Riverstead Farm

09/08/2026

🌾 September is Su***de Prevention Month

This is something that hits especially close to home for us as farmers.

People who work in agriculture have some of the highest su***de rates of any occupational group in our country.

We understand some of the reasons why.

The long, hard days. High financial pressure. Constant worry about things completely outside your control. The responsibility of knowing that animals, crops, families, employees, and livelihoods are dependent on the decisions you make daily. And a culture that can make it awfully easy to say, “I’m fine,” and just keep working.

But this isn't only about farmers.

It’s about all of us.

The friend who’s gone quiet.
The neighbor who seems overwhelmed.
The family member who keeps insisting they’re fine.
The person who looks like they have everything together.
Maybe even you.

Check in.

Ask the question.
Ask again if you need to.
Listen without trying to fix everything.
Stay a little longer.
Remind people that they matter.

And if you’re the one carrying more than you can handle right now... please tell someone.

Whatever is waiting for you can wait.

The chores can wait.
The emails can wait.
The work can wait.
The farm can wait.

You matter more. ❤️

If you or someone you love is struggling or thinking about su***de, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24/7.

From our little corner of the farming community... let’s look out for each other. 🌾

***dePreventionMonth

09/05/2026

07/25/2026

Well... this is definitely not how we expected our Saturday to go.

Our household became very sick in the middle of the night, so we are not at the Boise Farmers Market today. We're so sorry to everyone who planned to stop by.

If you had a Pick Up order with us, we're reaching out to arrange free home delivery or another option that works for you.

Thank you for your understanding, your grace, and your continued support of our family farm. We truly appreciate this community.

We'll see you back at the Boise Farmers Market next Saturday, August 1! ❤️

07/03/2026

Surprise! 🎉 Riverstead Farm will be at Boise Farmers Market this Saturday, July 4! 🇺🇸

We’re a small family-run farm in the Treasure Valley, raising truly pasture-raised meats and eggs with no feedlots, no shortcuts, and no weird stuff.

Stock up for weekend grilling and family meals with local beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and eggs. 🍖🥩🍗🥚

Pre-orders are open now through Friday at 5pm for Saturday pickup at Boise Farmers Market.

Order ahead for less waiting in line, better selection, and our best pricing.

👉🏼

Riverstead Farm is a family-run regenerative farm on the Oregon-Idaho border raising pasture-raised beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and eggs, with our beef and lamb 100% grass-fed and grass-finished - real food, raised with integrity.

06/24/2026

Joel Salatin is speaking in Nampa TONIGHT (Wednesday 6/24)!

McIntyre Pastures has invited Joel Salatin to the Treasure Valley for a special evening at the Nampa Civic Center, and we’re so glad they did.

Joel’s wisdom has been pivotal in shaping Riverstead Farm... how we think about soil, livestock, stewardship, local food, and our responsibility to the families we feed.

This evening isn’t only for farmers. If you care about real food, healthy land, food freedom, strong family farms, or building a better local food system, this is an incredible opportunity to hear from someone who has spent decades challenging the status quo.

An Evening with the “Lunatic Farmer,” Joel Salatin
Tonight, Wednesday, June 24
6:00–7:30 p.m.
Doors open at 5:00!
Tickets will be available at the door - $30 per person.

Nampa Civic Center
311 3rd Street South, Nampa

Thank you to McIntyre Pastures for bringing Joel here!

We’ll be there tonight and would love to see some familiar Riverstead faces.

05/22/2026

This ⬇️

What happened to pork? If this means anything to you share away ❤️

Not even in a dramatic way. Seriously.

Go look at the ingredients on a normal pack of grocery store bacon or pepperettes sometime. Some of them have 15–20 ingredients in them. Smoke flavour, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, preservatives, fillers, water retention additives, all kinds of stuff most people don’t even think about anymore.

And before people jump in, yes, I understand why.

Industrial pork systems are built to feed millions of people cheaply and consistently. Huge barns, huge processing plants, long-distance shipping, long shelf life.

But there’s also a tradeoff to raising animals this way.

More confinement usually means:

* more disease pressure
* more stress
* more intervention
* more vaccines
* more processing
* more things added afterward to preserve and standardize the final product

That’s not even an attack on farmers. Most are just working inside the system they inherited, shoe string budgets and regulations almost make it impossible to implement changes.

But I do think people are starting to question how industrialized food has become.

Our smoked pork is simple:
pork, water, salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, spices, and real smoke.

That’s it. That’s all, have you ever tried pork from a local farm?

And our pigs live outside rooting through pasture, mud, forests, grass and leaves like pigs are supposed to.

I’m not saying the entire system is evil. I’m saying people deserve another option. Simpler ingredients. More transparency. Pork that actually tastes like pork again.

Because honestly, once you’ve had naturally raised pork, it’s hard to go back.

04/17/2026

Hey Farm Friends -
We’re making some necessary changes to our ordering system this weekend and into the coming week.
After testing a new setup, it became clear it wasn’t the right fit for how we actually operate day-to-day. Rather than force something that doesn’t serve us or our customers well, we’re stepping back and correcting it now.
There may be a few bumps while everything gets reset and running properly again.
We appreciate your patience as we get this squared away and keep our focus where it belongs - raising clean, honest food for your family.
In the meantime, come see us Saturday, April 18th at the Boise Farmers Market, 9am–1pm.
– Chandele
Riverstead Farm

04/15/2026

Wait for it…
Burrowed down into a hay bomb, warm and completely at ease this morning. When animals feel safe, they rest like this.
These piglets arrived from a trusted farmer who wild-farrows along the Weiser River, where they learned to forage from their mothers.
For now, they spend a few weeks in the wee piggy pen getting used to us and learning a single-strand electric fence.
Before long, they’ll be out on pasture - rooting, roaming, and naturally tilling and renewing the ground where it’s needed most.
This is how we raise pork - with patience, purpose, and without shortcuts.