Welcome! On this website you will find stories of everyday people making a difference in their rural communities. The stories here are of farmers, artists, business owners, community leaders, non-profit organizers, youth and others who are living, working and playing in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and future generations. Read these stories and find ideas, hope and inspiration. |
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FEATURED STORIES |
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Star Haven Farms
Iola, Texas . The adage "Necessity is the mother of all invention" proved true for Ray and Karen Hadaway of Star Haven Farms in Iola, Texas. "When we started five years ago, we simply didn't have the money to buy the quantities of grain feed needed to raise beef cattle to maturity. It prompted us to ask questions, think out of the box and challenge the way meat is typically raised here in Texas," explains Karen. Such creative energy today fuel a committed passion for grassfed meats, growing their local niche in health-conscious customers seeking natural, locally-raised beef.
Eagle View Family Farm
By seeing things in a different light, and by approaching farming as a whole system, rather than isolated boxes or sections, the Rabe's are succeeding in more areas than one.
Dancing Winds Farm
Mary Doerr has found a balance between small-scale dairy production and a sustainable and healthy product. Dancing Winds Farm is a haven for Doerr and also for those who choose to visit her bed and breakfast during the year.
Bert Raney Elementary 3rd Grade
Third graders in Pam Betheldson's class do not learn about science and nature simply from books. They go on frog hunts at nature centers to learn about their ecosystem hands-on.
Adams Family Farm
Wilmington, Vermont · From the bucolic setting on 210 acres of the sixth generation Adams Family Farm in Wilmington, Vermont, one couldn't imagine more diverse -- and integrated -- enterprises creatively woven together to sustain the land and the farmers who farm it. Jill and Carl Mancivalano own and manage one of Vermont's most popular agritourism attractions, Adams Family Farm, leasing the farmlands from Jill's parents. The energetic couple also produce numerous value-added products made in a commercial kitchen using products grown or raised on the farm or from area farmers. |