At Sonny’s Farm, you can often see two large, blond-white yellow labs chasing each other around the acreage- Sonny and Simba. Simba joined the family well after we founded the farm, which is why we named the farm after Sonny.During our launch event at our California location in Rescue, in El Dorado county, we invited Joel Salatin, a leading expert in regenerative farming, to speak to our guests. He reflected on how living a “Sonnyier” life or “Sonnying” your life, living life the way our buddy Sunny lives will certainly improve your happiness and health.
How do you Sonny your life?
One of the first points that Salatin noted was that Sonny is loved. Here at Sonny’s Farm, our animals are cherished and cared for, but especially Sonny and Simba. Who doesn’t want to be loved?
Salatin asked us to reflect on whether we thought that the nameless, faceless industrial food system loves us? When commercial, processed foods contain unpronounceable ingredients, dyes, preservatives, and artificial flavorings, we must wonder who these products serve.
He further questioned the dietary guidelines. We all remember the days of the food pyramid, especially when we were encouraged to eat diets heavy in processed grains. Have these dietary guidelines led to rampant obesity and heart disease? Quite possibly.
In commercial agriculture and the industrial food system, it is easy to see that we as the consumers are not served with love. These products pumped out into the economy are designed to be made as cheaply as possible. We believe that the cheapest things, the most effortless, do not equate to love.
To be “Sonnyized” is to be loved.
We believe you should consume food grown and prepared with love. Sonny is cared for; he has his physical and emotional needs met. He has food security and knows the hands that feed him.
During Covid, we were all aware of the supply chain challenges that led to food shortages, meat, eggs, baby formula. Many of those continue to impact consumers today. Do you know where your food comes from? Do you have a relationship with the farmers who feed you? We invite you to build a closer relationship with the food you eat, just like Sonny.
Sonny doesn’t worry about the quality of his food. Are we feeding ourselves quality food? In most cases, we can see that the industrial food system is concerned about growing food faster, fatter, and more profitably, not improving the quality or nutritional content for your health. it faster, fatter? Vs best quality.
Emotionally, Sonny knows that his family has his best interests at heart. Can we be sure that the food industry has our best interests?
Embrace discovery.
Sonny delights in experiencing new sights and smells. He spends his days happily roaming around, sniffing, digging, and splashing in the creek. We should be just as adventurous, trying new foods, flavors, and recipes.
We believe that our grass-fed and pastured meats have an unbeatable flavor and a uniquely lean texture. Embrace new foods and culinary experiences in your home kitchen. We believe that food integrity- having a relationship with your food- requires at least some participation the experience.
Sonny viscerally participates in life.
He wants to be part of everything, and so should you. We have the privilege to participate in healing our land, health, economy, and communities through regenerative farming. Together, we can be agents for change. Regenerative farming is about replenishing the topsoil, repairing the damage from industrial farming and commercial development. Our methods of farming are more laborious and less profitable than commercial farming, but we are participating in reversing erosion and pollution. Can you put a price on that?
Sonny trusts.
Sonny completely trusts his family and his place in the world. When you shop for your families, you encounter labels such as organic, free-range, and all-natural. Can we trust in the concepts those represent? What do those labels mean and are they the best food available for you and your family? Trust in provenance, build authentic relationships with your food, and patronize your local farms.
Bring to your lives a “Sonnyized” existence.