Re: talking to farmers

[Guest guest]

Maybe a Letter would help everyone to Relax? Talk a little about the Raw Dairy List, ACRES, and WAPF. Then they know you are not a "plant"..... lol.

--Terry

talking to farmers

I recently was given a lead on a possible cow share program (in a statewhere sales of raw dairy are illegal) which so far hasn't panned out (I lefta message on a machine, haven't heard anything back). I was incrediblynervous about how to open up a conversation - talking to strangers is notsomething I'm good at or comfortable doing (I get my partner to call forpizza delivery when I can). Especially with just moving to a new area(where there is some communication difficulty with local accents) I'm havingto do a lot of this, and think I may be hiding in my house not talking toanyone for a while. :)I wondered about good ways to say 'hey, I want to buy this illegal productfrom you, but first I'd like to find all about how you run yourbusiness/farm" (no, that is *not* the message I left). I don't know whatis respectful necessarily ways to go about this - I have bought direct fromthe farm veggies & dairy in the past, but almost always in cases where therewas some kind of store or stand set up & open to the public & even in thosecases I've often been referred by an existing customer. My difficultyapproaching new situations & new people can approach phobia levels, I ofteneat at crappy chains when traveling because I'm just too nervous to checkout the really cool looking local spots.If I could just drag one of my friends that is interested in the same kindsof foods & much more outgoing & comfortable dealing with new people downhere to do this all FOR me would be the best, but not terribly likely tohappen in the near future. -- Cat tinawind@...Consent...its not just for adults anymore. www.takingchildrenseriously.com

[Guest guest]

"My difficultyapproaching new situations & new people can approach phobia levels, I ofteneat at crappy chains when traveling because I'm just too nervous to checkout the really cool looking local spots."

I am not quite that bad, but I hear you ! I am not very good at talking to people, escpecially small talk, and I enjoy my self-time too much. :-) If a company doesn't have an email address, I am likely never to contact them for their product, unless I really want it and can't find a company with an email address. I love these yahoo groups! I can "meet" people without the stress. :-)

-Olif

[Guest guest]

Hi ;

I really don't have any trouble talking to new people, but I must

admit that I also had some anxiety when first contacting farmers. I

found that saying I was interested in joining a cow-share was much

less difficult for me than saying I wanted raw milk. I'm not sure

why, but I felt that if I said cow-share they might think I had

researched a bit, and was genuine in my request.

I still feel strange about asking how the cows are fed, though. I

feel like I am insulting them by questioning their profession. I

would love some feedback from the farmers on this list about how to

ask about how cows are raised without offending.

Thanks;

Jill

[Guest guest]

Hi Jill, , and all ~

I was actually approached (via e-mail) by a (relatively) local

organic farmer, after expressing an interest in raw milk on the WAP

polist e-mail list. Once I decided I was really interested, I

asked if I could come out, meet the cow in question (a Holstein,

formerly a Horizon Organic petting-zoo cow, named " Happy " ), and just

take a look at his operation. He went to considerable effort to show

me how he did everything, and explain it all... I hardly had to ask

any questions, he answered the ones I would have had without my

asking.

I enjoyed meeting Happy, and she seemed pleased to meet me, too, or

at least thought my pant leg tasted good, as she licked it pretty

thoroughly! LOL... The milk is great, the rate is reasonable, and

" Happy " even sent me a nice note after I hurt my arm last week! :-)

(It's better, by the way, but still hurts when I type... ow!) I

suspect that most people whom you'd want to do business with will

understand your concerns and hesitations, and be more than happy to

show you around. If not, I'd probably look elsewhere for a source.

That's my take on the situation, anyway -- as they say on the

internet, " YMMV " ! :-)

All best wishes,

Tom

At 8:01 PM +0000 7/30/04, jms4548 wrote:

> Hi ;

> I really don't have any trouble talking to new people, but I must

>admit that I also had some anxiety when first contacting farmers. I

>found that saying I was interested in joining a cow-share was much

>less difficult for me than saying I wanted raw milk. I'm not sure

>why, but I felt that if I said cow-share they might think I had

>researched a bit, and was genuine in my request.

>

>I still feel strange about asking how the cows are fed, though. I

>feel like I am insulting them by questioning their profession. I

>would love some feedback from the farmers on this list about how to

>ask about how cows are raised without offending.

>

>Thanks;

>

>Jill

--

" Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue. "

~ Isaak Walton, The Compleat Angler, 1653

-------------------------------------------------------------------

H. Harbold P.O. Box 1537

tharbold@... Westminster, MD 21158

tom_in_md@... http://www.geocities.com/Tom_in_MD

-------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

YMMV????? Help! {whimper}

~wren

> That's my take on the situation, anyway -- as they say on the

> internet, " YMMV " ! :-)

> Tom

[Guest guest]

Your Mileage May Vary!

> YMMV????? Help! {whimper}

>

> ~wren

> > That's my take on the situation, anyway -- as they say on the

> > internet, " YMMV " ! :-)

>

> > Tom

[Guest guest]

" Your Mileage May Vary! " ;-)

Sorry... :-)

Tom

At 5:42 AM +0000 7/31/04, Kathrine (Wren wrote:

>YMMV????? Help! {whimper}

>

>~wren

>> That's my take on the situation, anyway -- as they say on the

>> internet, " YMMV " ! :-)

>

> > Tom