Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for a single acre. That is what developers are offering for my farm. At first, it sounds like a dream come true. But to me, it is a reminder of the pressure closing in on farms like mine. Our land is in a so-called “shortage area,” where fields are disappearing one by one to make room for houses and shopping centers.
My farm is 313 years old. For the last 92 years, my family has cared for it, just as three families did before us. We have weathered storms, celebrated good harvests, and trusted the soil to give back what we put into it. Developers come here often with promises of what they could build. But they never see the history, the sweat, the sleepless nights, and the generations of love rooted deep in this ground.
Farming is not easy. It asks for every ounce of strength, patience, and hope you have. And yet, it is a life I would never trade. There is a quiet joy in planting a seed, caring for it, and watching it grow into food that nourishes not only my family but my community too. Even in the hardest years when nature tests us, farmers rise again with hope for a new season.
As this New Year begins, I ask you to add one more resolution to your list. Support your local farms.
Here is how you can help:
• Cook more meals at home using farm fresh produce
• Join a CSA and invest in your local growers
• Choose milk from nearby dairies
• Visit your local farmers market
• Spend a day at a farm and meet the people who grow your food
Once farmland is gone, it is gone forever. Farms can only survive if communities stand with them. Every choice you make at the market is a vote for the future you want. A future with green fields, fresh food, and hardworking farmers.
Let’s make that future possible together. Choose local. Eat local. Support the hands that feed you.