Jan 25th 2021 | Morgan Lea
Derrick Josi, the face behind TDF Honest Farming, is a father, speaker, community leader, and dairy farmer. In his videos, you can’t help but feel the love and passion Derrick has for the life he leads, and the importance he places on farming. As a fourth generation farmer, the profession is simply baked into his DNA (the TDF stands for Tillamook Dairy Farmer).
How TDF Honest Farming started
The farm Derrick currently runs is on the same land his great-grandfather, Alfred, farmed back in 1918. Originally 60 acres, the farm has grown, and is now a much larger 450-acre operation that produces 3,000 gallons of milk from Jersey cows every day! And that doesn’t take into account the open pasture or the corn and grass silos.
Today’s farm is still a true family business. It includes Derrick’s wife, Kaycee, and their four children. The farm is co-owned by Derrick's parents, Don and Desi. Each member of the family works hard and has an important role to play, ones that will keep the farm thriving for generations to come.
Why is TDF Honest Farming so influential?
As a member of the Tillamook Dairy Co-op, TDF Honest Farming has a special relationship with the internet. Being a voice for transparency in farming can be difficult and sometimes scary - one of the main reasons many farmers aren’t quite as open as Derrick about what they do is that the smallest mistake can cost them their livelihood.
For example, a mistake can lead to customers boycotting a product, or a grocery store canceling a contract. That’s all it takes to disrupt or ruin the lives of anyone running a farm, and it’s a risk Derrick takes every time he posts on social media or releases a new blog.
However, Derrick believes that spreading the word and showing the world how an everyday dairy farmer operates is vital in a world in which the media has a loud voice and the potential to control a market. Food marketers have been known to use the media to influence customers into buying certain kinds of food - low fat, gluten-free, high protein, etc. Even certain types of agriculture can be promoted as the option people need to support (we’re looking at you, no GMOs…).
The importance of informing consumers where their food comes from without an agenda cannot be overstated.
What Derrick Josi wants you to know
To show people the facts about farming, Derrick has taken the plunge and is wearing the transparent farmer mantle proudly. Showcasing what happens on his farms every day and how hard farmers work for the American people, he’s educating thousands of people on what the typical farmer does and what cows experience. It's real agriculture supporting real life.
You’ll find Derrick’s daily updates on his Instagram and you can show your support for his message through his partner store. Wearing TDF Honest Farming merchandise is the best way to show the world that you believe in TDF Honest Farming's message of transparency in the farming industry.