July 10, 2009 12:00:00 am

Miracle on County Road 72

By Carrie Pinsky

On Tuesday mornings you can find me tending crops and harvesting fresh veggies at Happy Heart Farm, nestled on the north side of Fort Collins. I am a working member of this CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and cherish the time I spend close to the earth and my food source.

In early June, the farm was hit by the worst hailstorm in 26 years. The crops took a severe beating and Dennis, the owner of the farm, was concerned that he would not have any vegetables to distribute to his members for quite some time. Then a miracle happened.

The phone rang. It was Andy Grant of Grant Family Farms. Andy wanted to know if Happy Heart Farm had weathered the storm. Without hesitation, he offered to provide vegetables to the entire Happy Heart community for the week. Three weeks and several hailstorms later, our members are still being gifted with divine organic spinach, fragrant cilantro, curly leaf kale, and spicy radishes — all complements of Grant Family Farms. With every bite I am reminded of the power of goodwill to make people and businesses thrive.

This story reminds me of “The Miracle on 34th Street.” Macy’s and Gimbel’s increased sales and improved the public image as a result of their efforts to cooperate rather than compete during the busy holiday season. Grant Family and Happy Heart Farms are competitors in a tough market. They rely on paid memberships to keep their organizations running. Rather than using the hail damage to lure members away from Happy Heart Farm, Andy simply wanted to help a fellow farmer weather a tough situation. Andy was not looking for any press or praise. He was simply extending a quiet and compassionate hand to a colleague.

This is a story of abundant thinking at its finest. I encourage you to consider who needs your help and support today. Do you know of a business in need? A colleague who could use a break? A miracle that needs doing? Remember, Andy did not wait to be asked. And although he was not expecting anything in return, I believe that the universe will reward him a thousand times over for his random act of goodwill.