Getting to Know your Farmer
Hello, my name is Charles Ritch and I’m the guy who spent every single day for the past 30 years taking care of the animals and poultry that provided folks with the best possible all natural meats they could feed their family.
After 30 years, I've decide to cut back a little and stop the retail sale part of my operation.
Over the past 30 years, I've learned that there are a ton of differences between farms and farmers; and these differences are very important to the quality of food you get. You need to get to know who is raising your food and their personal health history (that is if they have one - and they should).
To insure you are receiving the highest quality food, one of the most important things you can do is to be sure your farmer has a history of walking the talk. He first wants to raise healthy, nutritionally dense food for himself and his family and then, he sells the excess.
The following health resume will help you better understand my health history.
Now, you might think I’m going to tell you I am a 5th generation farmer who grew up in this farming environment. That is not the case. Just like most of you, I grew up in a typical urban environment.
As a typical urbanite of my era, I graduated from high school (in the middle 60’s), went to college, got a degree, was drafted into the Army and served a tour of duty as an infantry soldier with the 101 Airborne in Vietnam. After the service, I was employed in Decatur, Alabama and in the middle 70’s got an opportunity to buy a local industrial metal fabrication company. That company grew steadily throughout the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s until I sold it and commenced to doing this farming thingy full-time.
Back in the early 70’s (at which time I was in my late 20’s), I developed horrible, really horrible, allergies. I went the doctor route for several years, taking all those shots and doing all the recommended things he said to do. The only person who got better was the doctor.
In the later 70’s, I got a hold of a health book that discussed how processed sugar affects your sinuses. I must stop here and mention that it was in the 70’s when the food industry was switching over to high fructose corn syrup. Of course, none of us knew the ill effects of high fructose corn syrup back then. Anyway, the book indicated processed sugar was causing my allergies and since I didn’t think I had anything to lose by taking the stuff out of my life, I went on a total sugar sabbatical…and I do mean total!
I learned about all the different forms of processed sugar, which was a shocking education in and of itself. I then purged the pantry of all the stuff that contained any form of sugar. You ready for this? I was left with two cans of sardines. I was shocked at all the foods that I had purchased that listed one of the processed sugars as one of its main ingredients. Heavens, there was this stuff in the salt (bet you’ve never checked your salt label, have you?).
After only a year on this sugar sabbatical, I went through my first spring in a long time without any allergies. I have been allergy free since. Of course, we now know that the problem was not necessarily just sugar, but the bio-chemical effect of that demonic high fructose corn syrup on the body’s immune system.
At that point, I asked myself “Well, just what else do I not know about the food I’m eating”?
Thus, the journey began.
Over the past 40+ years, my philosophy has taken shape through extensive research and life experiences. This farm is a culmination of that research and those life experiences.
I am a farmer, a true health care professional, a nutritional coach, and an educator. But most of all, I am a student on a lifelong quest for exceptional health, happiness and peak performance. I have an insatiable curiosity about what we need to do to achieve this, and a growing mistrust of the answers that have been heaped upon us by the traditional pillars of healthy “wisdom”. I found on my journey that there is a lot deception and misunderstanding that you need to be aware of too. For example, my studies revealed that the very corporations creating the problem fund most of the publicized research. And, don’t get me started on what I found out about our governmental regulatory agencies – that is its own set of complex problems….
I am an opinionated guy and I am not afraid of a challenge. I do strive to maintain an open mind and will modify my position based on substantiated feedback from others. I do not have any agenda besides helping you improve your health, fitness and overall enjoyment of life. I am not beholding to any employer, government agency, professional licensing board or sponsor. My personal standards are tougher and far more stringent than theirs are – they’re not eating what I produce – I am! However, I do owe a tremendous debt to my Lord and Savior, Jesus, who is guiding me through all this, my family, and to the many folks who have and continue to share their knowledge.
Why is this important to you? I was not a good ol’ country boy trying to make a few bucks more on his failing farming operation. It was not a part-time job and I was not a hobby farmer. I have and continue to study this extensively. Raising good, clean, nutritionally dense food is not a destination, it’s a journey. And, I might add, a tough journey. Knowing what it takes to raise the best, nutritionally dense food ain’t easy and it darn sure ain’t cheap. It required a 100% dedication on my part. I did what it took to do it right. My family and I eat this food and we live here! Eating healthy foods and living in a healthy environment around healthy animals is the only way I want to go. It’s been a long journey……and, its been worth it.
When you’re sick, you need to go to a sick care professional. The conventional medical system is highly trained in that area. If you are on a lifelong quest for exceptional health, peak performance and an invigorating youthful feeling, then you need to learn what it take to produce clean, nutritionally dense food - it ain't at any big box health food store.
By-the-way, I can make a presentation to any size group: Garden Clubs, sororities, service clubs, Sunday School class, or just a small group of friends. With over 30 years, I have a lot to share about the journey.
We are located at 298 Goose Pond Rd, Hartselle, AL 35640
If you have any question, please call 256-345-4062
