This is Dave Heafner, a local San Diego area farmer. I met him at the Poway Farmer’s Market this past weekend and was deeply touched by his commitment to people, animals and the land. He was a very successful professional in the financial services industry who had a near death experience that resulted in a series of events including losing his entire savings. After a come to Jesus, he felt called to live off the land and become a farmer.
The hook that made him really commit to farming? The gratitude from his customers when they ate his food and came to him saying that it reminded him of their grandmother’s food or brought them right back to their childhoods. They felt deeply nourished with his food. Dave became fully committed from that point on to sustainable, organic, nose to tail and innovative ways to farm.
I am in awe of the farmers who care so much about our health. Who work 7 days per week to make sure we have healthy, pesticide-free, hormone-free, antibiotic free, pasture raised, sustainable food options.
Sustainable Farming: Farmers Who Care
The ideal life may be living off the land, but in the absence of that, the people who reconnect us to this ideal are the natural farmers. I take my hat off to them at every meal.
When I saw all of the beautiful eggs he was selling — of all sizes and colors, I knew I had to get a couple of the unusually large goose eggs for Louise Hay. I told Dave that since she was the “Mother of the Self-Help Industry,” I wanted to bring her a Mother’s Day gift from the happy geese at his farm. And here’s what Dave did that almost had me in tears. He began to gather up a variety of eggs and he insisted that they were his gift to Louise and to me. In this moment, I was witnessing a man who cared a great deal about nourishing others.
This moment and this experience solidified my belief that when we all come together and support one another, when we connect to each other, we are planting seeds of kindness and growing love. Dave reminded me that it’s worth believing in a dream and staying the course. And that no matter what details show up to get in our way — the ripples and turbulence of life — there is one thing that matters: how we support, nourish and connect with one another.
Lives Touched and Changed Forever
Here are some fun pictures of Dave giving the eggs and Louise receiving them. This simple, unusual gift was a source of joy. Not for the eggs alone, but for the farmer who cared so much for the land, his animals and for us. For those shared moments that we humans have. For lives touched and changed forever.
You can connect with Dave and his wife, Leslie, at Da-Le Ranch.
Let me know if you enjoy hearing these stories! Louise and I will share more stories about Dave and the farmers and chefs who are making a difference through sustainable farming and sustainable food practices in our upcoming book.
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