Who Is Saving Who?

An unexpected lesson in gratitude, vulnerability, and the power of community

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that my first concert was New Kids on the Block opening for Tiffany at the Garden State Arts Center in New Jersey on September 2, 1988. (Ironically, the following year, Tiffany was opening for them!)

My musical tastes have changed quite a bit since then. I've always loved Chris LeDoux, and Counting Crows has been my go-to music during early mornings and long days at Modern Stone Age Kitchen. But my favorite singer in the whole wide world is Andy Grammer.

Can you see the family resemblance with Bill and Andy?

And yes, Andy is my cousin. But that's not why he's my favorite. It's not even his incredible voice. It's the heart and deep meaning behind his music.

Even if you don't recognize his name, you've almost certainly heard his songs on the radio, in a supermarket, or in movies like Five Feet Apart. His music has an incredible way of capturing what it means to be human, often helping me understand feelings I haven't been able to put into words.

Until recently, my favorite song of his was "The Good Parts." If you haven't heard it, you absolutely should. It's about something I believe deeply: the most meaningful parts of our lives aren't necessarily our accomplishments or happiest moments. They're often the struggles, fears, failures, and imperfections we tend to hide. Those experiences shape who we are and allow us to connect more deeply with one another.

But a few days ago, I listened to Andy's newest album, Big Stupid Heart, and another song spoke to me: "Who Is Saving Who."

In the song, a woman describes sitting alone in her car during an incredibly difficult time. Andy's music had become something she could hold on to, like ropes keeping her from slipping further into the darkness. His songs gave her hope when she desperately needed it.

What she doesn't realize is that Andy has been struggling, too. He's questioning himself, wondering whether his work really matters or whether he's making a difference in anyone's life. And in that moment, her words give him exactly the reassurance he needs.

Later, he describes comforting his daughter, who is afraid of the dark. As he holds her and reassures her, he's carrying his own worries about work, bills, and life. Yet comforting her brings him comfort, too.

Both stories reveal something beautiful: Sometimes the people we believe we're helping are the very people helping us.

When I heard that song, I immediately thought about all of you.

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The News We've Been Waiting Years to Share

A few days ago, Christina and I announced that we had finally purchased the Old Mill building behind Modern Stone Age Kitchen. This is an enormous step toward expanding the Kitchen and our nonprofit, the Modern Stone Age Food Lab. We'll be able to produce more nourishing food, expand our educational programs, and create a dedicated cooking school where people can reconnect with the traditional food skills that sustained our ancestors.

We knew many of you would be excited. What we weren't prepared for was the overwhelming response.

Almost immediately, the comments started pouring in. "SO INSPIRING!!!" "Squealing with excitement for you and the community you serve!" One person wrote, "Chestertown is lucky to have you and MSAK."

Others went deeper. Someone wrote, "We will be cheering and standing right beside you the whole way," reminding us that "strength lies in unity and community." Another person, who has followed our work from a distance, acknowledged that this undertaking was "truly frightening in its enormousness" before ending with four words that meant more than they could have imagined: "I know you all can do this."

Christina and I have read your messages, shared them with each other, and talked about them more than you could possibly realize. Your excitement and encouragement have been overwhelming in the most wonderful way.

But here's something you probably don't know.

We needed those messages more than you could ever realize.

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The Parts You Haven't Seen

This is where Andy's song "The Good Parts" comes back into the story. If I'm going to share the excitement surrounding our new building, I think it's important to share some of the parts that haven't been quite so wonderful, too.

Capturing a moment of - Should we do this??? (August 2026)

The past ten months have been an emotional roller coaster unlike anything Christina and I can remember experiencing in our marriage. There have been moments of incredible excitement and hope, but also fear, exhaustion, frustration, and uncertainty. And, to be completely transparent, parts of this process have been absolute hell.

There were times when we genuinely didn't know whether we would ever close on the building. There were even moments when we feared what a failed sale might mean for the future of Modern Stone Age Kitchen itself.

That's difficult to admit publicly, but honesty matters.

At Modern Stone Age Kitchen, we talk constantly about transparency. We want you to understand where your food comes from, the farmers who grow it, and the traditional techniques we use to transform it into something nourishing. We believe you deserve to know the story behind your food. And maybe that means we should be willing to share a little more of the story behind the people making it, too.

Christina and I believe in this work with every fiber of our being. We believe reconnecting people with traditional foodways can fundamentally change how we nourish ourselves, our families, and our communities. But believing deeply in something doesn't make it easy, and it certainly doesn't mean we always know what we're doing.

There are days when we question ourselves. Are we making the right decisions? Are we doing enough? Are the sacrifices worth it? Is the work we're pouring our hearts into really making the difference we hope it is?

That's the part of Andy's song that hit me especially hard. Hearing someone whose music has meant so much to me question the worth of his own work felt incredibly familiar. Christina and I ask ourselves those same questions, sometimes more often than we'd like to admit.

• Sometimes we're incredibly excited about the future.

• Sometimes we're terrified of it.

• And sometimes we experience both emotions before breakfast.

You may see a business growing and a dream coming true. But behind the scenes are two people who sometimes wonder whether they're getting it right and whether what they're doing really matters.

And then you remind us that it does.

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More Than Just Food

From the beginning, Christina and I have committed ourselves to making the most nourishing food we possibly can. That commitment shapes the farmers we support, the ingredients we purchase, and the traditional techniques we use, including sourdough fermentation, nixtamalization, cheesemaking, and a nose-to-tail approach to animals.

But our mission has always been about more than making good food. We believe food can nourish our bodies, connect us to our past, strengthen our relationships with local farmers, and bring people together around a table.

And we don't simply want to make nourishing food for you. We want to empower you to nourish yourselves and your families.

That's why the Modern Stone Age Food Lab exists, why we teach traditional food skills, and why this new building means so much. We envision a place where food production, education, research, and community come together, creating opportunities for people to reconnect with the knowledge that sustained humans for thousands of years.

After years of dreaming, planning, negotiating, and worrying, we finally own the building. But the work ahead is enormous. Every question about infrastructure, equipment, construction, regulations, and financing seems to lead to three more.

We're committed to doing this right, but we know we can't do it alone. Every time you choose to purchase food from Modern Stone Age Kitchen, you help support our farmers, pay our team, and sustain the work we believe in. And your emotional support is just as meaningful, giving us encouragement when the challenges feel overwhelming.

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Who Is Saving Who?

I keep thinking about the woman in Andy's song, sitting alone in her car, holding on to his music like a lifeline. She had no idea that her simple expression of gratitude would reach him at a moment when he was questioning the value of his work.

Over these past ten months, Christina and I have experienced those same doubts. And when we shared our news, your messages arrived at a time when we needed encouragement more than you could have known.

Those messages became our own ropes to hold on to.

They didn't solve our problems or eliminate the uncertainty. But they reminded us why we're doing this, that our work matters to people beyond ourselves, and that we're not alone.

When you send us an email thanking us for nourishing your family, leave an encouraging comment, or simply walk through our doors with a smile, you may have no idea how much those gestures mean, especially on days when we're questioning ourselves. Your words help quiet our doubts and give us the strength to keep moving forward.

One of your messages said that "strength lies in unity and community." I understand that more deeply now than ever.

We tend to imagine that support flows in one direction. One person helps, another receives. But real relationships don't work that way. Sometimes we're the ones offering nourishment, encouragement, or comfort. Sometimes we're the ones who need those things. And sometimes we're doing both at exactly the same time.

We set out to create a place where we could nourish our community. Somewhere along the way, without fully realizing it, our community became one of the things nourishing us.

I share all of this not because I'm looking for sympathy, but because I believe genuine connection requires honesty, and because I want you to understand how much your kindness and encouragement have meant to us.

We're incredibly excited about what comes next, even knowing there will be challenges, difficult decisions, and more than a few sleepless nights. But we're moving forward with enormous gratitude, knowing we have a community standing beside us.

Andy asks a beautifully simple question in his song: "Who is saving who?"

After everything we've experienced, I think I finally understand why that question means so much to me.

Christina and I have dedicated ourselves to nourishing this community. But the beautiful, unexpected truth is that this community has been nourishing us right back.

We thought we were building something for you.

What we're discovering is that we're building something together!!!

And while we've been working so hard to take care of you, you've been taking care of us, too.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!!!!