November 21, 2024 by 4P Foods Founder & CEO Tom McDougall

It is not lost on me that we are in a post-election world, a world where our Country remains divided but hopeful, and yet yearns to be more holistically connected. Ultimately, this letter is not meant to be political, but I know our collective future weighs heavily on the minds of our team, our farmers, our partners, and our customers. For me, one endlessly shining light is that of a simple truth that we all know: Food brings us together. Food invites individuals, families, and communities to gather around a proverbial (or literal) table to give thanks, to enjoy, to celebrate, and to honor. That truth has been there since our species first began to tame fire, and will be there for as long as that fire burns. To that end, I write with a note of gratitude and light.

This is our Tenth year in business. Many of you were with us earlier this year, in April, when we celebrated our Earth Day Birthday party (spoiler alert: We’re doing it again next year, mark your calendar!). When I think back ten years ago, I smile at the shenanigans involved with renting a zip car to buy produce from local farms and deliver it in the wee hours of the morning to customers. I pause to remember the grit of 2020 when our team of heroes and frontline workers rose to the occasion to support our farmers and feed our communities. And now, I find myself endlessly inspired by the role 4P Foods is playing in helping to shape the future of our food system.

Many thanks to the incredible ecosystem of partners and allies in Virginia and beyond, 4P is leaning hard into the future of Farm-to-School programming, serving children some of the most delicious food our farmers proudly provide. We are also helping to shape the conversation around what Food-is-Medicine can look like, with a focus on regional, regenerative, and equitable supply chains at the forefront, many thanks to the Indigenous communities the world over who have known for millennia that healthy soil means healthy food means healthy people. Beyond that, our team is continuing to push the boundaries around what systems change can look like - How do we build a system that simultaneously heals our planet, feeds our communities, and fills our souls? While we do not have all the answers, it fills my cup to know that we are here, many thanks to you, to try to find them.

During this season of giving Thanks, we invite you to join us in pause, and action. Take a moment to think about where your food comes from, who grew it, how it got to you, and what that means for our collective future. We ask you to join us in not only supporting this movement towards regional, regenerative, and equitable food systems, but participate in it. Get involved. Keep buying good food, of course, but let this be the year where you double down on our collective future. I know I speak on behalf of the 4P Foods community when I say that we are going to do just that. We’ll see you on the front lines.

Until then, enjoy your meal, thank a Farmer, and thank YOU for being part of this journey.

 

With gratitude & light,

Tom & the 4P Foods Team