Hello, wonderful community! Today, we’re diving into a heartfelt recap of our experiences here at Full Circle Farms. As we’ve navigated this incredible journey, we’ve encountered both challenges and joys that have shaped our story—and we want to share it all with you.
Let’s start with the *happy* moments. Working alongside our family has been a true blessing. Having our children and their spouses back to lend a hand in the market garden has filled our hearts with joy. Those long days spent planting and harvesting, even when the sun dipped below the horizon, were full of laughter and camaraderie. We were hopeful, inspired by the possibilities of bringing fresh, locally grown produce to our community and beyond. There’s something special about nourishing our neighbors and creating a connection through our food.
However, with every high comes a low. Despite our best efforts, the reality of running a market garden has been tough. We’ve poured our hearts and resources into this endeavor, only to realize that the market dynamics have shifted more than we anticipated. The farmers’ markets we participated in didn’t attract the foot traffic we had hoped for. It’s been disheartening to see that many people, despite the prevalent trends of homesteading and cooking at home, aren’t purchasing fresh produce like we imagined they would. The financial losses hurt, and it’s been tough to reconcile the effort we put into everything with the outcomes. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions—*sad*, frustrating, and at times, overwhelming.
So, what didn’t work for us? Well, there were several factors. We overestimated how much we could sell in each market and found ourselves overwhelmed with more produce than our community was ready to buy. We learned that preparation takes time—nights spent washing, cleaning, and packing often stretched into the early hours of the morning. While we tried to pivot by offering recipe cards to inspire our customers to cook, it still wasn’t the turnaround we needed.
But even amid the sadness and frustration, we believe in the importance of resilience. Farming demands you to adapt and re-evaluate your plans continually. So, while our market garden may not be the success story we envisioned, it has provided invaluable lessons. We learned about the importance of timing, community engagement, and understanding customer needs.
Now, we’re looking forward. What’s next for Full Circle Farms? We’re excited to share our new farm plan, one that we hope will better align with the changing landscape of our community’s needs. We invite you to join us on this journey! Follow us on our social media accounts and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay updated on what we’re cooking up next. Your support means everything to us, and together, we can navigate these waters of farming and create something truly special.
Remember, every farm has a story, and ours is still being written. While we may face challenges, we also celebrate the victories—big and small. Thank you for being a part of our journey. Let’s keep moving forward together, with hope in our hearts and the spirit of community propelling us onward!
Support our small family farm by subscribing to our YouTube channel here. If you believe in what we’re doing, your comments and thumbs up inspire us to keep going. Thank you!
