Lainey Wilson gets it (the title is her quote from her recent award speech). I couldn't agree more, and I have to say we are living proof - everything we have built was first a dream. We aren't afraid to get our hands dirty or push through and do the work to make it happen.
Recently, we have received proposals for a variety of interesting opportunities. Ones that would allow us to share our story in a much broader way, but also ones that required more from us than we felt was appropriate to give. It lead to many discussions about how to tell a story, and whether ours was one people would want to hear or continue paying attention to. None of these opportunities were scams, but they definitely made us pause and look twice before jumping in. Though, the thought of pitching our story to help inspire others, to big networks or publishers, was fairly enticing. I couldn't help but notice the parallel between what we've been experiencing and a current narrative floating around the internet... So, I'll add my two cents to it...
Beef labeling in the US is tricky. If a cow is butchered here, it is considered a "value added" activity, and thus is makes it a US product... even if the cow came from Brazil. Even if the cow never ate one blade of US grass... A US product. A post was recently shared showing that in Canada, they offer consumers product labeling that states where the beef was from (Mexico in this case) and that it was ungraded. A lot of folks reacted with "ew" or "gross" but that isn't really the point... This was a great label in my opinion. It was honest, gave us the truth, and allowed consumers to make decisions that suit their needs. Not everyone can afford the same quality of groceries, or maybe it is to be used for other purposes (home cooked dog food perhaps). We don't need to know - the point is that, it gave us more information to make more informed shopping decisions. In the US, we don't get that option unless we source it out ourselves. It requires more effort to be able to feed our families with truly local ingredients.
I drew the comparison of these two scenarios thinking about the amount of smoke in mirrors there can be. In regards to beef, do your research - know what you want, and buy accordingly. In regards to opportunities, also do your research and know that more often than not, if you want something done right, the best way is to do it yourself - I suppose that can also apply to beef (or anything you're consuming - raise it, grow it, forage it, bake it, hunt it, etc. at home when possible)!
At the end of the day, it can be challenging to know when the right opportunity is for you, but generally your gut will lead you (your gut is also a good indicator of your health and eating local options can absolutely improve it! okay - I am done with my speech on beef). I guess this can act as a friendly reminder to be mindful and pay attention to what is authentic because so much can be "manufactured" or a cheap imitation. Go for the real deal, the raw. Go be a dreamer and a doer. You'll always be able to take that much more pride in it, and you'll have the unique perspective of having done it from the ground up - from the learning and failing, to the building and succeeding. I can say first hand, it is hard but also very rewarding, and I still have plenty of failures every week. I'd like to think in the future, we will be able to share more adventures from the ranch (and the Feed & Seed and whatever comes next...) in a bigger way, but I think we'll do more of the leg work, compared to our offers, to get there and make it happen.
Pictured Here: Rancher Rob ^ making it happen from scratch...
How do you know when you have found "it"? When this is the right opportunity/moment/time? Does your ear twitch? Do you get butterflies? Reoccurring dreams? I wanna know!
Leave me a comment below :-)
Happy Trails!
The Ranch Wife
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