ROB MCCLENDON:  WELL, KNOW YOUR FARMER, KNOW YOUR FOOD IS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT THAT’S STARTING TO CATCH ON.  RATHER THAN BUY PRODUCE THAT HAS TRAVELED 1,500 MILES, THEN SAT IN STORAGE FOR DAYS, MORE AND MORE SHOPPERS ARE LOOKING FOR PRODUCE FRESHLY PICKED.  JOINING ME NOW, IS OUR ANDY BARTH.
ANDY BARTH:  WELL ROB, FARMER’S MARKETS ARE ALIVE AND WELL HERE IN OKLAHOMA AND MORE AND MORE ARE POPPING UP ALL THE TIME; GIVING CONSUMERS THE FRESHEST PRODUCE POSSIBLE, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING THE LOCAL FARMERS NEW MARKETS FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
 [THORNTON CALLING SHEEP]
ALPACAS, AND TURKEYS, AND SHEEP; OH MY, IT’S A MONAGERIE OF ANIMALS AT THE HEAVEN SENT FOOD AND FIBER FARM.  PRODUCING WHOLESOME PRODUCTS, WITH THAT FRESH OFF-THE-FARM QUALITY.
COLEEN THORNTON:  I WANT TO KNOW WHO I’M SELLING TO.  I WANT TO KNOW THAT I’M DOING SOMETHING GOOD FOR, FOR PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILY.
ANDY:  COLEEN THORNTON OWNS AND OPERATES THE 60 ACRE FARM IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SAYS HER PHILOSOPHY IS SUSTAINABILITY.
COLEEN:  SUSTAINABILITY STARTS WITH COMMUNITY AND ENDS THERE TOO.  SO IF, IF YOU START WITH COMMUNITY YOU’RE HELPING THOSE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN HELP SOMEBODY ELSE.  AND THEREFORE, YOU’RE KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT GOING WELL, YOU’RE KEEPING ALL OF THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU GOING WELL, WHETHER IT BE JUST HELPING THEM OUT BECAUSE THEY NEED SOME HELP FIXING A FENCE; OR, YOU’RE PUTTING INTO THE COMMUNITY TILL FOR SOMEBODY WHO’S HAD A FIRE IN THEIR HOUSE OR WHATEVER.  SAME THING WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, YOU’RE GONNA, YOU’RE GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR KIDS, THEIR KIDS, EVERYTHING.  AND THEN AS YOUGO BACK, YOU BUY LOCALLY, THAT’S GONNA SUSTAIN THAT COMMUNITY AGAIN.  SO TO ME SUSTAINABILITY IS A LOT LESS OF ONLY ENVIRONMENT AND MORE RELATED TO PEOPLE AND LOCAL ECONOMY AND THE LOCAL HEALTH OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS.
COLEEN:  COME ON…
ANDY:  AND SPEAKING OF FRIENDS, THORNTON CAN’T RUN THE FARM BY HERSELF.
COLEEN:  THIS IS JASPER; HE WAS AN ABANDONED LAMB.
ANDY:  SHE HAS A TEMPORARY FARMHAND THAT STAYS BY HER SIDE EVERYWHERE SHE GOES.
COLEEN:  JASPER’S MOM ABANDONED HIM SO WE HAD TO TAKE HIM IN, AND WE HAD TO TAKE HIM TO THE FESTIVAL BECAUSE HE NEEDED EVERY TWO-HOUR FEEDINGS AT THAT POINT.  AND WHILE HE WAS THERE WE SOLD HIM FOR A PET.  SO, I’VE BEEN BABYSITTING HIM UNTIL HE GOT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER AND HIS NEW MOMMA CAN TAKE HIM.
ANDY:  AND WITH JASPER GETTING ALL THE ATTENION, OTHER CRITTERS WERE DOING THEIR BEST TO STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT.
COLEEN:  THIS IS LOVER BOY. HE IS…OH THANKS A LOT.
[LAUGH]
WHAT HE CONTINUES TO DO, PEE ON HIMSELF; THAT’S THE PERFUME THAT THE GIRL GOATS REALLY LIKE.  I DON’T LIKE IT SO MUCH BUT HE THINKS HE’S, HE’S HOT STUFF NOW, SEE.
ANDY:  NOW THESE ANIMALS AREN’T JUST FOR FUN, THEY ARE A VITAL PIECE OF THORNTON’S SUSTAINABLE, AGRICULTURAL PUZZLE.
COLEEN:  HE ACTUALLY SHEDS FOUR TIMES A YEAR; AND WHEN HE’S SHEDDING, THIS UNDERCOAT COMES OFF AND THAT UNDERCOAT IS WHAT I, WHAT I USE AS ANGORA YARN.  WE SEND THEIR FLEECES IN FOR SPINNING INTO YARNS AND THEN I ALSO SPIN SOME.
ANDY:  ALTHOUGH HER GREEN THUMB AND LOVE FOR ANIMALS IS HER LIVING, THIS DOWN HOME FARMER HASN’T ALWAYS CALLED THE COUNTRY LIFE HOME.
COLEEN:  I HAVE A MASTER’S DEGREE IN BUSINESS, ACCOUNTING, AND FINANCE.  AND, WELL, MY LAST JOB WAS AT AMERICAN AIRLINES IN CARGO, AND THEN GLOBAL ACCOUNTS.
ANDY:  AN ENTRENPRENUER WHO OFFERS HER HARVEST AT FARMER’S MARKETS, WHILE EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT WHERE IT COMES FROM.
BILLIE:  AND THAT’S FROM THE RABBIT.
COLEEN:  YA, FEEL IT.  FEEL IT ON YOUR FACE. 
BILLIE:  OH! THAT’S JUST BEAUTIFUL.
COLEEN:  ISN’T THAT PRETTY?
BILLIE:  YEAH.
COLEEN:  ANGORA RABBIT IS SEVEN TIMES WARMER THAN SHEEP.
BILLIE:  IS IT REALLY?
COLEEN:  UH-HUH, AND ALPACA IS THREE TIMES WARMER THAN, THAN, THAN SHEEP’S WOOL.
ANDY:  PLEASING CUSTOMERS WITH HER SELECTION THAT RANGES FROM FUR TO FOOD.
BUYER:  WE WANT A BUNCH OF ONIONS.
ANDY:  MAKING FRIENDS OUT OF EVERY CUSTOMER.
COLEEN:  OK, THAT IS $9.00.  WE, WE DON’T USE ANY CHEMICALS ON OUR, ON OUR STUFF.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.
BUYER:  WE LIKE TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL AGRICULTURE MARKET AND WE’RE KIND OF FARMERS OURSELVES.
COLEEN:  GOOD MORNING.
ANDY:  AND THORNTON SAYS FARMING IS ONLY HALF OF WHAT SHE DOES.
COLEEN:  COUPLE OF THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU’RE ON A FARMER’S MARKET.  ONE IS THAT YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL.  IF YOUR, IF YOUR SEASONS GO BAD, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WEATHER, THAT KIND OF THING.  SO, ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED WHEN I WAS SELLING JUST VEGETABLES WAS, I NEEDED SOMETHING CONSISTENT.  SO SOAPS IS CONSISTENT, WOOLS ARE CONSISTENT, AND SO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT.  AND THE MORE YOU HAVE TO TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT, THE MORE YOU DRAW PEOPLE IN.  TO BE TOO SINGULAR IN MY, IN MY MARKET, I WOULD HAVE NOT ENOUGH OPTIONS, SO I TRY TO DIVERSIFY.
ANDY:  AND DIVERSIFY SHE DOES.  ASIDE FROM THE VARIETY OF PRODUCTS SHE OFFERS, THORNTON TRAVELS TO DIFFERENT FARMERS MARKETS TO REACH AS MANY CONSUMERS AS POSSIBLE.
COLEEN:  YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND ENERGY AND STRAIGHT CAPITAL INVESTMENT THAT IT TAKES.  UM, YOU HAVE TO BE SO DEDICATED TO THAT DREAM THAT YOU ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO DO LIKE 5 OR 6 AM TO 9, 10, 11 O’CLOCK; AND THEN UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR LAMBING AND KIDDING AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TOO, UM, 7 DAYS A WEEK. 
ANDY:  WHICH CAN REQUIRE A CHANGE IN CHARACTER; DRESSED IN PIONEER GARB, THORNTON ATTENDS FESTIVALS PROMOTING HER NATURAL YARN.
COLEEN:  THIS IS VERY LABOR INTENSIVE, IT’S WHY THAT THEY QUICKLY BECAME MECHANIZED FOR THE, FOR ALL THE MILLS IN ENGLAND, HISTORICALLY, BECAUSE IT IS LABOR INTENSIVE.  CAUSE THIS IS ONLY PART OF THE PROCESS.  YOU HAVE, FIRST YOU HAVE YOUR SHEEP, OBVIOUSLY; YOU HAVE TO SHEAR THE SHEEP.  ONCE YOU HAVE THE SHEARED SHEEP, WHICH WE HAVE SOME RAW WOOL IN, IN THESE BAGS IN HERE, YOU HAVE TO WASH THE LANOLIN OUT.
ANDY:  PRODUCING LOCAL FOOD AND FIBER FOR LOCAL PEOPLE.
COLEEN:  WE HAVE A FARMER’S MARKET THAT IS GETTING BIGGER AND BETTER.  AND BEING ABLE TO KEEP THAT MONEY LOCAL AND IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND LET IT CONTINUE TO ROTATE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THERE, THERE’S STUDIES OUT THERE THAT SAY THAT IF, IF YOU BUY FROM A LOCAL PERSON THAT THAT MONEY WILL STAY IN YOUR COMMUNITY ABOUT 80%.
ANDY:  WHETHER SHE’S BAREFOOT AT THE MARKET OR WORKING ON THE FARM, COLEEN THORNTON IS LEADING THE WAY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FARMING FUTURE.
COLEEN:  COME ON JASMINE.
ANDY:  WELL, THORNTON’S BUSINESS IS STILL NEW.   THEY CURRENTLY SELL AT TWO FARMER’S MARKETS AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
ROB:  AND I TAKE IT THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING YOUR OWN REGULAR OLD BACKYARD GARDEN AND TRYING TO GROW COMMERCIALLY.  SO WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SET UP A FARM LIKE THIS?
ANDY:  WELL IT’S POSSIBLE, BUT DIFFICULT.  WITH THE PRICE OF GOOD FARMLAND AVERAGING ABOUT $3,000 AN ACRE AND THE PRICE OF DIESEL IS CONTINUING TO SOAR, THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS EITHER TO INHERIT YOUR FARMLAND OR TO LEASE THE LAND.
ROB:  OR IN MANY CASES, WORK A COUPLE OF JOBS.
ANDY:  OR MAYBE EVEN THREE.  NOT ONLY DOES THORTON’S HUSBAND WORK A FULL-TIME JOB, BUT AS WE JUST SAW, COLEENE HAS A THRIVING HANDSPUN WOOL BUSINESS ONLINE.
ROB:  ALRIGHT; AND WE DO HAVE, OR JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE, A LINK TO THAT THRIVING BUSINESS AT OKHORIZON.COM UNDER THIS WEEK’S STORIES.