Important Farm News

It has now been seven years that we’ve been running this CSA. And in those years we’ve come to know quite a few of you. Some of you only vaguely and others quite well. Either way we’ve come to enjoy being your farmers and providing organic food for you, while you make it possible for us to remain a farming family.

  It would be nice to just imagine that things would always stay the same, but we know this is not the case. We feel like the time has come for us to announce our plans to you. We have plans to move to another Amish community in Missouri this coming winter. So I guess this will be our last season of providing food for you and running this CSA.

  Don’t be alarmed, my sister and her husband (John and Anna Zook) have plans to take over and run this CSA where we leave off. They will be using the same organic methods we’ve been using, and we have already started giving them hands-on training, teaching them how we do things. The growing part is not new to them as they both grew up farming and have always had a large garden. Also for the past two years they have been growing produce on a larger scale. So, look for next year’s Cedarmore Farm sign up info from them soon.

  So, while its hard for us to let go, we are happy to have someone else be able to take over who wants to do this type of thing, who highly values family life at home on the farm, and has a passion for organic and sustainable farming.

  Our neighbor Rue, will still be doing the e-mails same as always. And since he’s been a part of this CSA all these years he will be helping John and Anna make the transition as well. We are trying to do what we can to keep the system running the same as it’s always been run.

  I do want you to know that our decision to move has nothing to do with farming here. We like it here. We like the community, the land, and the people. A part of us will always stay here and we will miss you people, both inside and outside the Amish community.  In short, we feel like this move is for the betterment of our growing family. We will be doing the same type of farming there, although we are not sure yet what marketing strategy we’ll be using. Another CSA? A roadside market? There is a good wholesale outlet out there so we will most likely start out with that.

  Like I said, we will miss you all but we will be coming back through the area every now and then to visit friends and family so maybe we will see some of you then. Besides, we still have the rest of this season to finish.

Thank You,

 

I was beyond shocked when I heard the news.  So shocked that I cancelled everything I had scheduled that night and drove straight to the farm.  Interrupted dinner and bawled my eyes out.  I now I am being really selfish when I say that I really don't want them to move.  I want to see the kids grow up.  I want Lizzie to teach me how to hand quilt.  I want Andy to be there when I have farming questions.  I want to be able to go to my happy place.  But when I stopped and talked and really listened to Andy I realized how selfish I was being.  It was a hard decision that has taken them a long time to make.  They will 'lose' everything here and have to begin again in a new community.  Loading up everything...and I mean EVERYTHING on the farm and traveling by bus to a new city isn't going to be easy.  Not to mention rebuilding EVERYTHING.

 

Andy promised that since there will be family and friends that they will want to see, they will be back once a year to visit.  And they even said that I could visit the new place.  I've already figured out how far it is and how long it will take me to drive there.  I still have plans to go to Anna's wedding when she gets married.  We will write.  I will cry and they will laugh and shake their heads at this crazy English woman.  I will surely miss them terribly.  They are my Amish family.

 

Andy tells me that I will love his Sister and her family.  He made a point to tell me they had lots of kids...8 of them.  He thinks I will like them and they will like me.  I hope they want to continue the blog.  I enjoy my time at the farm and writing about things I have learned about the Amish ways of life.  I hope they accept me the way Andy, Lizzie, the kids, and the community have. 

 

I will do my best to be positive and help with the move any way that I can.  I will wish them all the best.  I will hug and love on the kids as much as I can.  But I won't hug Andy.  Lizzie is still up in the air about that one. (The Amish don't hug)  I'll do my best.  And try to keep a smile on my face.

 

But my heart still hurts.