This is a milestone year at Jako Farm. We are celebrating 100 years of the King Family caring for this land. Ken and Judy have been stewards of this land for 45 years and Daniel and I took over management 7 years ago.
As we went into this winter we knew it would be a time for reflection and change – a time to look at where we’ve been, where we’re at now, and what’s next.
Where We’ve Been
It’s beautiful to look over the past 100 years and see the transformation of the farm. For the first 70 years, it was a pretty conventional dairy farm. The biggest impact of those years was the King Family Farm creating a legacy of being a place of connection and where people are loved and welcomed. That’s a value we want to continue to pass on.
The big turning point came in 1991 when my father-in-law, Ken, ditched the row crops, planted the farm in perennial grasses, and moved the cows from the dry-lot to the pasture.
Ken made that change because he realized the status quo of farming was not working and didn’t like where it was headed. He began looking at things with a holistic lens: what is best for the farmer, the land, the animals, and the community. Since then, the farm has continued to evolve, but we are always approaching decisions through that lens.
The Jako Farm store in 2005.
When my husband, Daniel, decided to come back to the farm after college, Ken and Daniel opened the farm store. For the last 17 years, we’ve had several thousand people walk into our farm store seeking farm-raised food. Many of them never return, but those who prioritize food quality and a connection with their farm stick around. What we’ve realized is that our farm is about so much more than food.
It’s about connection.
It’s about a relationship with our Creator.
It’s about health.
It’s about taking some time to de-stress from life.
It’s about respect for the earth, the animals, human life, and our communities.
It’s so much more than food.
Where We Are
The last two years have been tumultuous. For better or for worse, they have also exposed what we already knew was true: our “food” system is fragile.
We’ve had to face the reality that we cannot be everyone’s farm. Demand for our products has grown rapidly, especially the dairy, and we cannot meet all of the demands. The status quo answer would be to buy in more cows, buy more land, and hire more farmers as soon as possible. But we’re not the status quo. That doesn’t reflect our values. We’re doing our best to increase production, but when you’re producing quality food with integrity, those things do not happen overnight.
Where We’re Going
We have spent the last two years mulling over how we continue to provide food for those who prioritize it the most, while also maintaining our value being a welcoming place of connection.
Our answer is launching a new membership program.
Any Jako Farm member can continue shopping at the farm as usual, but there will be perks for those who commit to higher tier membership. Bronze level members may be without some of their favorite Jako products, especially in winter months.
Perks like access to early spring butter, alerts when products are low, first priority for ordering beef, lamb, pork, and turkey will be announced to Silver and Gold level members.
For example, if we are low on eggs, we will put the eggs in a separate area of the store, just for Silver and Gold level members. This is not a guarantee you will have eggs, but you will be given priority. We will not do this for every cut of meat, but we will do this for staple items.
For the 2022 growing season, aged cheeses will only be offered to Silver and Gold level members. We will not have an infinite supply of all our products, but Gold and Silver members will be given priority.
As you can see from the chart, Gold level membership gives you product reserve for staple items in the farm store: milk, butter, cream, ground beef, and whole chicken. If we anticipate shortages on those products, you can give us a specific quantity that you need and we will save that back for you.
We’re excited for Gold and Silver members to have more time on the farm with our new bi-annual hayrides or personalized farm experiences. Plus, we live in a fast paced world and I know the benefit of taking a minute to connect with nature. It’s pretty valuable.
If grocery stores shelves become bare again and everyone who has been here in the past 17 years flocks back to the farm, we will have very clear boundaries about who has priority for Jako Farm food. This is a way to protect us and you.
We will have a limited amount of Silver and Gold Level memberships. Enrollment will open on May 2nd for all Jako Farm Members and end May 31st. We will have a limited amount of Silver and Gold Level memberships, so we will close enrollment if slots fill up.
One Final Change
Every other Tuesday for over 15 years we’ve offered a delivery service to two locations in Wichita. April 19th will be our final delivery. We are grateful to the many customers who utilized this service and hope to see many of them in the farm store. As a business, we are shifting to focusing on raising food and providing opportunities for our customers to connect and learn at our farm.
What are your questions?
We know you will have questions, so please reach out. You are a valued member of this farm and we want to hear your feedback! Is there something you would like to see on membership? Now is your time to ask and dream with us.
We deeply value your commitment to this farm. Our intent with these changes is to honor our land’s capacity for growing food and to protect your access to that food. Thank you for being with us as we journey into the next era.
Fresh Milk is Here!
We now have fresh milk in the store! As more cows give birth, we will continue to have a larger supply. Fresh cream will be available soon!
I’ll leave you with this quote from my favorite farmer and author, Wendell Berry. As we make these changes, our hope is that we are doing what’s best for the world.
“We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.”
― Wendell Berry
