EDITION VI: Biodynamics & How Listening to the Earth is Changing Farming

Friendships are one of the most defining experiences that influence the outcome of our life. The people we spend the most time with, and the vulnerability we share together, have an indelible imprint on who we become.

I have been lucky to have many amazing friends in the course of my life. Some of those friendships have faded over the years as new chapters evolved. In the change of seasons in a well lived life, we grow. Some friendships sunset and then we find light from new ones who help define our growth.

I have been very intentional with many of my long time friends. We have weathered life and stayed in touch regularly, and sometimes not so regularly. The deepest friendships, those filled with unconditional love and tested by the decades, have a special characteristic: even after a long time apart, when we speak again, we pick up right where we left off, from the first word. I am lucky to have so many of these.

But the most profound friendships have an even deeper quality, a nearly intangible bond. I am extraordinarily lucky to have seven people in my life who I consider best friends. One stands out for nearly 30 years as the most selfless over time... he is also a business partner, for which I am grateful. These are the people who know everything about you and they are standing by you in every possible way when everyone else becomes silent, or is just uninformed.

They step in with zero limits of contribution to prop you back up when you fall down. There is nothing you could say to each other that would alter your unconditional commitment to each other. Nothing. Even in the rare chance where we have not been attentive to our shared values, or we have managed in some way to be offensive, we mend and move forward. With this trust and vulnerability, everything is unconditional. For these seven, most have been there for many many years. However, I am very blessed, especially at my age, to have added the seventh just a short five years ago. He is also a business partner, for which I am deeply grateful. There are few things as comforting as navigating the daily complexities of a business life with a best friend.

And then I am surrounded with my Dry Farm Wines Family of Friends, where in our codes together, we live with an intention of “Friends First”. One of the values we cherish most at Dry Farm Wines is that we are all friends. When I founded the company, I deeply wanted to create a culture of family, friendship, and love. This can be tricky in a business environment, which is why we call our culture an “experiment”. One day at a time, leading with heart and intense commitment to creating a beautiful life together and a profound impact on the world around us.

Other practices that promote harmony among us are our daily meditation and gratitude rituals. They create a safe space of vulnerability and trust. I also believe we are so connected and strong because of shared commitment to extreme transparency, honesty, and the open heart. We can freely share when we are wrong in a space without judgment. It’s life and we are all flawed... dishes get broken and with love we sweep them up. Nothing is perfect except love.

The late Ram Dass framed it elegantly when he said of the life journey...

“We are all just walking each other home.”

From all of us in the Dry Farm Wines Family, we are especially grateful for your friendship, the friendship of all of our growers on small family farms spread around the planet, and the friendship of our wide network of global partners who share our vision of love, peace, and abundance.

In love and gratitude, I wish each of you a heart filled with friendships.

Todd White
Founder