Preparedness is not the same thing as paranoia ...

Hello from the farm!  

From all of us here at 6S Family Farm we hope this newsletter finds you and yours safe and healthy and hopefully enjoying some extra time together with those you hold dear.  I think we can all agree that it's been a March for the record books!  One we certainly won't forget anytime soon!

Here at 6S, we are blessed with healthy animals, robust, nutrient-rich soils and perhaps now more than ever we are feeling a great responsibility to reach and nourish families across the North West!  Farmers are positioned to be helpers and that is exactly what we will do, help. We have taken steps to increase our food handling sanitation protocols while ensuring all food items are being delivered safely.We want to communicate our faith in the resilience we know our team, communities across BC, and you will bring to successfully and confidently work through this unforseen challenge.

Thank you for trusting our family for your food needs during this time.

I don't know about you, but the most shocking thing to me about COVID 19 is the speed at which life changed so drastically for us collectively as humans on this planet.  As though we woke up one morning to find we are all living something straight out of a sci-fi movie.  As the reality of our 'new normal' sinks in, we're left with quiet places and spare time to contemplate what the future might look like.  Should we believe all the dire predictions regarding our health and our economy that are sure to follow in the wake of this monster?  Only time will tell.   Much is left up in the air for the days ahead but one thing is certain, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, there's no doubt that we are currently living history.  Let's live it well and with great courage and kindness!

Meanwhile, back in the pasture ...

Not your ordinary pig pen!   At 6S Family Farm pigs are livin' the dream!

Now tell me honestly, when you hear the words 'pig pen' what do you picture?  Was it anything like the picture above?  Chances are, probably not.  People have been conditioned to think of pigs living in muddy, filthy squalor.  Why?  Is it that pigs love living in poopy mud?  Hmmm ... would you?  Pigs are truly one of the most intelligent, stubborn, curious animals there are, and the sad truth is that those are the exact qualities that have probably consigned them to the isolated and sad living conditions that most of them suffer.  Keeping an 'intelligent, stubborn, curious' animal contained can be a challenge ... trust me!  (I could tell you rogue escapee pig stories all day long!)  The thing is, pigs love to be out on the land.  And I do mean LOVE.  THE most satisfying thing we do as land and animal stewards on this farm is to take time to enjoy watching a group of pigs that have just been moved into a fresh salad-bar paddock.  We move our pigs through a series of wooded pastures every week to 10 days, then we sit down and watch.  Without fail.  Every time.  Even after years of regularly moving pigs, we still find ourselves sitting down for a few minutes to watch.  The joy of these pigs in a new paddock is absolutely palpable.  The grunts, the squeals, the ripping and digging, the exploring ... it is so much better than anything Hollywood's got to offer.  They'll glory in the newness of their space for hours then lay down in one big communal pig pile and bask in the contentment of the afternoon.  What a life!  Oh to be a pig at 6S!

"PREPAREDNESS is NOT the same thing as PARANOIA​"
- Phil Robertson -

Have you like many others felt the need to stock up on a few items during these uncertain times?  Far from the public shaming you might experience at your local grocery store, here at 6S we totally understand that urge.  Stocking up has been a natural human inclination since time immemorial.  People have always gathered during times of abundance to prepare for lean times.  It made sense 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 1000 years ago and it still makes sense today.

In this country's current fragile, industrial food system, grocery stores can only stock 3 days worth of groceries for their communities.  This is where the public's frustration comes in regarding 'hoarding'  because essentially anyone who is taking 'extra' is taking someone else's share. 

If nothing else, the Coronavirus crisis should help us see that we as a society are still as much in need of a preparedness mindset as we have ever been in human history.  (Please note that I'm not advocating for running for the hills and hiding out, and I'm certainly not saying that 'having' will insulate you from all of life's difficulties). I'm simply saying that preparedness is not the same thing as paranoia.  It makes sense to have a well-stocked freezer and pantry prior to pandemonium! 

As the world is just waking up to the realities of what global food IN-security looks like, we want to thank you for knowing and acting upon what you've known all along ... that food security is an EVERY person, EVERY region issue and that YOU as an individual really CAN make a difference by voting with your dollars.  Food security starts before a crisis happens and comes from knowing your farmer and shaking the hand that feeds you!  At 6S we are so happy to be able to be a part of this with you.  We are here working daily to constantly improve our soils, care for and grow healthy animals, create convenient product options and provide efficient delivery to bring the best of the farm right to YOU our fantastic customers who understand the value of, and the need for, a local food system.

FOOD GLORIOUS  (delicious, local, nutrient-dense, ethical, convenient, healthy, clean, immune-boosting, well you get the idea ...) FOOD!

So what to do with all this extra time?  We love this idea from one of our loyal customers:

 "It's time to slow down and cook incredible family meals."  - Shannen Bosco -

Go forth and create culinary masterpieces ... and please send me the pictures! :)