The Cheering Section

I’m having a small internal celebration this week.

Our Facebook page crossed 4,000 followers. It’s a number that feels big to us, but I didn’t really want to make a big celebration post over there on Facebook. It felt a little like preaching to the choir. The people already standing in the room know they’re in the room.

But milestones deserve to be acknowledged somewhere.

What excites me most isn’t the number itself. It’s what sits behind it. Our team is small, but our cheering section is mighty. When one of our regulars talks about us so much that their grandma changes her lifelong meat-buying routine to come see us… that’s huge. That’s not marketing. That’s trust.

We are very aware that the grocery store is easy. The hardest thing about the meat department is that they put it in the back of the building. It isn’t always easy to drive out to Culloden. It isn’t always convenient to wait for our Saturday drop in Perry. And yet, so many of you do.

So many people want to know where their food comes from. So many want to put dinner on their table that came from local hands and local land. That choice is intentional, and we never take it lightly.

Last year was a blessing in ways I didn’t expect. We were able to focus on the store and Perry. We got to grow roots instead of just stretching branches. (Though I’ll admit… I still have an interest in a Griffin pickup location, so if anyone knows of a friendly Friday parking lot, please let me know.)

I wasn’t always an entrepreneur. There was a time when working for yourself sounded terrifying. In hindsight, that fear wasn’t misplaced. One of our regulars jokes that this life is “feast or fame,” and she isn’t wrong. There are seasons that are abundant and seasons that stretch you thin. But raising cows and feeding people is something I feel driven to do. It’s not just a job. It’s a calling that showed up quietly and then refused to leave.

The supporters, the cheering section, make this life possible.

Every share, every kind word, every box picked up, every friend told, every grandma converted… it all adds up. I see you. I thank you. I am grateful for you every single day.

— Audrey