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It’s fitting that it’s pouring rain as I finally sit down to write this, after 6 weeks without any significant rainfall. The rain is violent; so very welcome yet coming hard and strong enough to cause damage. It was a cold, soaking rain last fall on the day we laid my father to rest.
I had a grand plan of monthly installments in 2023 sharing the history of our 20 year farming adventure, and the story of my family’s farm that laid the foundation before that. Here we are in June, and only one installment has been completed. We are in a season of life that is hard work, and lots of it, right now, and as much as I should spend more time communicating - jobs like building fence, making cheese, making hay, raising kids, always seem to fill my days to the brim.
I had decided back in January that the next installment would tell the story of my parents and the debt of gratitude that I owe them, and to be honest I knew it would not be easy to put down on paper and that has not helped my procrastination. I’m sorry that my dad is not here for me to say thank you and tell him how much I’ve appreciated the life I was granted, but I want to take the opportunity to give my mom this recognition while I can.
My dad passed away unexpectedly last fall at 68. He was largely healthy his entire life, so it came as a shock. For me it’s been a reminder to cherish everyday – yet note the above season of work that we’re in – which has led to a lot of personal conflict this year as we struggle to get to a place where work is balanced with actual living – heck, anytime for living would be an improvement right now. So many factors impact this situation – a topic for another day.
My dad spent his whole life farming. From him I get my work ethic, my eyes for opportunities and new enterprises. My family’s farm has survived in an increasingly urban area because it was diversified – milk, beef, pork, feeder pigs, hay, straw, shavings, hauling, seed sales, baling twine, fence posts, used equipment dealing and more – all of these have contributed over the years. He graduated from SUNY Cobleskill in 1974, driving a cattle truck to and from school weekly, hauling sawdust or animals on his trips back and forth. Years later, I spent many hours riding along on hay deliveries (labor in exchange for ice cream). I learned to take in all the scenery while driving, keeping it between the lines while observing everything around you, and always able to find my way by landmarks.
It’s not fair to give my father all the credit by any means – my mother is the one who has kept it all organized. Dealing with the peculiar customers and the bookkeeping. The one who hauled us and supported us as kids at all of our school, church and 4H activities, and led and organized all of those events. Who taught us to cook, can, bake, sew, craft, garden and so much more. Who packed for and stayed with us at the fairs and scrubbed our white show clothes clean. Who runs for parts or seed deliveries or has delivered calves and piglets in the trunk of the car. And now cherishes the role of grandma and is here whenever we need her, to share all of this knowledge with the next generation. She is and has been just as much the heart of the family farm as my father.
My parents have lead by example and taught us to work hard, to do your best and what’s right, to earn respect through a job well done. Both have been leaders in their community. I can only hope to someday earn the same level of love, respect and appreciation that I hold for them.
I had a grand plan of monthly installments in 2023 sharing the history of our 20 year farming adventure, and the story of my family’s farm that laid the foundation before that. Here we are in June, and only one installment has been completed. We are in a season of life that is hard work, and lots of it, right now, and as much as I should spend more time communicating - jobs like building fence, making cheese, making hay, raising kids, always seem to fill my days to the brim.
I had decided back in January that the next installment would tell the story of my parents and the debt of gratitude that I owe them, and to be honest I knew it would not be easy to put down on paper and that has not helped my procrastination. I’m sorry that my dad is not here for me to say thank you and tell him how much I’ve appreciated the life I was granted, but I want to take the opportunity to give my mom this recognition while I can.
My dad passed away unexpectedly last fall at 68. He was largely healthy his entire life, so it came as a shock. For me it’s been a reminder to cherish everyday – yet note the above season of work that we’re in – which has led to a lot of personal conflict this year as we struggle to get to a place where work is balanced with actual living – heck, anytime for living would be an improvement right now. So many factors impact this situation – a topic for another day.
My dad spent his whole life farming. From him I get my work ethic, my eyes for opportunities and new enterprises. My family’s farm has survived in an increasingly urban area because it was diversified – milk, beef, pork, feeder pigs, hay, straw, shavings, hauling, seed sales, baling twine, fence posts, used equipment dealing and more – all of these have contributed over the years. He graduated from SUNY Cobleskill in 1974, driving a cattle truck to and from school weekly, hauling sawdust or animals on his trips back and forth. Years later, I spent many hours riding along on hay deliveries (labor in exchange for ice cream). I learned to take in all the scenery while driving, keeping it between the lines while observing everything around you, and always able to find my way by landmarks.
It’s not fair to give my father all the credit by any means – my mother is the one who has kept it all organized. Dealing with the peculiar customers and the bookkeeping. The one who hauled us and supported us as kids at all of our school, church and 4H activities, and led and organized all of those events. Who taught us to cook, can, bake, sew, craft, garden and so much more. Who packed for and stayed with us at the fairs and scrubbed our white show clothes clean. Who runs for parts or seed deliveries or has delivered calves and piglets in the trunk of the car. And now cherishes the role of grandma and is here whenever we need her, to share all of this knowledge with the next generation. She is and has been just as much the heart of the family farm as my father.
My parents have lead by example and taught us to work hard, to do your best and what’s right, to earn respect through a job well done. Both have been leaders in their community. I can only hope to someday earn the same level of love, respect and appreciation that I hold for them.
January 2023 marks 20 years since what you know today as Crosswinds Farm & Creamery officially began! Time sure flies, when you’re having fun and when you’re not – it’s been an evolution for sure. But do you know the story of how the family bringing the milk, cheese, and meat you enjoy each week came to be? Throughout the coming year, we’re going to bring it to life for you right here!
First, let me introduce myself – I’m Sarah! I’m the face you usually see in our market booth and the driving force behind this crazy adventure of a life our family has. One of our customers recently asked “you farm, you make cheese, you go to markets, you homeschool – you’re not really busy, are you?” Nope, not really! Those things are my life in a nutshell right now.
I grew up in the town of Catskill, on the Hudson River in eastern NY, where my family has farmed since 1680. How did I get here?
Looking back, it’s been a string of serendipitous connections that have made all the difference.
I fell in love with all things farming (especially big brown cows) earlier than I can remember. Greene County is not a strong agricultural area; there were only 2 working farms in my school district at the time. I was often singled out as a farm kid, but it was always something I was proud of. When I was 6, the whole 1st grade toured our farm, with the current county Dairy Princess assisting. I declared that someday I would be a dairy princess too!
The highlight of my summers growing up was showing our cows at county and state fairs, which is where I met other kids who were like me & loved farming just as much! At 16, I was the first Dairy Princess our county had had in 10 years. On a whim, I entered a scholarship competition with an interview component. One of the fellow competitors I met there would later be my college roommate, and the event connected me to the 4H dairy quiz bowl program in a neighboring county. We earned a trip to the state competition – held at Cornell – which also included a behind-the-scenes tour from a current student, which made me feel at home at a place that would otherwise have overwhelmed me.
Dairy quiz bowl took me to national competitions in Louisville and Columbus, all the while learning, and meeting more people whose life revolved around agriculture. After high school, I chose to come to Cornell for Animal Science, and then had an opportunity to complete an MS in Farm Business Management as well. In high school, my exposure to “business” was the DECA club which sold pencils and candy in the school store. At the time, I had no interest in selling pencils – the irony of now owning a retail store! When I got to Cornell, I was exposed to the world that is business and business management and realized that I loved working with numbers as much as animals. I chose to finish my masters because I knew once I left school to farm, I would never go back.
After teen years full of extracurricular activities (but NO basketball) and working on the farm, I was bored at college. So I took crazy course loads, worked multiple jobs, and tried not to get into too much trouble! I don’t think I ever seriously considered a career other than farming, though at the time I certainly did not foresee what our business would look like today. I defended my master’s thesis in December 2002 and started milking my own cows in January 2003!
First, let me introduce myself – I’m Sarah! I’m the face you usually see in our market booth and the driving force behind this crazy adventure of a life our family has. One of our customers recently asked “you farm, you make cheese, you go to markets, you homeschool – you’re not really busy, are you?” Nope, not really! Those things are my life in a nutshell right now.
I grew up in the town of Catskill, on the Hudson River in eastern NY, where my family has farmed since 1680. How did I get here?
Looking back, it’s been a string of serendipitous connections that have made all the difference.
I fell in love with all things farming (especially big brown cows) earlier than I can remember. Greene County is not a strong agricultural area; there were only 2 working farms in my school district at the time. I was often singled out as a farm kid, but it was always something I was proud of. When I was 6, the whole 1st grade toured our farm, with the current county Dairy Princess assisting. I declared that someday I would be a dairy princess too!
The highlight of my summers growing up was showing our cows at county and state fairs, which is where I met other kids who were like me & loved farming just as much! At 16, I was the first Dairy Princess our county had had in 10 years. On a whim, I entered a scholarship competition with an interview component. One of the fellow competitors I met there would later be my college roommate, and the event connected me to the 4H dairy quiz bowl program in a neighboring county. We earned a trip to the state competition – held at Cornell – which also included a behind-the-scenes tour from a current student, which made me feel at home at a place that would otherwise have overwhelmed me.
Dairy quiz bowl took me to national competitions in Louisville and Columbus, all the while learning, and meeting more people whose life revolved around agriculture. After high school, I chose to come to Cornell for Animal Science, and then had an opportunity to complete an MS in Farm Business Management as well. In high school, my exposure to “business” was the DECA club which sold pencils and candy in the school store. At the time, I had no interest in selling pencils – the irony of now owning a retail store! When I got to Cornell, I was exposed to the world that is business and business management and realized that I loved working with numbers as much as animals. I chose to finish my masters because I knew once I left school to farm, I would never go back.
After teen years full of extracurricular activities (but NO basketball) and working on the farm, I was bored at college. So I took crazy course loads, worked multiple jobs, and tried not to get into too much trouble! I don’t think I ever seriously considered a career other than farming, though at the time I certainly did not foresee what our business would look like today. I defended my master’s thesis in December 2002 and started milking my own cows in January 2003!
In our existing beef & pork CSA renewal emails, which I originally drafted in 2020, I close with the sentence “Join us and give yourselves the peace of mind of knowing that our family will be feeding yours, no matter what craziness the rest of 2020 (and beyond) brings!” At the end of 2021, I considered changing that phrase, thinking that the “craziness” of the world had calmed quite a bit. But now it’s only been a few short months and yet we find ourselves with more uncertainty than ever before. The need for a strong local food supply does not diminish.
Our “why” as farmers is to nourish our community, both nutritionally & spiritually, with the abundance that our farm generates.
We are excited to offer a growing diversity of products, with new space (land & processing) available to add even more. We want to continue to create & grow connections with the people we are feeding.
We are wrangling with the best means to make all of this available, to fill your needs & desires and to create a financially stable framework for our farm’s future. Our family has been farming for over 300 years, and we farm today with the intention to continue for another 300.
Which brings us to the concept of a whole diet, year round, free choice CSA membership model.
It’s a big concept. What might that look like? Let me lay out some possibilities with the intention of gathering your feedback on how you’d like to see it work.
We would offer our members free choice access to everything our farm produces – and YOU choose what you take each week. Your share could include our 100% grassfed dairy products, grassfed beef & pastured pork, and pastured eggs. We could also offer seasonal vegetables, fruits, chicken, maple syrup, and grains/breads produced on our farm or sourced from other like-minded local farms.
You in turn make a commitment to eating from one place, wholly & seasonally. You are committing to supporting a small, sustainable family farm. Can we completely replace the grocery store? No. But the majority of your diet would be produced on our farm or farms nearby.
What would the logistics look like? A weekly window to come to the farm in Rock Stream and choose your meals for the week from our existing inventory. A standing offer as farm members to enjoy the natural beauty of the farm, put your hands to work in the soil if you’d like, visit the animals. Picking up at the farm opens up the possibility of offering raw milk in the share (in addition to our pasteurized options).
You could also place a weekly pre-order, which we would then pack and deliver to your home or neighborhood.
Pickup at the Ithaca or Trumansburg Farmers Markets or at our farm in Ovid is also possible.
Pricing would be a flat monthly fee per person for all members of your household, with discounted rates for children and a sliding scale for those who need it. Payment could be made annually, quarterly, or monthly.
Please take a few moments to give us feedback on this concept, whether you are interested or equally important, not interested. If this is an idea you’d like us to move forward with, we need to know!
Cheers!
Sarah & Charlie, Lyle & Hannah
Our “why” as farmers is to nourish our community, both nutritionally & spiritually, with the abundance that our farm generates.
We are excited to offer a growing diversity of products, with new space (land & processing) available to add even more. We want to continue to create & grow connections with the people we are feeding.
We are wrangling with the best means to make all of this available, to fill your needs & desires and to create a financially stable framework for our farm’s future. Our family has been farming for over 300 years, and we farm today with the intention to continue for another 300.
Which brings us to the concept of a whole diet, year round, free choice CSA membership model.
It’s a big concept. What might that look like? Let me lay out some possibilities with the intention of gathering your feedback on how you’d like to see it work.
We would offer our members free choice access to everything our farm produces – and YOU choose what you take each week. Your share could include our 100% grassfed dairy products, grassfed beef & pastured pork, and pastured eggs. We could also offer seasonal vegetables, fruits, chicken, maple syrup, and grains/breads produced on our farm or sourced from other like-minded local farms.
You in turn make a commitment to eating from one place, wholly & seasonally. You are committing to supporting a small, sustainable family farm. Can we completely replace the grocery store? No. But the majority of your diet would be produced on our farm or farms nearby.
What would the logistics look like? A weekly window to come to the farm in Rock Stream and choose your meals for the week from our existing inventory. A standing offer as farm members to enjoy the natural beauty of the farm, put your hands to work in the soil if you’d like, visit the animals. Picking up at the farm opens up the possibility of offering raw milk in the share (in addition to our pasteurized options).
You could also place a weekly pre-order, which we would then pack and deliver to your home or neighborhood.
Pickup at the Ithaca or Trumansburg Farmers Markets or at our farm in Ovid is also possible.
Pricing would be a flat monthly fee per person for all members of your household, with discounted rates for children and a sliding scale for those who need it. Payment could be made annually, quarterly, or monthly.
Please take a few moments to give us feedback on this concept, whether you are interested or equally important, not interested. If this is an idea you’d like us to move forward with, we need to know!
Cheers!
Sarah & Charlie, Lyle & Hannah
Author
I'm half of the Crosswinds farmer duo bringing you farm fresh cheeses, beef, and pork from the heart of the Finger Lakes! Stay tuned for our daily adventures growing a family & a farm, and food for your table. We welcome your questions & comments, but please keep them respectful! For the latest updates, please follow Crosswinds Farm & Creamery on Facebook or Instagram!
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