I’ve been farming all of my adult life. A drought and a cattle market price crash in the early 1980s helped me make a decision to start Laura’s Lean Beef. As it grew, the company became a complex puzzle of financial management, producer contracting, calling on retail accounts, balancing supply and demand, building a loyal customer base and answering to regulators. It drew me away from the day-to-day of running a farm which I missed, but it taught me many lessons about the shape of the global food system, which I needed to learn.
It took a couple of decades, but we built a nice business. Then in 2005, I had a horseback-riding smash up which put me out of commission for several years. We sold the company, and I thought I might retire. I moved to an island, settled in, but soon wondered how many yoga classes, seminars, and talks could I withstand. I like to work, and my husband is a working man. So back to the farm we came, to start again.
