Matt Broxterman was nice enough to send us an picture of his meal.

We received two great compliments last week that I wanted to share with you. The first came from Joel Salatin, who many consider the patron saint of alternative agriculture (see The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Fresh, and Food Inc).  Joel, his son Daniel, and his two grandsons came out to inspect our pigs regarding a possible partnership.  His email the following day stated:

Daniel and I visited Broadview Ranch yesterday and were delighted with what we saw… To say we were impressed would be an understatement.  We deal with so many folks who fantasize about everything so to see somebody really put the package together and get it is truly encouraging. We were extremely pleased with the way the pigs looked.  That is exactly the way it’s supposed to be…they looked totally happy and healthy.

Joel’s email meant a lot to us because he has spent a significant amount of his valuable time with us and helped us in many ways.  There are many aspects of his very successful business that we wish to incorporate into our own.  He has been a very positive influence on our journey so far.  His compliments let us know that we are on the right track.

The second compliment came from a family of new customers.  Matt and Amy Broxterman and their brand new baby visited me at the farmers market and sent us the below email later that day:

I passed this compliment on to the other family members working on this project. We all agree that it is a really great feeling to be a small but acknowledged part of a family sitting down and enjoying a good meal together.  While nutrition, ecological impact, animal husbandry, economics and sustainability are all  core components of our mission, the most important aspect is the enjoyment of a meal, responsibly produced, through taste and family fellowship. A shared meal with family and friends provides so many more benefits than just the nutrients that you ingest.  As much as we appreciate Joel’s compliment, we  appreciate Matt’s even more because it sums up why we are in this business.  Our greatest wish is to have a small part in a million more such meals!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009, at the Franklin Center in Rocky Mount, Virginia.

Virginia Cooperative Extension would like to invite interested individuals to a one-day conference, Cultivating Virginia’s Farm to School Program, exploring farm to school for Virginia’s farmers, school systems, and youth. Farm to School brings healthy food from local farms to school children nationwide. This conference is scheduled for the Franklin Center in Rocky Mount, Virginia from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Participants will gather information on the Farm to School program, food safety/GAPS Certification, liability issues for food producers, and how to connect with school food purchase programs.

Your conference registration investment is $20 which includes lunch and conference materials. Register by Friday, July 31, 2009, by contacting the Virginia Cooperative Extension Franklin County Office at (540) 483-5161 or Tim Johnson at tlj05@vt.edu.