I begin these first-of-the-New Year notes on the cusp of the full Wolf Moon. How can one not love that name? As we strolled up the driveway last night with the stars still vibrant despite the growing brightness, the only sounds were that of an owl and a chorus of coyotes. Although not the howl of wolves, a couple weeks earlier when daughter Mariah and I went hiking for a Christmas tree not far from our place, there in the fresh snow to greet us was a heavy, solitary line of wolf tracks. To be outside at night under the waxing Wolf Moon knowing there are indeed wolves nearby sanctifies the mood of January for me. What’s more, it fills me with an inner glow of hope.
Then there are all the finches new to the feeder, and juncos, chickadees, nuthatches and quail scattered beneath. Following a truly torrential month of December for most here in the Northwest, we ended, finally, with some cold and snow – enough to whiten the hills and change the atmosphere just in time for the holiday season. We feel grateful, and so enjoyed this time as I hope many of you did, also.
2025 was another interesting year. Given a myriad of uncertainties – economic and otherwise – Bluebird Grain Farms continued to hold its own. In the final quarter of 2025 we engaged with a fair amount of prep work for expanded growth in 2026. Aside from securing the winters’ on-site inventory of our high quality organic grains, travel plans were set for trade shows, speaking engagements, marketing material and such. As things tighten, 2026 is going to be a year I believe where many of us are going to make more choices of value and really make decisions based on those values. Food comes to mind.
There has been much rhetoric this past year about health initiatives and such, and federal funding of $700 million has been promised for a “Regenerative Pilot Program”. This includes helping farms make the switch to more soil friendly, and soil building farming practices. Most of these funds will be channeled through existing programs like the NRCS and other branches of the USDA. I am very interested to see how all this actually plays out.
Having the good fortune to already work with one of the premiere Regenerative certified farms in the country, we have seen first hand the eventual benefits of dedicated Regenerative practices. Without question this is how we hope the world farms one day. It would reduce the landmass needed as crop volumes gradually increase. It will cut way back on carbon emissions: Minimized soil disturbance; minimal crop inputs; more nutritious food; less waste all contributing factors in this. Twenty-five percent of the world’s carbon emissions are generated by agriculture. True Regenerative farm practices would reduce this significantly. I hope these funds go to those that want to make the change for generations, and not just dip into a short-term money pool. We need the next generations of farmers to embrace true Regenerative farming.
Meanwhile, we plan to keep chugging right along here at Bluebird Grains doing what we set out to do 20 + years ago and continue to practice daily and that is to inspire change, and offer up the highest quality whole grains and whole grain flours milled to order. Authenticity is not guaranteed by a label. Bluebird carries a lot of labels, too! Rengentified, Organic, Kosher, Whole Grains, SQF… just to name a few. And while we go through all of these annual inspections and pay the subsequent fees, it is our original story that we lean on the most and want to make sure all of our customers remain confident in. Being pioneers in the small-mill/local grain movement, and first in the ancient wheat movement, here at Bluebird we aim to always stay true. Fear not! We’ve no intention of deviating.
So… Here is to 2026! Most of all, here is to your health. We want to continue our role in promoting good food for all people. My New Year’s resolution is to work to get more whole and nutritious foods into our schools and health care institutions. Please reach out of you have any creative collaborations you want us to entertain. We value local direct connections the most.
Cheers,
Your farmer, Sam