Comments on: Stone Soup http://farmstories.org/2009/12/13/stone-soup/ Have a farm story to tell? Share it with the world. Sign up for your own blog on Farm Stories today! Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:19:43 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: admin http://farmstories.org/2009/12/13/stone-soup/comment-page-1/#comment-13 admin Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:19:43 +0000 http://farmstories.org/2009/12/13/stone-soup/#comment-13 Alida, You are welcome. I'd love to interview you guys and do a more detailed story on Langwater Farm and Stone Soup, LLC. Thinking about your business name, and the moral of the Stone Soup story make me think about hosting a 'Stone Soup Party' where people get together and bring local foods to contribute to the soup and to the meal. A quick search on Google for Stone Soup Party revealed that this is an idea shared by many others. Of course, people have been having pot-luck dinners forever, but I have been to many of them with no mention of the Stone Soup story and it's moral. I'm going to start a tradition with our family and neighbors and host a Stone Soup Party regularly and use it as an additional way to express thanks for the blessings of community and local foods. Thanks for the inspiration. Mike Murphy Farm Stories www.FarmStories.org Alida,

You are welcome. I’d love to interview you guys and do a more detailed story on Langwater Farm and Stone Soup, LLC.

Thinking about your business name, and the moral of the Stone Soup story make me think about hosting a ‘Stone Soup Party’ where people get together and bring local foods to contribute to the soup and to the meal.

A quick search on Google for Stone Soup Party revealed that this is an idea shared by many others. Of course, people have been having pot-luck dinners forever, but I have been to many of them with no mention of the Stone Soup story and it’s moral.

I’m going to start a tradition with our family and neighbors and host a Stone Soup Party regularly and use it as an additional way to express thanks for the blessings of community and local foods.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Mike Murphy
Farm Stories
http://www.FarmStories.org

]]> By: Alida Cantor http://farmstories.org/2009/12/13/stone-soup/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Alida Cantor Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:11:54 +0000 http://farmstories.org/2009/12/13/stone-soup/#comment-10 I'm one of the farmers over at Langwater Farm. Thanks for featuring us! Your take on the "paradox" of the name Stone Soup LLC is interesting. I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're right, we are all about having a vibrant community farm and at the same time we're trying our hardest to carefully think through the business element. It is certainly not always easy! We have a five-year land lease with the idea that it will renew into a longer term lease. We developed it with the help of an attorney who specializes in land trusts and farming. She recommended the LLC business structure- since there are four of us as business partners, this protects each one of us as individuals. Now we're in the process of setting up an accounting system that will make it possible to keep track of our expenses, income, taxes, and let us each build equity in the business. When we started the farm, I hadn't given much thought to the business aspect- we were starting a FARM. Turns out we are also starting a BUSINESS, which has a whole other set of considerations beyond just growing great food for people. It's definitely been a learning process! Thanks for highlighting this aspect of farming- it is so important for new farmers to think all of this stuff through! I’m one of the farmers over at Langwater Farm. Thanks for featuring us! Your take on the “paradox” of the name Stone Soup LLC is interesting. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right, we are all about having a vibrant community farm and at the same time we’re trying our hardest to carefully think through the business element. It is certainly not always easy!

We have a five-year land lease with the idea that it will renew into a longer term lease. We developed it with the help of an attorney who specializes in land trusts and farming. She recommended the LLC business structure- since there are four of us as business partners, this protects each one of us as individuals. Now we’re in the process of setting up an accounting system that will make it possible to keep track of our expenses, income, taxes, and let us each build equity in the business.

When we started the farm, I hadn’t given much thought to the business aspect- we were starting a FARM. Turns out we are also starting a BUSINESS, which has a whole other set of considerations beyond just growing great food for people. It’s definitely been a learning process! Thanks for highlighting this aspect of farming- it is so important for new farmers to think all of this stuff through!

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