Connected in a Shared Vision

It really is true that part of this human experience is finding your tribe. In times gone past, this might be limited by the community in which you live, but today we can spread the net wide, reaching out for those who resonate with what we hold true, dear, and meaningful. We can find ways to connect with like-minded folks who are chasing a similar vision and actively engaged in building a future worth having.

At North Star Homestead Farms and our Farmstead Creamery, we continue on this journey, sharing our story and our vision for a healthy planet and all its inhabitants. It’s a vision for sustainability and regeneration, resilience and flourishing we put into practice every day on our farm. It’s a choice that includes tough decisions, hard work, and renewed commitment each morning. We’ve stayed the course over the years because we believe that everyone’s choices matter and that collectively we can make a real difference—here on our farm, as a community and as a voice for raising greater awareness.

Through this process, our hope is to continue to gather those who resonate with our ethos and yearn to be a part of that difference. This allows our loving efforts to focus on serving folks who are here for the right reasons—folks who are “all in” with this lived expression of vision.

Society berates us with messages that we should pursue what is cheaper, faster, convenient, and forget about chasing ideals. Yet, being on the inside of the agricultural and food service industry, we’ve seen the dark underbellies that these messages support. Cheapness is an illusion that comes at a cost to the environment, to the people involved in every step of the process, and to the sustainability of life as we know it. It’s fraught with vulnerabilities in distribution and supply chain, and it’s propped up by unsustainable reliance on chemicals and subsidies. The lure of cheap and convenient stands on a shaky foundation that puts the dollar before integrity and appearance before health.

When we wake up to this truth, we can no longer live under the lie that our industrial food system is the only option. There are viable alternatives—if we dedicate to nurturing them. There are people who care deeply, without personal financial gain as their objective. There can still be community, even in a sea of selfish individualism.

What does it mean to engage with this community?

It means to become aware of the issues our food systems face and their antidotes. These include embracing seasonality, engaging with local food systems, learning the truth about food miles, and rekindling a from-scratch relationship with your home kitchen that broadens our skills and palettes.

It means embracing the pursuit of greater food security. This includes cultivating a larder, learning how to work with the bounty in bulk, gaining skills in food preparation and preservation, and building a reserve at home that can help you ride the swells and droughts of availability.

It means cultivating a relationship with growers who care. This goes beyond the occasional visit to a farmer’s market when the weather is nice. Real relationships involve commitment, so that these growers can know that you are there for them in the long run, just as they are committed likewise to you.

Is this type of vision commitment for everyone? No, certainly. But the invitation, the option must be voiced in order for members of the tribe to find each other. We might be living right next-door to each other and not even realize it, or we might be miles apart but creatively find meaningful ways to connect and nurture each other on this journey.

That is our dream, our goal in sharing this with you. If you’re resonating with this message, let’s have a deeper conversation. Collectively, our difference-making ripples outwards towards real impact. This is where the real work begins. See you down on the farm.