There’s a reason I use the phrase “Know your farmer, know your food.” It’s not just a catchy line—it’s a reminder of something we’ve lost and something we can get back.
I’m a farmer. I grow food, and I’ve been around long enough to watch the food system go from local and personal to corporate and disconnected. Most people have no idea who grew their vegetables, who raised their meat, or what corners got cut along the way to get that food on their plate.
That’s a problem. And it’s one I believe we can fix—by reconnecting with our farmers, our land, and the food that actually nourishes us.
You Deserve to Know What You’re Eating
Let’s call it like it is—when you buy food at the big grocery store, you’re rolling the dice. Labels and packaging might show a smiling farm scene, but the reality behind it is often industrial farming, poor soil, long-distance shipping, and food that’s been sitting around far longer than it should. Even industrial ‘organic’ farms have these and other issues!
When you know your farmer, you don’t need marketing gimmicks to tell you what’s fresh. You know. You’ve asked the questions. You’ve seen the faces behind your food. You know if they use chemicals, how they care for their soil, and how recently that produce was harvested. That’s the kind of information that really matters—not the colorful label.
Fresh Food Is Better Food
I’ll put it bluntly: fresh-picked food just flat-out tastes better. When you eat a tomato that was picked this morning, you’ll never want a grocery store tomato again. Same goes for greens, carrots, melons—you name it. The sooner food goes from farm to plate, the more nutrients it holds, the better it tastes, and the better it makes you feel. I’ll never forget seeing the connection in my youngest sons eyes as he asked me one day after enjoying some of our lettuce on his sandwich, “Dad, is this what real lettuce is supposed to taste like?”. That’s true connection to your food!
When you buy from a local farmer, you’re getting food at its peak—not something that was picked early, gassed to ripen, and shipped across the country. You can taste the difference in every bite.
You’re Supporting Real People, Not Mega Corporations
Behind every farmers market stand or farm store is a family or a person who’s putting in the work. People like me who are up before dawn, planting, harvesting, caring for animals, and trying to make a living doing honest work.
When you spend your grocery money with a local farmer, you’re keeping your dollars in your community. You’re supporting small businesses, rural livelihoods, and local food security—not lining the pockets of some distant corporation. That means a lot to me, and it should mean a lot to you too.
You’re Building a Relationship with Your Food
This is personal. When you know your farmer, you’re not just buying food—you’re building trust. You can ask questions. You can visit the farm. You can see how things are really done. That’s a connection you’ll never get from a supermarket shelf.
It’s a relationship that goes both ways. I’ve had customers come up and tell me they’ve never liked a certain vegetable until they tasted it fresh from our farm. I’ve watched kids get excited about vegetables they helped pick at a farm. That’s the good stuff—the human connection we’re all hungry for, whether we realize it or not.
It’s Better for the Land, Better for the Future
Most small farmers I know care about their land because they live on it. They’re not out there trying to mine the soil for profits. They want healthy soil, clean water, and a farm that’s still productive twenty years from now.
When you support farmers who are building soil health, rotating crops, using cover crops, and raising animals responsibly, you’re voting for a healthier food system with every dollar you spend. That’s how we shift things—not by hoping corporations change, but by directly supporting the farms that are already doing things right.
The Bottom Line
You have the power to choose who grows your food. You can choose nutrient-dense, fresh, locally grown food from farmers who care, or you can keep handing your money to a broken industrial food system.
Every time you buy from a local farmer, you’re investing in your own health, your community, and the future of food. You’re keeping small farms alive. You’re building relationships that matter. And you’re bringing home food that actually tastes like it’s supposed to.
So next time you shop, ask yourself: do I know who grew this? Do I know how it was grown? If the answer is no, maybe it’s time to change that.
Get to know your farmer. You’ll get to know your food in a whole new way—and you’ll never look back.
Your Farmer,
Tyler
