not how we wanted to continue farming. If you want to read more on the factors that went into this decision checkout my blog post titled “A Leap of Faith.”
{This is the hole where the milk trucks hose used to go through to empty the tank. Its new primary function is a play window for the children to talk to mom or dad as they are working in the milk house jugging milk}
A year ago today we had no idea what this process would look like. We decided that dumping milk was better than being a part of a broken and non regenerative system so we decided to go all raw and pray that God would take care of the rest. Today I have to testify that not only did He take care of the rest but went “exceedingly and abundantly” beyond anything we could have imagined.
Today as the sun rose over the farm we still have feelings of excitement but it is for a different reason. Over the course of a year we have developed a community of families who buy milk directly from us. Every day they come with their empty milk jars and every day we tap the tank with a spigot that pours cold, sweet, fresh milk out to fill them. It is a harmonious cycle of clean jars, fresh milk, empty jars, filled milk and all the milk is being used. At the end of the week there's hardly a drop left to spare!
Our life on the farm feels different than a year ago. Before we would milk the cows in the morning and then go off to do other off farm jobs like baking, construction, and anything else just to keep the farm going. Today the milk market demands our attention, with 350+ families who are members of the farm we spend a lot of time on the phone, answering emails, sanitizing milk jars and stocking products in the Farm Store.
Our schedules and to do lists are even more demanding than they were a year ago but it’s the price we pay for business growth of over 300% in one year. As young parents, business partners and with employees, and extended family working for us it has been a lot to navigate. However the strain it has been on our family is worth the price ten times over to have this valuable connection that we now have with our community. We are paving the way for a revolution in America. Folks are waking up to the fact that grocery store food is unsustainable, bland to taste and making them sick. The future is a return back to the small farms. The solution to the energy crisis, consumerism, poor health/ nutrition can all be found when there is a change in habits and a return to the food source.
We are so encouraged that not only is this system working, it is thriving. We are so humbled to meet everyone who is enjoying food from our farm at their table. We love hearing stories, seeing pictures and swapping recipes. That is what keeps us going on the long hard days and sleepless nights.
In conclusion we are exhausted but we are forever grateful. It is because of you, our community that in a years time we have become a self-sustaining farm. Thank you for stopping in to our farm store, for sharing about us on social media and for encouraging us on those very hard days. We want to give all the glory to God of whom we asked and He answered. We felt so alone a year ago, with almost no hope but He restored us and surrounded us with the support we needed. He is still surprising us! What’s next for our farm? Well, this is really only the beginning, so stay tuned! We have some big plans in the works for this next year and we can’t wait to share it with all of you.