Change is a very scary thing to a lot of people. Leaving the familiar. Taking a risk. The UNKNOWN. We had considered closing Sweet Meadows for about two years. When we opened in 2004 not many people had heard of “grass-fed beef”. People were driving to Columbus to get the organic or gluten free items they couldn’t find close to home. We were a niche. We were “ahead of the curve”.
In a quick 5-6 years “organic” began to pop up in every store in town. Kroger had risen to the powerhouse that it is today, slugging it out with Wal-Mart. But we always had what they didn’t: our farm. They could buy 200 cases of quinoa when we could only buy one. They could buy out smaller organic companies and add them to their legion. Yes, we still had our advantages. We would always help you out to your car with groceries. We would let you pay us back later if you forgot your check book or came up short. And you could always come out to the farm and SEE your meat being grown right before your eyes and give them a little belly rub if you wanted.
The writing was on the wall however. Just as we had taken a risk 13 years before, when Katie left her full time job to start our company, we knew we had to change. We had to evolve. We had to stay ahead of the curve. But were we brave enough? Sweet Meadows was her baby. It was where we raised our babies. How could we walk away from our baby? How could we close the doors to all the amazing people that came in each week just to say “hi”. The people who supported us for 12 years?
Katie was the one who had the idea. I immediately resisted. The logistics didn’t seem feasible. How could we make this work? But eventually I came around. We Brainstormed. We researched. We talked with smart, experienced people. And we decided. Let’s bring the meat to them! We would use all the things that were our advantage to begin with: our local home grown meat, our customer service…and take it to the next level. Take it TO YOU.
Change is scary. But it is also exciting. Sometimes you just need a good idea. A push. And faith. In yourself and the people you love. Here’s to change!
