More than a farm
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🛒 To Shop the Market: simply select [Shop the Market] above or click here: 📞 To call the farm: 214-226-0466 💬 To Contact Us by Text : 469-431-5044 🧺 Farm Pickup Hours Mon-Sat: 10AM – 7PM Sun: 2PM – 7PM (Milk P.U. Wed: 3-7PM) 🌻🐓 Visit the Farm, Market, Lounge & Cafe Thurs-Sat: 10AM –7PM Sun: 2 – 7PM 🛻➡️🏡 Farm to Door Orders of $100 or more within 50 miles of Green Family Farms. |
Note about contacting us: We are a working farm. I carry a simple flip phone because it keeps distractions to a minimum and is easy to replace if it gets lost in the pasture. For texting, I use Google Voice, so I typically only see text messages when I'm at my computer. For those reasons, I may not answer immediately; however, I will call back missed calls and text back messages as soon as I get back to the office/computer. The best way to find me is to come to the farm; otherwise, hang tight, I will respond in time. Thanks for your patience.
Market News
A few nights ago, I watched a movie that stayed with me long after the credits rolled. In the story, a mother was nearing the end of her life. Before she died, she left one simple message for her family: "There is something valuable at the farm." After she was gone, the family returned to the farm expecting to uncover a hidden treasure. They had metal detectors and searched buildings, fields, and old belongings, convinced she had left behind something of great worth. But the treasure wasn't buried in the ground nor was it something you could hold in your hand.
And isn't it so easy for all of us to forget that? Thankfully, this family found their way back to the farm because of their mother’s and grandmother's final message and her quiet wisdom in knowing exactly what would bring them together again.
She brought them back to the place where their lives had intertwined. The farm held their history. It was where birthdays had been celebrated, meals had been shared, chores had been done side by side, and ordinary days had quietly become lifelong memories.
Isn't that what farms do?
The land becomes more than soil and fences. It becomes a place where relationships are cultivated right alongside the crops. Years later, something as simple as walking through an old barn, hearing a screen door close, or watching the sunset over a pasture can awaken memories that have been waiting there all along.
That's why the farm was the real treasure. Not because of what was on the land, but because of what had grown there in the hearts of the people who shared it.
I, myself still have a hard time knowing this because I never had a farm in my youth (like my dad did) but I am reminded because so many people who come to visit our farm have those stories and memories and they share them with me when they are here.
After pondering this, I had a memory that I almost forgot: during the last hours of my father’s life, he looked at me and said, "Promise me you'll never leave the farm."
If you know my story, you know I came to this farm because of my father's relentless prompting during the final years of his life. Moving here meant giving up a great deal. I left behind a home I loved, the conveniences of city life, and many things that had become comfortable and familiar.
Sometimes I have to stop myself and remember my father because he understood what “leaving behind” meant more than anyone. He was born in Cuba into an aristocratic family. Then the Cuban Revolution took it all away. He came to America with almost nothing - by the world's standards, he had lost everything.
Yet, if you ever asked my dad whether he was rich, he never hesitated.
He would smile and say, "Yes... because I have my family with me.”
I've thought about that many times over the years (dad left much more behind than I ever did and it wasn’t even by his own will or doing). I am sure dad brought me here for a reason and I am still digging deep to find it and then I think maybe it’s right in front of me all the while.
Real wealth isn't always measured by what we own. Sometimes it's measured by who is gathered around us.
The farm has given us so much more than land, cattle, or buildings. It has also given us a place where people can gather.
That's exactly why I created the Farm Lounge / Café. I wanted it to be more than just another building on the property. I wanted it to become a place where people could slow down, connect, and experience the farm first hand.
I'm happy to say that's beginning to happen.
Our Little Sprouts baby and toddler play days are bringing young families together. And, one of our members has started hosting Conversations That Matter, where people sit down, put their phones away, and simply learn how to connect... really connect... with one another. In a world where genuine conversation seems to be disappearing, that feels pretty valuable.
We’re also having fun - and we will have lots of fun with Mahjong twice next month.
I hope you'll join us.
Maybe the greatest treasure on a farm isn't what grows in the fields.
Maybe it's what grows in the hearts of the people who gather there.
Which reminds me of someone who visited the farm a few years ago and asked me the usual question: how does one quit their job and make money solely from farming? And, I gave my usual disappointing answer: I don’t know because the way we farm, we are giving more money and time back to the land than it gives us. Then, he followed up by asking based on your goals as a farmer, do you consider you have reached your goals and I answered yes, 110%.
And if years from now someone were to ask what was most valuable here, I hope the answer isn't the buildings, the cattle, or the land.
I hope it's simply this: the connection.
That's what makes this place more than a farm.
Much to do, but I will most always make time for a face-to-face visit.
To know the farm / us, it is best to come in person. Remember, God is good!
Take care!
Sandra
Featured Products:
Check out our grower section. We now have other farmers in the area sharing their wares in our store. In addition to what we grow on Green Family Farms, you can now find mushrooms, salsa and jams and jellies. And, we have also added some value added products as well: whipped tallow (for your skin), and rendered tallow, lard and schmalz for cooking as well as all natural fly spray and cleaner, to name a few.
Want raw cow’s milk? We are also picking up milk from a licensed dairy in Farmersville. Java had her baby and her milk is wonderful but she can’t supply everyone. On occasion, I will be able to offer some of Java’s milk too - for that, shop the market for “herd shares” instead of “milk”.
Farm To Door:
If you can’t make time to come pick up your order, we will bring it to you. It must be a minimum purchase of $100 - just make sure to give us a day’s notice and note “delivery” in the comments when you place your order.
Farm Lounge:
Check out our calendar of events if you want to come and hang out, connect and gather with others at the farm. You can come to one of our existing events or, sign up to be part of us and create your own event. All are welcome!
Calendar of Events: for Flag on the farm:
Recipes:
Share your recipes with us on the Recipes tab of this site. We’d all love to know how you prepare your Locally Grown products so we can try it too.
Here is a nice one for summertime. We found it most refreshing during hot work days on the farm.
Watermelon Salad
If you want to know how to cook something not listed, just message us and we will add it along with tips we’ve learned over the years of harvesting and preparing farm fresh foods.