Stuart Farm started in 1978, when John and Adele moved their family to Gerald, MO. With 4 girls and 1 boy, they had a ready crew to help bring the farm back to life. After a lot of clearing of land, planting and harvesting, managing of everything from pigs to cattle, the kids eventually moved away, the animals were sold, and the farm went into maintenance mode. After traveling and working, Fred de
cided to come back home to do what he loved--farming. He started slowly with a handful of layers and some meat chickens for family. Then he went in with his brother-in-law, Dan, on some Belted Galloway cows to provide beef for the family. All the while he was planning and dreaming of what was next for the farm. That's where I come in. While he was dreaming and planning, so was I. Thankfully, we had the exact same dreams--the biggest being finding someone to share the crazy life we both wanted to live. Six months after we met, I was moving onto the farm and plans and dreams started to take shape and become a reality. We have expanded our laying flock, added American Milking Devons for milk and oxen to the herd of beef Galloways, gone from raising 50 meat chickens a season to 200+, got Fred the Christmas goose he always wanted, set-up rotational grazing for the cattle, set up a creamery/butcher shed, added a Great Pyrenees to protect our animals, built chicken tractors, and began putting up our own hay. We bought the farm next to Fred's parents, and have 7 acres of our own to run chickens and cattle. We keep most of the cattle next door to help with pasture maintenance. On our farm, our goal is to provide a happy and natural environment for our animals. We believe with lots of sunshine, room to roam, and a natural diet, there is no need to medicate "just in case" with antibiotics. Whether it's the cows, chickens, or bees, we do all we can to make sure they are happy and have the life they were meant to have. All of our animals are treated with respect, kindness, and love. We take our time with our chores to observe the health of our animals, ensure their safety, give out pets, scratches, and treats, and to be amused by their never-ending antics. Butchering is a part of life here. And while neither of us enjoy doing it, and we get knots in our stomachs the day before and the day of, we know they had great lives and are fulfilling their purpose. It is much harder for us to have an animal get sick or lame and have to be put down. While we strive to be self-sufficient, we also want to provide healthy and nutritious food for our family, friends, and community. There are lots of projects coming up...a raised water catchment system to water the cows and horses (hopefully with an outside shower spigot), new pastures fenced off, building a cold frame, a new chicken tractor and permanent outside brooder, getting ready for pigs, cover crops for the gardens, and so much more. We hope you enjoy our food and following along with us on this adventure that is living on a farm.
