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By David Owen, Co-founder of OneSeason Farmers
I’m an “old cowboy” that’s been married to my college sweetheart for over 45 years. We have 7 children and 8 grandchildren….so far.
I have had victories and losses in business but at the end of the day, in spite of injuries from cowboying, football, rugby and just general stupidity, I’m in pretty good health. My wife is healthy enough and has guts enough to still be helping abused and neglected children improve their lot in this life.
We own a home in a beautiful small town and enjoy living in the land of the free and the home of the brave. By any measure we are far and away more blessed than most folks on this little blue ball.
So, why in the world do I want to go off and start some new quest? Why don’t I just kick back and take it easy like most of my Boomer brothers and sisters.
Well, it started with a chance meeting at a convenience store gas pump on the Great Plains of Oklahoma. I was filling up my beat-up old vehicle and saw a mom with two young kids and a baby in the car pull up next to me, get out, walk to the pump, look at the price per gallon and begin to quietly sob.
“Ma’am, are you OK? I asked.
She answered, “No. I don’t know what to do! I don’t have enough money to get gas to go to my job AND get food for the kids. I just don’t know which to choose.”
Of course, I said “Well ma’am today you don’t have to choose, I’ll help with the gas and you go get your kids something to eat.”
She came back out of the convenience store with milk, bread, fruit loops, pop tarts and a big old smile.
I didn’t know then what I know now about healthy food but I knew enough to know “that ain’t healthy". But she was happy, the kids were excited and it sure wasn’t the time to give her some lecture about levels of sugar content in the American food system. Not to mention I had let out my belt to the last leather hole at the time and my belly was making my belt buckle look small, so who was I to lecture anyone?
One trait that most cowboys have is that if you see something broke, you step up and make it right.
Reviving Tradition: OneSeason Farmers' Mission for Fresh, Local Food
So began my new journey —to bring back local, healthy food the way it used to be. Back when small family farmers and ranchers put fresh, homegrown food on our tables.
The result is OneSeason Farmers—a company driven by the determination to bring state-of-the-art, year-round, fresh food systems to small and medium farmers, ranchers, families, food market growers, schools, food banks and more across North America and beyond.
With that mission in mind, our goal is simple: to offer hyper-healthy food that’s truly local—within 25 miles of the consumer. We’re committed to keeping costs low so farmers can make a living and healthy food isn’t just a luxury for the wealthy.
Everyone should have access to real, nourishing food, and this new generation seems to understand that better than mine did.
Maybe we were too trusting. Well, not anymore . . .
There’s so much more to this journey, and I can’t wait to share it with you. The lessons, the challenges, the victories—because this isn’t just my story, it’s all of ours.
If we want to change the way we feed our families and support local farmers, it’s going to take all of us working together. I’d love to hear from you!
Have you struggled to find or afford healthy, local food? Are you growing, raising, or sourcing real food in your community? Share your stories with us and join the conversation on social media. Follow us at @OneSeasonFarmers on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and @1SeasonFarmers on Twitter or X.
Let’s build something better together!