Bright Winter Light

“Can you believe the price of eggs?”  A hot topic — maybe even bigger than the weather these days.  And here I am writing about it.  I am not one to talk politics or money, but I want to take a moment to share a perspective that may not always be obvious: the view of a small farmer, who loves what she does, cares deeply about the soil, her employees, her health, her animals, and — possibly more than you know — her customers.

At Little Ridge Farm, we always put our customers first, especially our CSA members.  We give you the best of what we grow, while we eat the seconds.  We take extra steps to source and offer quality local products such as blueberries and chicken. And do things like harvest spinach in the middle of winter, transplant crops after the sun goes down and toil in the summer heat picking cucumbers–because we love what we do, take pride in what we do and want you to have the best.  It’s part of being a farmer and a business owner, and I’m not complaining. But when we hear people frustrated about food prices, it can feel like a punch in the gut.

For generations, food in the U.S. has been artificially cheap—often at the expense of people, animals, and the land. Historically, much of our agricultural system was built on unfair labor practices and methods that prioritized speed and volume over sustainability and health. Unfortunately, this still happens today. When food is cheap, it often means that someone—or something—is bearing the cost elsewhere.

You’ve probably heard the term “price gouging”. Trust me when I say that no small farmer is doing that. When you buy from a local farm or a small business that sources from local farmers, you can be confident that you’re paying a fair price—if anything, often an undervalued one. The reality is, growing food takes immense time, effort, and resources, and yet, as a society, we’ve been conditioned to spend money on so many other things before food.

To be fully transparent, I don’t even make a living wage. Some of that is because farming is tough. Some of it is because I prioritize things beyond profit—happy employees, healthy soil, and nutritious food. The good folks who work here aren’t in it for the money; they’re here because they care about their work, the land, and the community. That said, we’re striving to pay fair wages and keep improving.

At the same time, I understand that food costs can be a real challenge for many families. That’s why we offer payment plans and why programs like SNAP and Maine Harvest Bucks are so important—they help make fresh, local food more accessible to those who need it. We want good food to be available to everyone, and these programs help bridge that gap.

What I hope to share is this: your food dollars matter. When you choose to buy from a small farm, you are helping that farm survive. You are directly investing in food that is grown with care, in a way that supports the health of the land, animals, and people. At least, that’s the way it is here at Little Ridge Farm.

Alvin Loving Life

While I know that there is a lot of crazy out there right now, I hope you can sit down with a nice bowl of locally grown carrots and soak up their sweet flavor and good energy.  Alvin taps into that happy energy every day–so much so that he’s turned orange.  haahaha : )

With love,

Keena