Growing up on a multigenerational farm, agriculture has always been an important part of my life. I learned so many important lessons from growing up this way and continue to use them in my daily life.
When I saw the story that Kimberly shared on her Facebook page about her life as an American Farmer, I knew that I had to share it and meet her in person after being in a parent group with her for years.
American Farmer Families
I had the honor of visiting Kimberly on her farm to hear more about her story and the challenges that they were facing. So many farms (theirs included) are generational, which puts so much pressure on the next generation to get into farming and keep the legacy going. They see the stress and pressure that the American Farmer faces, but we need farmers to survive and are so lucky that many continue in this industry.
Watch my Full Interview with Kimberly
Kimberly’s Viral Facebook Post
Harvest 2024 has began. If you all who are not farmers wanted to know what the price of wheat is right now......it's about the same as it was in 1972. $4.86 a bushel. A loaf of bread in 1972 cost $.25
A bushel of wheat yields 42 one-and-a-half pound commercial loaves of white bread OR about 90 one-pound loaves of whole wheat bread. A bushel of wheat makes about 42 pounds of pasta or 210 servings of spaghetti. There is approximately 16 ounces of flour in a one-and-a-half pound loaf of bread.
I bought a loaf of bread for $7 today. $294 for 42 loaves of bread if they cost $7. The farmer gets $4.86 minus the storage fee. The one who grows the wheat. The one who is a steward of the ground the wheat grows in. The one who hires people to help him cut his crop. The one who spends hours on the combine and tractors to feed the world. The one who makes payments on his equipment his whole life, and he makes $4.86 cents per bushel. We are feeding the world and we can't afford to buy the bread back to make our own sandwich. Things are not right in this world.
I would like to add that the suicide rate for farmers is quite high when things are this bad. Please pray for the farmers who are trying to feed the world. - Kimberly Gormley
Harvest Bees & American Farmer Community
When tragedy strikes in the farming community, everyone comes together in order to support other families. A Harvest Bee is when farmers from the area join together to complete the harvest for someone who has passed away or is unable to complete it for other medical reasons. Individuals step up and take on the task because they know it is the right thing to do. This is one way that they show love and support to their fellow farmers without even having to be asked. It is incredibly powerful and an example of community and love.
Supporting Small Businesses
If you want to support Kimberly’s small business, check out the link below. She makes custom signs for home decor.
Shop them here: https://www.kimberlygormleysignsetcetera.com/#/
Homemade Wheat Bread Recipes
If you are looking for recipes to make your own bread and support wheat farmers, these ones that I recommend:
Beginner’s Sourdough Bread Recipe: Farmhouse on Boone (Lisa Bass)
No Knead Sandwich Bread: Mary’s Nest (Mary Shrader)
No Knead Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread: Mary’s Nest (Mary Shrader)
Storing Wheat
If you are looking for long term food storage for wheat, it is important to know that wheat berries can last for decades, while wheat flour will only last for about 18 months. A NutriMill Grain Mill will allow you to be able to mill the wheat berries at any time. If you want to support Washington farmers, you can purchase wheat berries from Palouse Brand or Blue Bird Grain Farms. Wheat berries can also be stored in Wallaby Goods mylar bags. These bags make long term food security easy to do at home and you can trust in their quality. Use the code: TCL5 at checkout for 5% off your order and learn more about them in this video.
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