Latest / Follow the Leighder / Small Farms vs. Corporate Ag and Data Centers | Avery Claire Wrigglesworth

Transcript

Small Farms vs. Corporate Ag and Data Centers | Avery Claire Wrigglesworth · Follow the Leighder

• Leigh/@followtheleighder: Howdy folks and welcome back to another episode of Follow the Leighder. I'm your host, Leigh Larson, and from Georgia, I bring you Avery Claire Wigglesworth. to the studio, Avery. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah, so depending on the time of the year, it'll change a little bit, but the cattle obviously are priority. So first thing that happens in the summertime is we'll come out and we'll move our cattle to new pasture. We practice rotational grazing. So every day they get moved to fresh pasture. And in the wintertime, they will be fed hay and whatnot when the forage is dormant. So that'll kind of be dependent on the weather. And the workload can change a little bit depending Thank you so much for having me. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Folks, I'm excited for this one. So Avery is the owner, operator, founder, well, not really the founder. We'll talk about the story, but you run Lily Hill Tallow Company out of Georgia. It's a family farm ⁓ and you sell tallow and beef across the country and across the world as well. I don't really know food regulations. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Just within the US, ⁓ our beef is not expected to be sold outside the country and then our tallow, it's more just us shipping logistics and tariffs and things like that. We only ship within the US. on if we need to do any maintenance on the herd like preg checking or weaning and things like that. And also we look over everyone and ensure everyone's healthy and occasionally during calving season we'll have to assist some of the females with the birthing process. So we're extra vigilant those times of the year. And then certain days of the week, Monday through Thursday, Leigh/@followtheleighder: But you have made quite a name for yourself. Not only do you post on social media the content of your farm and what it looks like to run in the everyday family farm, small farm operation, but you also explain how policies and global events affect you and your business. Now, is Lily Hill, is that something you grew up with? How did you come into Lily Hill? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: we ship our beef and tallow products. So I do have a small team who helps out with that, but I always like to stop in and double check everything's going out smoothly. And we also have two part-time team members that help me out with all of the tallow. So ⁓ I oversee all the tallow production as well. So we're rendering tallow every day and working on keeping up with demand for the skincare as well. Leigh/@followtheleighder: That's a lot because you have a small team and the pressures you're facing are a lot. ⁓ Folks, please go and buy her products on her website. One of the sweetest things I saw earlier was your lovely gray hound dog. I know that you also told me before we started recording that you have two guardian dogs. Can you talk about the role of dogs on a farming operation such as yours? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: So my grandfather initially bought the first section of Lily Hill Farm and my father expanded upon that. Growing up, we spent a lot of time out here and then obviously with my sisters and I moved away to go to college and pursue other careers. We all left the farm and you know. Yes. There have been a lot of struggles going on back home that my dad was facing trying to keep the cow-calf operation going. one of the reasons I stepped back in to take it over was when we got a call from him in 2019 saying, due to finances, he's going to have to sell it. ⁓ My husband and I decided to quit our jobs in finance at the time and step back into the operation and see if we could turn it around. Yeah, so we, it was actually in 2020, right after we moved back to take over the farm, we had a couple... attacks on the livestock from the neighbors dogs ⁓ and ⁓ they were running the herd through some of the fences and also they mulled the ears of some of the calves. ⁓ So it was pretty distressing and we needed something out here able to watch the herd at all hours. So I did my research and I found some Anatolian Shepherds for sale and they are specifically livestock guardian dogs so they stay Leigh/@followtheleighder: can clearly see your business savviness. I know in part of your story was ⁓ that expansion into tallow ⁓ and monetizing it and getting into the sort of skincare world. ⁓ What also stands out to me is just reading your story on your website is how ⁓ I guess the property itself was was first bought by an American soldier who was a German POW. Is that what I'm understanding? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: with the herd. Occasionally they come in the office during the daytime. It gets quite hot here in Georgia and they're a little bit more acclimated to cooler weather, but they come in for the air conditioning. But at night you will find them ⁓ with the herd roaming around, barking, making sure that any other canines or predators steer clear. And once we purchased the Anatolians, we haven't had an issue since. So they are very important to, ⁓ you know, Yes, so that was my grandfather who was a prisoner of war and he, yeah, you know, I wish I had more time that I could have. I was very young when he passed away so I didn't get ⁓ to spend too much time or, you know, get to really understand all of what he went through. But, you know, he was the one that came back and really bought the first section of the farm and ⁓ Leigh/@followtheleighder: So sorry. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: A lot of people think it's a financial decision, you we can't have any losses due to predator pressure, but really for us it was just more of an emotional, like the well-being of the animals. Actually where the name comes from, Lily Hill, was on that first section. So we have these hillsides that bloom in Zephyr lilies, these native Zephyr lilies, every spring. So that's where the name come from. A lot of people call me Miss Lily or think that it's after a family name, but it's ⁓ to represent those beautiful native plants that we have on the property. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, and like you said, they become a part of the farm, they become a part of the team, the staff. They are both protectors and then, I love dogs. What are you? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yes. Yeah. And our poor Greyhound, Thorne, he's left the office right now, but he would work if I would let him, but he gets a little too triggered by movement with the cattle. So he is not the best working dog, but he does take his guardian dog ⁓ role very seriously when he is here. He does get put inside at night, but he would probably stay out with the guardian dogs if I let him. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, as you talk about, you're outside of Troop County, Georgia? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yes, we're in Tripp County, Georgia. Leigh/@followtheleighder: ⁓ I know that in order to make your operation work, you also partner with other farms that are up to your standards. I know that you take that very seriously, the quality of your source material. I mean, you talk about that quite a bit on your Instagram a lot. How has it been to find other family farms that have the quality you're seeking? Is it becoming harder over time or what does that look like? Yeah, well, he wants to be part of the team too, but he's just not there. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: He's a hoot, but yeah. He's not built, the Greyhounds have much thinner skin and stuff and he might try to get in a fight and he's just not built for ⁓ you know, combat. Well, I think because we process our own cattle, it's kind of giving me a back door into having access and knowing some of these other ⁓ farms that are processing in the area. So my processor is really great and he actually owns his own grass fed grass finished cattle. So I sourced some of our suet from him and then also all of his customers. you know, allows me to, you know, he'll check with them first. But if I want to reach out to any of the other farmers that Leigh/@followtheleighder: They're not built for combat. It's hilarious. Well, talk about, you know, as you see your future with with Lily Hill-Tallow, you know, we've talked about AI data centers, we've touched on tariffs, we touched on diesel prices. One of the big concerns is the small family farm and large corporate operations. Can you kind of clarify how that's a threat? Maybe to you, if that is, or just in general, kind of what that story is for people who may not be familiar with what's going on with the small farmer and the... Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: that he is processing for to see if they have extra suet, can kind of work through him there. And then I think also because... ⁓ I am active on social media. have had ⁓ another really great farm who actually isn't local, Granview Beef. They're fantastic if you're in Idaho, recommend looking them up. They reached out to me and said they had a ⁓ kind of a purchase they had lined up fall through last minute. So they had a lot of extra suet. And so I was able to purchase that from them, help them out and also give me another really great source for product. Yeah, I think it's probably a lot. more present and happening more so out west, especially in the big row cropping ⁓ territory and things like that. For the cattle ranchers here in our area, the ranches are generally a little bit smaller. ⁓ So we tend to not have as much pressure from big corporate ag conglomerates. We're a little isolated just because of the size of our tracks. It's harder for a big farm doesn't necessarily want to have to manage They're the only ones that aren't local but I follow them on social media and Amanda and them who run it are very knowledgeable and run a great operation so I have full confidence in that. 10 small farms in our area. So we are a little bit more sheltered with that, you know in the southeast we our main issue is the the development pressure that we're that we're seeing in industrialization of a lot of our agricultural lands. So yeah I don't have any first-hand encounters of know acquisitions that have happened of smaller farms getting eaten up by some of the larger ag businesses, but ⁓ I think that probably it just Leigh/@followtheleighder: ⁓ and I think that it also... ⁓ It also shows how careful and how much responsibility you place in being a farmer or a livestock tender and the whole process. Because without these visual aids, we just don't know how our meat is processed. And then also we see these documentaries of the large corporate feeding operations that don't seem humane at all and it generates a lot of controversy. Can you talk about the care that you feed, that you give to your, not only your land, but the livestock on the land? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: to do with our environment and our location, but out west I'm sure that they are seeing a lot more consolidation and things like that, especially where they do a lot more with the row cropping and commercial ag out there. And while I will speak on this, the feedlot industry is getting consolidated, so even though we're not part of that, it is part of the bigger beef supply chain. ⁓ And there used to be thousands and thousands of small Yeah, so I think the whole thing is that we really start from, you know, the soil up. So the animals are obviously our number one priority, but we understand that you need to have healthy soil, healthy forage, and protect water resources and native habitat. ⁓ all working together to really bring the customer a really responsibly raised product for beef and tallow. So I think the care is, obviously you see the care that we give the animals, but there's also a lot of care involved in the land. So ⁓ not compartmentalizing them, but looking at them as one whole unit is really important to us. feedlots across the US and those are slowly, the big packers are essentially starting to purchase or work with only specific feedlots and this is a way for them to start to vertically integrate the beef industry. ⁓ Now it was much easier for them to vertically integrate poultry and things like that due to the life cycle of the chicken and being able to industrialize that whole process. So the cow calf operation will be much harder for them, you know, like the big four packers, Tyson and all of them to vertically integrate, but they can certainly ⁓ acquire a lot of those feedlots and start to use price fixing techniques there to control more of the beef supply and beef prices throughout the U.S. Leigh/@followtheleighder: What was that like to expand on your financial knowledge, which is clearly helping your business, but what was it also like to, agriculture is such a science. How did you learn or become familiar with the sort of ecosystem you're talking about? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Well, I had some knowledge ⁓ stepping into it just from growing up, but I think there was a big transition when we took over. ⁓ Historically, a lot of farmers, and no fault to my father or anything, but historically, over the last 90 years, they've really pushed for improved forage varieties. These are forages that have been developed to grow under very specific, ⁓ Leigh/@followtheleighder: Thank you. And that was so well spoken to. It was like you knew exactly what you were talking about. was like, whoa, this is a very significant problem. I didn't even think about feedlots and the consolidation. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah. ⁓ well. Yeah, that's the main, that's where the beef industry, the risk of the vertical integration can happen. Cow-calf, just because of the land you need to calve out the, you can't really calve out a significant number of head in a barn or in a dry lot setting because of illness with the off, you know, the calves. So it's not as much of a concern, but it, you know, the cow-calf. type of soils and with nutrient requirements. So a lot of the farms you see here were planted in these type of grasses and whatnot. ⁓ So stepping in, I gained a lot of knowledge about how to farm in that direction. And ⁓ while useful and there is still a place for improved forages, I have done a lot of my own research in looking at how we can transition back to native plants and forages so we can obviously cater to that wildlife producers will be here, but they can certainly vertically integrate those other areas of the production supply chain. Leigh/@followtheleighder: How many cattle do you have on your lot? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: So we have just under 400 head. habitat, as well as ⁓ producing really good forage for our cattle. So I think some of it was learning from my father, some of the things that he had. It's a little more complicated since we are direct to consumer. So we have our cow calf, which are our mother cows that give birth to the offspring every year. They then move into our backgrounding program. So that's like weanlings, kind of like teenagers. ⁓ And then they move into our stalker program. So that's the stage right before they move into the feeder, finisher stage of our program. So for us, lot of farms are gained experience on the ground from his knowledge, but then also looking outside the box and being willing to expand and potentially go in a different direction and also educate yourself in other ways ⁓ just to really transition the operation into kind of a new ⁓ era. just one of those types of operations. So you'll have a cow-calf or you'll have a back-rounder or a stalker-feeder operation, but we are the full life cycle. it's a handful. And sometimes there's lots of misbehaving with the younger animals. They get where they're not supposed to be a lot. It's always, yeah, it's a hoot, but it's also a little bit sometimes not so funny when it's like the fourth time you've put the same animal back. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, it's also your husband's been very involved ⁓ and you have a team around you that's quite impressive. As I mentioned, your husband Mark has been ⁓ very much hands on, but your manager, Morris Hobson, I mean, we're talking decades of ag and farm and experience. How did you find him? Someone like Mark? this. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: where they're supposed to be. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Yeah, it's not funny and it's not, it's like a child that weighs the size of a cat. Like it's like, and it's just running amok. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Well, he's actually been on the farm for 30 years. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Morris. Sorry, someone like Morris. did you find someone? Mark is your husband. How did you find someone like Morris, the farm manager? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yes. They know exactly what they're doing too. I'm like, is that M10? Because I just put you in yesterday. And they like hide in the woods and they're like, maybe she won't see us. I'm like, I see you. Gotcha. So Morris, actually my father had found him and he has worked on the farm for over 30 years. ⁓ My father owned gas stations way back when and Morris actually was working on the maintenance team and my father got wind that he had some experience with cattle and was like, would you be interested? Leigh/@followtheleighder: ⁓ I'll see if there's your... Yeah. And it's just, it's just funny because it's like you wouldn't last a week as a wild cow. Like get back in here. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: I know, yeah, like if you don't have, yeah, they don't know what they're doing, but. in coming on as a farmhand and then obviously just through years and years of experience his role kind of grew here so he's a very important part of our team and has done probably more work on the farm than anyone else. Leigh/@followtheleighder: I see your dog Thorne in the back. My dog, Professor Huckleberry, is right behind me. And my dog will occasionally, like, get out of the backyard. He doesn't roam all over the neighborhood. He's not a runaway. But he'll just look at me and I'm like, you wouldn't last a day out there. What are you doing? Get in here. You have a great Kush life. Well, Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: yes ⁓ Hmm. Leigh/@followtheleighder: and particularly like his story of working on a dairy farm making 20 cents and now, here like playing a pivotal role for Lily Hill Tallow. That is an incredible story and of course helped you guys tremendously. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: I know, right? Like, don't even pretend. I know. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Can you share a little bit, so with 400 head of cattle, are you managing that using machine tractors, horseback? How do you corral and direct such a large herd? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yes, and I don't think our website is all the way up to date yet, but we have also, ⁓ I think last May was the first time we really started to expand the team. And then this November, I also hired on Annie Bradley. She's not on the website yet, but she, ⁓ So we're fortunate that most of our cattle are, they work pretty well with how we like to move them. ⁓ Sometimes we use a little bit of bait, so we'll use a little bit of feed or hay to lure them where we want them to go, and a lot of times that is a very efficient way. We do not have horses at the moment. We have some old, retired horses. ⁓ She is our director of agricultural operations. So she's really helping me research the forage and really take the operations to the next level. So getting all our soil tests done, looking at all the equip applications that has to do with the government funding to help us fence off sensitive areas and do more rotational grazing. ⁓ So she's really helped us go to the next step too. And then of course, whole, the whole rest of our team Once we finally have the funds and everything to invest in some nice horses and get set up riding, I'd love to start riding and using horseback to work the cattle again. For now, we actually do a lot on foot, so we'll just walk and push them up on foot, or we ⁓ have a UTV and stuff that we use. And sometimes we even push them a little bit with the tractors, which is probably everyone at West is like, ⁓ my God, what's happening? But it works. that really helped me get, you know, it really helped me take this business to the next level. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, it's certainly working. I brought up Mark, who the husband, not Morris, the farm manager. But ⁓ Mark also worked in finance as well. Can you talk about what that period, season of your life when both of you working in finance, working in an urban environment, made the decision in the leap to go towards this Lily Hill endeavor? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Mm-hmm Yeah. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, Avery, as we come to the end of today's episode, can you share with the audience where they can follow you or purchase your tallow or beef? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah, so you can purchase both our beef and our tallow on our website, is lilyhillcattle.com. And I run two social media accounts on Instagram and TikTok. the one for the farm is Lily Hill Cattle. And then the one for our tallow is Lily Hill Tallow Co. ⁓ So, yep, you can follow us along on any of those pages. Yeah, I think we both, he had been working in finance for nearly a decade. We were in the UK when we working there and he didn't go to college. He actually went straight out of A levels or they call it a little bit different, not high school, but the equivalent of high school into ⁓ working straight into the industry. So he definitely, ⁓ I think he was looking for a new era and just something with more purpose. Not that there isn't purpose in finance and there's a lot of really important roles that people in finance, you know, do for us. But I think we wanted something tangible. We wanted something meaningful, ⁓ not just, you know, sending documents around in the ethernet. You know, we wanted to get our hands dirty in a sense and Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well folks, that was really enriching for me, Avery. Thank you for being here. I really appreciate your time. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Well, thank you for having me. It was a joy to speak with you. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Yeah. Well folks, let me know in the comments what you thought about this conversation with Avery Claire Rigglesworth, again, like the Lily Hill Tallow Company online and on socials. Family farming, small farming out in Georgia, in Troup County, ⁓ and giving us an example, a peep into her life and her industry, the hard work that she's put into this. Let me know what you think about it in the comments. Make sure you like, follow, subscribe, you know the drill. And until next time, Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: have a chance to really make a difference and go in a different direction. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, when you talk about running a farm, what are some of the challenges that you are seeing right now? What has this past year, just in general, how has this past year been for ⁓ either recruitment or sales or just general ⁓ operations? time. See ya. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah, so I think there's really two for us and there's two aspects of that. We have the retail operation, which is almost completely different beast went in and of itself and the farming operation. ⁓ The farming operation, I will say financially, ⁓ it's still so much more profitable, but it is very expensive to run these operations and all of our inputs are continuing to go up. Hey, prices of gone up, we're seeing this unexpected spike in diesel right now. So managing cash flow definitely ⁓ can be challenging once we brought on the retail ⁓ operation that has been a lifesaver for that since we have funds coming in every single day. So cash flow is huge there. ⁓ And finding people who want to work on the farm has been very, very challenging. We were fortunate to have Morris, but trying to find some additional help for him, because he's approaching 65 years old. ⁓ finding additional help for him has been very challenging. And then we also have all the moving pieces of the retail side of the operation. And, you know, we don't do any paid advertising and things like that. I choose to use the, you know, organic reach through social media. So there's a lot of pressure on me there. I still don't have a team or anything. just now have someone who occasionally comes on and helps me respond to messages. But besides, as far as posting content, editing, all of that, ⁓ I handle all of that as well. So ⁓ there's a lot of pressure to make sure we're getting that content out there and that I'm reaching those sales goals to make sure that we can cover payroll and keep doing all the land improvements we want. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, and that's ⁓ a point you made about finding labor. Particularly someone who can grow with the farm, not just be like a summer help or a spring help, which I'm sure you might take, but you're looking for someone to help run, to have some skin in the game. for that, are there this... Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Would it be someone who would have a similar story like Morris? Is that a real expectation or are some of these people that are going into farming, like now that they have college degrees and ag sciences, what does it look like to try and hire someone to fill the shoes of Morris? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah, so I don't know if ever find another Morris. He was obviously a very special person that we were able to find. I think it depends on the role that they're going to play in the operation, ⁓ more for the work on the tractors and things like that. We're looking for younger kids that are interested in agriculture. They don't need to have a college degree, but ⁓ we want them to be ambitious and have a drive to be involved in something. ⁓ Annie, obviously she's, she got her degree in agriculture and is now getting her master's in agricultural communications in all of her free time when she's not helping us. So, you know, I think it depends on what role we're looking for them to fill. ⁓ But we're definitely open to hiring people right out of high school and stuff. We just ask that they're ambitious and have a good heart and, you know, are willing to learn and work hard. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, and you also mentioned global policy affecting the prices of diesel. Have you seen any hardship with tariffs? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: For us, we're a little more isolated because of... Well, as far as like selling our products and things like that, since we do sell strictly within the U.S., there's been some supplies that we've seen, you know, potentially been impacted by the terrorist, but it's it's a little more abstract for us. It's, you know, just kind of what everyone is feeling, I would say, but not too big of an impact. ⁓ And, you know, so we're fortunate for that, but definitely is a concern and things you need to keep in mind. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, and recently you shared about how an AI data center is coming near you. And that's a story that a lot of us, I'm in Montana, I know folks all across the Rockies. And then of course you're in the South and coming up into Appalachia. Can you talk about what is going on for Troup County, Georgia in AI data centers? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah, so it's a little concerning too because this is one of four that they have proposed and you know, not to, I would say a 45 mile radius around LaGrange, which is the main city over here. So it's concerning. This is the largest one. It's going to be about 500 acres. They originally proposed to have it in a different site over, we have a Kia manufacturing plant they proposed to put over there. and then there was a lot of pushback by the local residents. So then they decided to move it to this other location. And one of the things we're kind of looking into and trying to figure out is the land, the new proposed site is supposed to be in conservation. And it's just astonishing to me that they are going to pull that out of conservation and put a data center on there. We have an industrial park, not too far, but it's already going to be getting a large Google data center. So they can't put it in there because the strain on the ⁓ electricity and the power infrastructure will be too much. So they have to find a new location. So that's why they're looking at this one. we've put our land, we're looking at putting most of our land in conservation. ⁓ what is the point of having these programs and the conservation programs if a developer can now just come along and decide to put a data center on it. It's very concerning and it's raising a lot of questions within our community about what is really going on here. Leigh/@followtheleighder: And not only what there's so many concerns for AI data centers, what are some of the concerns that you and your community have specifically with those planted? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yes, we We need to understand how are they going to be sourcing the water for the cooling. Like there obviously are closed loop systems. ⁓ But if they're going to be pulling from the aquifers and we do have these other four data centers all in close proximity, so like one may be okay, but I mean, you put all four, that can really impact our water supply here. And we're fortunate to live in a part of the country where we don't have to, we have plenty of water. Our aquifers are pretty stable and we generally don't have issues ⁓ accessing water with water restrictions, but this is a new concern. What do the data centers mean for our water? no one can really answer that. ⁓ And there's also the aspect, there's a lot of noise associated with them, the cooling fans, things like that. How will that impact wildlife? Fragmentation of native habitat as well. We're doing a bunch of restoration on our farm. Is it going to be worth it if, you know, right down the road, it's, you know, a lot of the natural migration paths of these animals is being, ⁓ you know, hindered and things like that. So it's frustrating. And then there's also the other, the rezoning aspect of it. It's going to put a lot of pressure on our farm and surrounding areas to be put into industrial use just because as The data center will probably bring a couple other needs to the area that have to do with industry and not agriculture. So that's another issue. And we still haven't purchased the remaining acreage of our land. just leased that. And we could very potentially be outpriced by developers. If we get rezoned to light industrial, it could be game over. Leigh/@followtheleighder: thank you for that, because I don't think people really understand the property and the zoning aspects of it. They're familiar with the noise, they're familiar with the water usage and those things, but this stuff will really mess up property ownership, property rates, tax rates, all sorts of... And then like you said, here you are trying to be a good steward of the environment and developing your farm operation with natural migratory pathways Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah. Yeah. Leigh/@followtheleighder: considered your this is a part of your like you said earlier this ecosystem that you've created and It's it's very dystopian that something so cold and machine-less and like Also, just a warehouse of servers like it's not even like a factory where it's gonna employ the town and it's gonna you know rest pull the town out of poverty it's just a warehouse of computers and I don't It's a concern. I don't know how that's going to unfold and it feels kind of just gross as a human being, like these beautiful lands. Go ahead. Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Well, and they just keep, I feel like we're rushing into this. We don't really fully understand the impacts that these data centers could be having on the environment and the people around them. And I think it's frustrating too, when you go to these commissioner meetings or you try to stand up in front of them and ask them questions and they don't know. the answers to them. And, you know, there is some literature saying that if the data centers are done right, it can, they can have minimal impact and it, you know, they should be okay. But that's not, I mean, not every single data center is going to be, you know, done with closed loop cooling systems, things like that. They're going to cut corners on some of these and ⁓ it's going to have negative impacts. So I think also if people are in a community where a data center has already kind of been finalized and in progress, I think it's important for them to also go to those commissioner meetings, let the commissioners know that they are watching them and they really need to push for strict ordinances to make sure that they are building these data centers to be as environmentally friendly as possible, ⁓ which I think a lot of towns, it's already a done deal for a lot of places. Leigh/@followtheleighder: And it's, like you said, it's a done deal for a lot of folks and it's, it's corporate, like corporations are not there, that's not their purpose is to be mindful of environmental regulations and impact. It's to make money, it's to profit. And like you said, cut corners to do so. ⁓ And it's scary because like you said, it's a... It's so all-consuming and it's so pushed. We're rushing so hard into this and it feels... Yeah, if it's that significant, we need to have quite a number of laws around it with ⁓ regulations like it's a utility. If you want it to be this ubiquitous and like this whole big thing, then we're gonna have to really regulate it. Well, tell me, just being online, I know that you said that that's you. You don't have a social media person that you were running. You're wearing a lot of hats, including the very beautiful one that you're wearing right now. ⁓ But you do. Can you talk about ⁓ that walk into social media? I see that it's already connected you with sources across the country. That's fantastic. It's connected you with the community. But it's also kind of shaped. It's an interesting place because Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Bye! Leigh/@followtheleighder: You're a woman running a farm in Georgia and there's all sorts of commentary and controversy around all of these things, specifically over beef tallow. I know that New York Times reached out to you for a comment, but you weren't, you didn't like the angle of the story. Can you kind of talk about the beef tallow controversy and ⁓ your take on it? Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah, it was interesting ⁓ when they reached out to me because they were a little vague on what the story was going to actually cover. ⁓ And I ended up getting little more information out of them and it was... kind of in, it was a skeptical take on what beef tallow was and if it was actually anything but really just putting cooking grease on your face. But they wanted to tie it into the cattle industry in our farm and it just didn't really align with what I wanted our brand to represent and that was fine if they wanted to do that article. ⁓ just, I didn't want to say yes to something just to my name put in the New York Times. So you know I think it's worth standing up for some of those. ⁓ If it's not aligning with your voice, don't do it. ⁓ There is a lot of controversy around it and I think there are a lot of dermatologists who say you need to be wary of it and things like that. It really is no different than any other emollient. It just happens to be sourced from an animal versus plants or synthetically produced, which is what we see most commonly in skincare today. found that it works for me a lot better than things like Vaseline and other things that would be an alternative to it. So I think... I think one of the issues that, you know, big skincare kind of has with it is that there is a lot of variation. ⁓ It isn't as consistent because every animal is different. And so I think that's something that if the consumer is okay with that and occasionally having a jar that's a little bit different texture or firmness, ⁓ that's just the beauty of the product and it's a very natural raw type product. ⁓ you know, big skincare is not going to like it. It's going to be much harder for them. to get a consistent product out to the consumer and that's okay. I think that's where we really fit in and are able to offer that and you know give people an option to purchase skin care that comes with a story behind it and you know is playing its role in you know native habitat restoration things like that so that's a really special opportunity we feel like we're able to offer the consumer you know having that full vertically integrated supply chain you know raising the cattle processing the tallow and selling the skincare. Leigh/@followtheleighder: Well, and I've seen it, you know, I think, is he out of Kentucky? But congressional representative Thomas Massey has talked about beef tallow. I've seen it pop up just about a number of places and it doesn't really strike me as anything too odd or different than something like, you know, lotion made from goat's milk or, you know, like you said, any other emollient. It's pretty par for the course. It's... ⁓ Avery Claire Wrigglesworth: Yeah. Leigh/@followtheleighder: It's just an interesting, like you said, interesting thing how it has so many things become controversial. ⁓ What does it, can you kind of talk about, I know there's no such thing as like an average day, but can you talk to us about a day on the farm? If we were to shadow you, what would that look like?