Back in May at the Southern Adirondack Homesteading Festival, I was introduced to Natalie, the manager of our local region for the NY Farm Bureau. We became friends. She has been trying to convince me to join the organization, but I wasn't convinced that it would be a good fit. While their mission is advocacy and education relating to agricultural issues, I didn't think they would care about the issues and concerns that homesteaders face. As I shared some of those concerns with Natalie, she said to me, "Brian, NYFB cannot advocate for problems they don't know exist. They can't provide education in areas they are unaware that people are struggling with." Well, what changed? And why did I finally join NYFB? Listen and find out.
Back in May at the Southern Adirondack Homesteading Festival, I was introduced to Natalie, the manager of our local region for the NY Farm Bureau. We became friends. She has been trying to convince me to join the organization, but I wasn't convinced that it would be a good fit. While their mission is advocacy and education relating to agricultural issues, I didn't think they would care about the issues and concerns that homesteaders face. As I shared some of those concerns with Natalie, she said to me, "Brian, NYFB cannot advocate for problems they don't know exist. They can't provide education in areas they are unaware that people are struggling with." Well, what changed? And why did I finally join NYFB? Listen and find out.
I'm your host, Brian Wells. And I'm a fourth generation homesteader. Since 2008, my family and I have been homesteading here. Beautiful upstate New York. In 2019, I launched the homestead journey podcast. To help people just like you. Get started and find success. On their journey towards self-sufficiency. Self-reliance and sustainability. This is the homestead journey. And this is season four. Well, hello everyone. And welcome back to the homestead journey podcast. So glad to have you here with me. For yet another episode as we talk about self-sufficiency self-reliance. And sustainability. This is season four of the homestead journey podcast. And this. Is episode number 168. As always, my name is Brian and I am coming to you from. Three B farm and homestead here in beautiful upstate New York. Now before I jump into today's episode, I did want to apologize that I am putting this out a day late, had some technical difficulties yesterday. I recorded the episode. And then when I went and listened to it back, the audio was so horrible. There was just no way I was going to be able to salvage it. It was later in the day that I normally record the podcast and I just said, forget it. I'm doing it tomorrow. I'm not staying up late. So thank you very much for your grace and understanding in me putting this out a day later than I normally do. Today's episode is going to be a little bit different in that I'm not going to have a regular homestead happening segment. In large part, because I didn't really do a lot here on the homestead last week. Last week I spent part of the week, recovering from our trip to New Hampshire to help Jack put on the home setters of the Winwood fall gathering. And then part of it was preparing to return to New Hampshire for another function that I was a part of over the weekend. And so I wasn't on the homestead much last week to really get much done. Suffice to say, we ate good from the garden. And that pretty much is our update. But on today's episode, I did want to share with you something that I did last week. And that is that I joined the New York farm bureau. Now, before I jump into what the New York farm bureau is and why I joined it. I certainly want to preface this by saying that this is not necessarily an advertisement of, or an endorsement of farm Bureau's nationwide or the New York farm bureau in and of itself. I'm not here to say you need to go join the New York farm bureau or the farm bureau within your state. I am simply sharing with you. Something that I did because I am trying to do something tangible to try to help further the cause of homesteading in. My state, my local area, maybe even nationwide. And I really believe that by joining this organization, I can do that. For you, it may look different. There may be other organizations for you to join or other things that you can do. So I just simply wanted to preface this. episode by saying that this is not an advertisement for the farm bureau. But I want to explain to you what the farm bureau is. Why I joined it and why? I think it may be beneficial. in helping advance the cause of homesteading, at least here in New York state. So, let me just start this episode by explaining what the New York farm bureau is, because it's an organization that I was aware of, but I never really thought of it in the context of homesteading. I always thought of the farm bureau as being something for the big boys, the bigger guys, large scale. Agriculture, so, what I did is I just went over to their website and I just grabbed some snippets from the about section, just to help explain what the New York farm bureau is. The farm bureau is a non-governmental volunteer organization, financed and controlled by member families. For the purpose of solving economic and public policy issues. Challenging the agricultural industry. The mission of New York farm bureau is supporting today's agricultural needs and creating member opportunities for tomorrow through advocacy and education. The forward looking N Y F B. Vision is the voice of New York agriculture that unites a diverse farm community and builds. A stronger food system and rural economy. As I said, well, I had heard of the New York farm bureau in the past. I had seen it at our local county fair, and I think I had seen signs for it around our local community. It really wasn't until the Southern Adirondack homesteading festival. That I remotely saw it as connected to homesteading. To me, as I stated earlier, it seemed like it was something that was geared more towards the big boys, large scale agriculture, not going to necessarily say big ag, but certainly large farms and so forth. And I, I didn't think that it would ever. Have any interest? In the issues that homesteaders face. But at the Southern Adirondack home setting festival, I met Natalie, who is the manager of the region that we're a part of. I think there's five or six counties. That she is responsible for. And we really became friends. If you actually watched any of the live, uh, coverage that I did from the Southern Adirondack home setting festival, Natalie actually jumped on and I did a little prompt to interview with her, as she explained about the mission of the New York farm bureau. And she, and I have become friends. We have continued to talk and have conversations back and forth. With regards to the New York farm bureau. So over the last several months, Natalie is try to convince me to join the New York farm bureau, I started sharing with her. Some of the things that we face as home setters that I think are unique to homesteaders versus other areas. Uh, within the agricultural industry, but I, I still was not convinced that the New York farm bureau. Would be. Interested. In those issues. You know, things like confusing regulations. Regulations that are tailored for the big guys that set the barrier for entry so high, that it's just difficult for homesteaders to get started. Laws that make it difficult for small producers and homesteaders to sell meat and other products, confusing cottage, food, industry laws. And I just started sharing with Natalie A. Little bit about some of the challenges that we as homesteaders face. Obviously, that's not a, a conclusive list. The list goes on and on and on. But one of the things that Natalie said to me over and over again is she said, Brian, We could not advocate for changes to problems that we don't know exist. And while that made sense to me. I must say I still was not convinced. I was not convinced that the organization would care. Or even listen. To those issues. So what changed? Well, last week I was talking to, uh, another friend of mine who is involved with the New York farm bureau. And last, I believe it was Monday evening. They actually had the monthly meeting of the, the members of the New York farm bureau in our county. And somebody in that meeting actually raised the question. Is homesteading and underserved. And under resourced segment of agriculture in our area. And all, it was not my friend who I would consider a home setter that raised that it was not Natalie that raised it. It was another member. That unprompted raise that question. And when I heard that. I signed up the next day. You see, Natalie was right. How can I expect the New York farm bureau? Or any other organization for that matter? To advocate and provide education. For problems that they don't know. Exist. How can I expect them to provide. Guidance. On regulations that they may not realize are confusing. To people. Like me. Now to be honest with you, maybe nothing will come of this. Maybe that was one person. And nobody else really cares to answer that question. Is homesteading an underserved and overlooked segment of agriculture. In Washington county and in New York state as a whole. Maybe this will end up being a colossal waste of time. And maybe I've just flushed my membership dues right on down the commode. I don't know. We're about to find out. But what I do know is that I cannot expect this organization, or again, any organization. To address these problems and these issues. If they don't have somebody who is willing to speak out into res. Those questions and to bring those things to light. And to bring those things to there. Attention. And so maybe by working. With the New York farm bureau and getting to know people within the New York farm bureau. And making those connections. I will be able to actually affect positive change. And ways that getting on Facebook and complaining never will. You see, it's real easy for me to jump on Facebook and I'll be the first one to admit it. I've done this before. Where I'll jump onto a Facebook group. And I will complain about the stupid, insane laws and regulations that govern some of these things and how it's just so crazy that I can process a thousand chickens on my farm and sell them direct consumers. I can't process one rabbit legally. To me, that's really, really dumb. But if I'm not working with an organization to try to affect change in that area. Then what have I done? I've wasted a number of seconds, minutes, hours of my day. Typing that on Facebook being a keyboard warrior. But I've done nothing whatsoever to actually effect positive change in that area. It's real easy. Isn't it? To sit on Facebook or Twitter. Or parlor or telegram. Truth, whatever truth, social, whatever social media that you're a part of. It's really easy to sit there and rail against the government and the stupid regulations. And. The insane. Um, laws that govern some of these things. It's something totally different to get into the trenches and to try to affect change. Something totally different to do that. Now I realize that change is not going to come overnight. Yeah. I don't see, join the New York farm bureau as a magic bullet. That is somehow going to bring about. Utopia. In the communist state of New York. Uh, I've I've lived long enough and maybe that's pessimism. I would say it's probably more realism. To know. That change is not going to come quickly. And that change may never come. But I do see in the New York farm bureau. An organization that is willing. Or potentially willing to advocate for those changes. But they cannot advocate for those changes. If they don't know what problems exist. Natalie was right. But Natalie. I would say to you. Be careful what you wish for. Because I'm going to make sure, you know, what problems exist. But in all seriousness folks, I do really want to. Encourage you to figure out ways. To effect positive change for homesteading in your community. Whether it's going to your local town council meetings or going to county. Boards of supervisor meetings or reaching out and writing to your Congress people, or whether it's joining organizations like the farm bureau, the New York farm bureau. And really trying to make positive change now, certainly I don't think this is the only way to go about it. I think there are other avenues by which we can affect positive change. I believe that attending local homesteading conferences and festivals actually can help do that because all of a sudden, as you bring people together, The powers that be realize, oh, wait a minute. Here is a group of people that maybe has existed under our noses all this time. That we didn't realize. Needs some. Attention. That faces. Some challenges. And that might need some help. And whether that's through the cooperative extensions, like what's taking place in New Hampshire. as I mentioned on last week's episode, Or whether that's working through organizations like the farm bureau. I don't know what it's going to look like in your area, but I do know this much. I am done being a keyboard warrior. I'm going to try to do my best. To find tangible ways. To effect positive change in the home setting community. And I challenge you to do the same, whatever that looks like in your area. However that looks for you. I challenge you. To find tangible ways. To try to make things better for homesteading. Wherever it is that you live. If you have some ideas on how to make that happen or some Other great organizations that you're aware of, that you can partner with. Let me know, reach out to me, Brian, at the homestead journey.net is my email address. I would love to hear from you. And I would love to share with others, those organizations or the things that you are finding helpful. To effect positive change. In your area. Folks that's it for this episode, I hope you found it helpful. And until next time, keep up. The good work.
