Shannon Brines

Growing, preparing, and enjoying wholesome foods has been a passion all of my life.

It was fostered early as a child when I helped grow, harvest, prepare, and preserve maple syrup, numerous fruits, and a wide variety of vegetables. There were certainly positive economic and health implications for our family in doing so but most of all I fondly remember the fun and great tasting food we enjoyed. This passion has only grown deeper as I continue to evaluate priorities and goals in my life.

As I began my professional career “sustainability” and “globalization” were emerging as topics of extreme importance. At about the same time other realizations began to take hold in me. During my lifetime I have watched the ever mounting suburban sprawl pressure continue to transition the once rural agriculture community that was my hometown. I began to wonder about the continued loss of agriculture and the impact on the regional food system from the continued exodus of farmers (including the farmer I worked for as a youth). The more I thought about these ideas the more I realized the most intriguing areas in which I could envision sustainability were the areas of agriculture and food.

I began incorporating these areas into my professional career as much as possible. Additionally, I began attending and participating in lectures, conferences, and local meetings. I became a local food system and wholesome food advocate and educator whenever possible.

Not satisfied with this alone, and interested in experiencing a more tangible part of a sustainable food system, I decided to officially establish Brines Farm: a small produce operation on the land where I was raised. The site of Brines Farm has been the 10 acre homestead of the Brines Family for nearly 30 years.

By far the most valuable and energizing part of all this experience has been the interaction with the different people and networks working toward sustainable food goals: from the local leaders, fellow farmers, NGOs, and business entrepreneurs, to the consumers. The response has been extraordinary and has given me nothing but sheer optimism. I can say firsthand that there is a genuine and growing hunger for local, wholesome, slow and sustainable food. It is also clear to me without a doubt that I would like to use my skills and energy to contribute to this continued inspiration of people – as many people as possible - towards awareness, appreciation, and support of these foods and a more sustainable food system which produces them.

To learn more about the Brines Farm, visit the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on any Saturday or go online to http://brines.org/.

Shannon Brines is founder and owner of Brines Farm located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.