When we got married in 2009, owning a farm was a dream that Rob had and soon shared with Samantha, who had a growing appreciation for the "real food" movement and an interest in other health-related topics. On a small hobby farm, we started raising our own beef and pork because we truly enjoyed the challenges and rewards of animal husbandry. We noticed that our time and efforts were produci
ng really great tasting meat and also started learning about the health benefits of grass-fed beef and forage-based pork. Starting our own family solidified the idea that we wanted to invest our time and resources into farming on a larger scale and we made the leap to buying acreage in Milaca, where we now live. Farming is a good way to cooperatively leverage our combined skills and interests. We find joy in being good and faithful stewards of our land and take pride in implementing farming practices that are both creative and intelligent. We call our style of farming “forage-based” because the healthiest life for our heritage-breed cattle and hogs (and, we might argue, humans) is rooted in what nature intended for them. Our cattle are grass-fed, which means their “forage” is mixed pasture grasses in the summer and hay in the winter. Pigs, being omnivores, are great at foraging in the brushy areas alongside the fields for roots and insects. To ensure optimal health, they are also fed a grain mix of barley, field peas and minerals. We are hopeful that our work is making a difference in our community. The farming lifestyle allows us the time to help a neighbor, the opportunity to listen to the stories of the people we meet, and the chance to raise our kids in an environment that builds character on a daily basis. We all have a certain sphere of influence and we look forward to including you in our journey of sustainable agriculture!
