Kristoffer Ross comes to the Farm Market every Sunday with his mother, Anne, a farmer, gardener, and worker for the USDA. The family’s other sun is Matt Ross, our farrier and metal worker, and artist when he’s in the mood. The farm makes heritage grains, quality hay and straw, pure maple syrup, lumber, sawmilling, perennial plant (I have several), metal fabrication, and theater design.

Everyone seems to love what they choose to do and is sticking with it.

To me, Kristoffer is the farmer of the future. He is as comfortable talking about grains I’ve never heard of as he is working on a play set in Albany. Anne and I have become good friends; her heritage (by which we mean old and traditional) perennial plants are plentiful in my raised garden beds.

He has a score of different grains to sell, cook and plant. He has begun the arduous process of explaining them to me.

We read a lot about the demise of family farming in America, but we hear little about the creative and enterprising people – many relatively young – who are redefining the farm, diversifying and experimenting, and finding ways for their families to stay on the land and do what they love.

There is a husband and father also, but he is shy, a strain that runs in the men of the family; he doesn’t come to the market. The Ross’s are refugees from New Jersey, where their families farmed until land and houses became too expensive for ordinary farmers.

The Ross seems heroic to me. Matt, our farrier, knows what he loves and is doing what he loves. He has little interest in being rich or famous or selling his beautiful metal sculptures just because he can. He loves horses and wants to take care of them and be around them, and that’s what he is doing.

They are always in the same corner of the market, friendly and open and making a statement. This is what family farms are really about.

The same ethos seems to be a hallmark of their family’s Hickory Wind Farm, what they call a “diversified farm” just outside of town. I admire these people; they understand the almost sacred meaning of doing what one lives rather than surrendering their souls to the greedy and soulless corporations increasingly defining and conquering America.

There are an awful lot of people up here trying to do the same thing; it keeps me hopeful about America.

This individuality and freedom are what America is all about to me; I admire anyone who is fighting for the love they want and live.