The 5-W's of Follow Me Land & Livestock
posted on
July 3, 2022
The 5 W’s of Follow Me Land & Livestock
Over the past decade, the Cory Family has gradually grown from Laura & Kevin to now including five children (Mikaela, Nicholas, Olivia, Peyton, Roman) and a farm. But with such a large family, why pursue the agrarian life?
In the simplest, at first, it’s cheeper to grow your own food. But now, the pursuit of self-sufficiency (or the reduction of the grocery bill) has emerged as the pursuit of service for ones’ neighbor. This call to service is abundant in the upbringing of both Laura and Kevin through the example (leadership) of our parents and grandparents. We’re now at the culmination point in our life journey to take Kevin’s 15-years of selfless service to our Constitution, Laura’s selflessness as a mother, and our collective experiences of serving others.
For simplicity, the military takes vast conceptual ideas and distills the concept into five simple to understand, tacit W’s.
WHO:
Follow Me Land & Livestock is owned and operated by Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Cory. FMLL is a family farm consisting of a diverse menagerie of livestock: sheep, goats, chickens, quail, & rabbits.
WHAT:
FMLL seeks to apply regenerative agriculture principles to elicit desired outcomes for the business (we have to feed our family), the environment, and the livestock. With successful synchronization of regenerative agriculture all three objectives (business, environment, animal) will support the other to provide positive results. The business supports the Cory Family. The environment improves with the flourishing of both fauna and flora. The livestock remain in a constant state of positive health and nutrition reducing the needs for artificial chemical inputs (i.e., dewormers, antibiotics, vaccines, and hormones).
WHEN:
We officially established the enterprise in January of 2022. Yes. We’re young. But, you have to start somewhere. However, the agrarian pursuit has been in Kevin’s vision since his youth. What you experience now is the result of over a decade's worth of constant study and research (when he should have been study Army doctrine, lol).
WHERE:
We’re locally oriented and located outside of Columbus, GA. We're conveniently located a short drive from LaGrange, Atlanta, Auburn, Dothan, and Birmingham.
Over the past few months, Kevin has been bombarded by questions as to the interest in farming. “Really Kevin, farming?” “Don’t you know your be poor for the rest of your life.” “why would you through your life away like that?” “You’re leaving a successful career in the Army to farm? Your’re crazy!”
To combat the negativity, you have to be grounded in your purpose. Today, our society lacks purpose as our neighbors regretfully wander through life. Knowing the “why” of what your doing is critical to mission success in the military. This principle applies to small business ownership as well as farming.
WHY:
This is the most important question to ask as the “why” has morphed as National and world events have changed.
Why #1 - Healthy Alternative for our Kids
The current food system is plagued by events of untrustworthiness and unreliability. The 1990’s suffered from mad-cow disease because CAFOs were feeding animal remains and byproducts to bovines (cannibalism?). Eggs (free-range and confinement) are carriers of salmonella. E Coli in spinach because industrial operations irrigate with sewage from the local water treatment plant. Pigs in confinement facilities where there is no sunshine or fresh air resulting in stressed, infection prone animals. Chickens, in USDA inspected facilities, being “cleaned” with bleach (true statement).
All the above anecdotes are the original foundation as to why Kevin and Laura are pursuing farming. We wanted to provide healthy, nutrient dense foods for our growing family. This came to fruition as backyard chickens, rabbits, and quail. At first the intent was to provide just enough meat for our growing family with the surplus being offered to others. This still remains a top focus but has served as the catalyst for continued growth.
Why #2 - Provide THE Alternative to the Current Model
With the events of COVID-19 and policies of both State and Federal authorities, the current food system showed it’s true colors as a vulnerable system propped up by the taxpayers’ dollars. The supply chain failed, or forced to fail, creating shortages of staple foods (e.g., chicken). Many established farms were in a favorable position to meet the demand of those in their community. They fed their neighbors. However, the food system remains unchanged. It’s fragile and slow to respond. Can we rely upon the current system to feed our families? We need a reliable alternative.
Why #3 - Serve YOU as our Neighbors
The aforementioned reasons have informed our current purpose of existence to be a healthy alternative to the unreliable, and untrustworthy food system. Kevin and Laura are advocates for strong local economies. Neighbors serving neighbors. We do not need to rely upon globalization. Globalization does not benefit the individual but the international conglomerates. Kevin and Laura are on a mission to serve safe, healthy, nutrient dense foods as an alternative to the current system. We want to serve our neighbors.
In summation of the listed “why’s” and our vision, we live by our motto of
Only the Best for Your Family and Ours
Check out our other blogs to learn more:
What’s in a Name - Follow Me Land & Livestock (followmelandlivestock.com)
Freedom Chicken - The Healthier Choice - Follow Me Land & Livestock (followmelandlivestock.com)
Grass Based Health - Follow Me Land & Livestock (followmelandlivestock.com)
