Tom Douglass, Greenville, NC, ca. 1997
Howdy, Alex,
These first words are also addressed to the memory of Tom Douglass
I pray you will understand why I have been the way I have when I tell you that I have lived withdepression for years, even before I ever contacted you back in 1996, depression that kept me in theMoccasin River woods from first light till darkness when I would walk back to the cold and dark bedroom my loving grandmother gave to me to hide in. She always understood me and understood why I was sick and always helped me.
About two years ago, after rediscovering the food/medicine hawthorn I began to get my life back. I feel better after typing these words.
And I need to say this: While working on the Pamphlet I stopped to look up the word “glyphosate” and saw this headline: Moms across America checked fast food restaurants at 26 locations scattered across America and found glyphosate and heavy metals lead, cadmium, etc., in every one, without exception, and read on to discover that these same restaurants served student lunches across the country, and this vision came into my mind: Distance runner Jake running to Moms Across America headquarters, holding aloft a copy of the Business Pamphlet, and telling them that Paradise Farms would gladly serve the children the most delicious, nutritious food that can be grown. And that’s when it began to dawn on me the importance of the Business Plan writing. As is stated in the text the Plan was written to help students, beginning with those studying sustainable agriculture at community colleges and land-grant schools across Carolina, and beyond, to staff and manage the takeouts/restaurants and as stated in the Pamphlet, students to be Paradise Farms’ first associates. founders.
I am not a business person, and in trying to figure how to structure Paradise Farms to benefit the most people, it came to me to establish it as an employee-owned nonprofit business and that way everyone working with Paradise Farms would earn an above-average salary.
I seek no gain from the Plan even though I live in poverty, well below the poverty line, but I must say that I believe I would enjoy working with Paradise Farms as I believe all those I know would.
The Pamphlet summary writing ends the last section of my writing, the “Dare to Dream Notebooks,” and I state at the end that the Common Sense Business Plan is a gift to its foresighted, keen-of-hearing readers, each and every unique one. And the last page: I’ve always been a distance runner, even as a young lad and recently while looking through some folders I came across a color photograph someone made of me crossing the finish line of a 6-mile foot race, both feet off the ground, and decided that the photograph should end the writing, with these words beneath the feet:
Finis Coronat Opus.
From the text.
I know no better business to be in than growing the best food that can be grown, and since all people must eat and all wealth comes from the land, once Paradise Farms becomes established I see no end to its growth, winning silver and gold, and the best wealth of all, health for all.
There is no politics involved with Paradise Farms.
Paradise Farms goals: end childhood hunger and malnutrition, all hunger and food insecurity.
Here’s hoping that the Common Sense Business Plan, written as it “gushed forth from my heart’s understanding,” finds favor with you and that you will do your level best to help the cause.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Jake Grant
