Hello everyone,
It's been a while. Over two years, to be exact. Thanks to all of you who stuck around, even if only because you forgot you were following me.
What I’ve Been Up To
Here's a quick rundown of my excuses for not writing:
Had a second kid (he’s not helping with chores yet)
Keeping up with the 9-to-5 job (ducks don't accept IOUs for feed, and the wild turkeys keep stealing it)
Trying to maintain the homestead (finally grew a decent cabbage at least)
Attempting to start a cidery (we aren’t legal yet but I’ll sell you some if you don’t tell anybody)
But the real time-sink is a project I started back in April 2023 called RootSeller.
RootSeller
RootSeller is a national directory of farms in the US - currently over 25,000. Think Tinder for farms, except there’s no swiping and no bad pick up lines. There are, however, guys with fish1.
Ok, it’s not like Tinder at all, but it might lead to a more fulfilling relationship with your food.
What can you do with it? Well, maybe you’d like to find a winery that also practices rotational grazing in your area. RootSeller can help you find it. Or maybe you're searching for a no-till permaculture farm you can apprentice at. You can search for that too.
We also list farmers markets, homesteading events, and other activities happening on farms in your area.
Our goals
To make it easier for consumers and businesses to source from small farms in their area who are trying to move towards the regenerative end of the spectrum.
To make it easy for farms to maintain an online presence and communicate with their audience so they can spend less time tinkering with online tools and more time chorin’ outside.
If you're a farmer or homesteader who sells produce, consider giving RootSeller a try. If nothing else, it'll give you something new to complain about at the next farmers market.
Changes to the Substack
I’m changing things up around here. Things there will be less of:
Navel-gazing and quotes from poets of the early 1900s (I do regret never doing a deep dive into T.S. Eliot's views on composting)
Things there will be more of:
Stories of small farmers who are somehow managing to farm ecologically, run a viable business, and maintain their sanity. These people do exist. They're like unicorns with calluses.
Tales of old breeds and heirloom varieties. Ever wondered about the origin of the Airlie Red Flesh apple? No? Well, you're about to. These stories are deeply intertwined with local history and culture, and I find them fascinating. I hope you will too — I’ll try to keep them short enough so you can read them sitting on the toilet.
What's Next
Keep an eye out for my first story, featuring a Romanian-born farmer now pioneering regenerative agriculture in Missouri.
Thanks again for sticking around.
P.S. If you're a farmer, do me a favor and list your farm on RootSeller. If you're not a farmer, check out the site, find a farm, and buy something from them.
I’m referencing this…