THE VISION

Hello Everyone,

I've been thinking so much these past few weeks about what my vision is for Hoppy Mountain Farm. My classmates and I have completed assignments on holistic management and goals, values, land reading, resources and skills, and so much more. There has been a lot of self reflection too. We are building the very important foundations of what our Farms will become.

So, I thought that I would share a little bit of my hopes and dreams with you all. Last week I updated the site. I put my working mission statement up: "To produce the highest-quality products and to offer richly satisfying experiences that are aesthetically pleasing, morally and sustainably derived, and family friendly."

I want to expand a bit on Hoppy Mountain Farm's mission statement this week.

The first half of the mission statement, 'To produce the highest-quality products', seems straight forward enough at first glance. To me however, it means so much more. I don't want Hoppy Mountain to be a huge brand that everyone reaches for by instinct in some generic big box store. I also don't want it to be something that only the wealthy can access. What I do want it to be, is an understood fact that quality is always put before quantity and that pricing is always fair. From the conception of an idea to a finished product, I intend to always do my best to keep costs fair, quality high, and keep materials as local and as natural as possible. I truly never ever ever want to see someone dis-satisfied, frustrated, or left searching for a refund or return. I want to fully disclose everything I can about what Hoppy Mountain offers. I want everyone and every organization that deals with Hoppy Mountain farm to end their experience with a warm fuzzy feeling in their belly, and a new fond memory to revisit often. You see, the word quality means a lot to me, and I hope I can live up to everyone else's definition as well.

The second half of the mission statement, "to offer richly satisfying experiences that are aesthetically pleasing, morally and sustainably derived, and family friendly." is quite the mouthful! However, I think that it is a concise as I could make it. One day, I hope I will be able to occasionally open our doors to the public. I have so very many ideas of how I could share all the wonderful things with everyone, but I do not want to put anything specific down right now. What I can hash out is a rough overview. The Black River Valley is truly such a beautiful place with many hidden away scenic vistas. I want Hoppy Mountain to be one such destination, but also more. When visitors come, I want them to feel like exploring adventurers, discovering a secret and verdant haven. A patch of heaven that is lovingly cared for and created with fair practices and with sustainability always in mind. Every turn should offer a new visual, that changes with the seasons. Hoppy Mountain should be a place where a person can have fun and explore and interact and feel like they belong. And whey I say "family friendly" I don't just mean safe and accessible for children, but also for our elders.

I have big dreams don't I?

May all those who dream, dream big!