Your Food, Our Fight: Part II
Friends,
Two months ago, I shared some hard truths about Grass Roots not being profitable. I promised to keep you updated on our progress toward building a sustainable food system. Today, I've got news that proves we're on the right track.
For the first time since we started Grass Roots in 2014, we had a profitable quarter of $13,203.93.
Now, I know that's razor thin, but friends - after nearly giving up in 2023, after all those sleepless nights wondering if we could make this work - seeing black ink instead of red feels like vindication. We're proving that regenerative agriculture can stand on its own feet.
Here's where your dollars actually went:
About 60 cents of every dollar you spent wentstraight to our farmers and small meat processors- the families doing the work of raising animals humanely and rebuilding soil health.
The other 40 cents goes to building the infrastructure and systems that small farms desperately need: training farmers in regenerative practices, managing the processing and inventory complexity that kills most small operations, coordinating cold chain logistics from farm to your door, and connecting these farmers directly with customers like you.
I wish I could tell you we've turned a corner, but $13,203.93 isn’t exactly a safety net. One equipment breakdown, one bad month, and we're back in the red.
Still, this small profit matters.It shows regenerative agriculture can stand on its own without selling out to big food companies. Just farmers and customers working together toward something better.
The challenges remain enormous. The system still favors corporate giants that prioritize efficiency over everything else. But we're slowly proving there's another path - one that pays farmers fairly ($1.00/lb vs $0.06/lb for chicken in the industrial system), respects animals, and produces more nutritious food.
We've got a long way to go. This isn't victory, but it's proof that what we're building together actually works. And honestly, that's enough to keep me hopeful.
Thank you for believing a group of small farms could compete with Big Ag. Together we're proving it's possible, one quarter at a time. Stay tuned - the best part of this story is still being written.
Your farmer (in it for the long haul),
Cody