05/16/2025
Well it sure has been a while since we last posted - plenty has changed and plenty more has stayed the same for us here on the farm.
Those of you that are eagle eyed will noticed we changed the farm name - now this has happened before as we have tried different markets and forms of farming, but this is the one to stick with. You see, we had an identity crisis - our farm is coming up on 150 years old and as we begin to file paperwork with the state for our 100 year marker and our forthcoming 150 year one, we needed a formal farm name to stand the test of time. After years (Yes, literal years) of considering what the best name to go with for the farm, we decided to name it after our humble little township, Hillsdale.
Though we loved the name Wild Earth Farm, that was more of our "marketing" name when we sold primarily direct to consumer. As we considered what the farm name would be on the sign at the end of our driveway, we realized that it just didn't fit the legacy of our 6th, going on 7th generation farm.
Now as for the farm, our operation will be leaning quite a bit less on the direct sales side of things, though we will still offer whole, half or quarter beef portions or small bundles when we have them available, as well as our fantastic pork. We have plans to tap more into lamb as well, but that will not happen until 2026.
As for the farm itself, we are slowly scaling up our production of many different things, but we will be leaning into the local or directly on the farm sales. We hope to do a restoration project on our old barn as money provides, amongst many other changes that will be happening over the next 7 years. We will try to keep you updated as best as possible and keep sharing our journey with you as we grow. Thank you all for being a part of our farm journey - especially as Tessa and I had to learn so much in the process of starting the farm back up again from being rented out for so many years.
Anyway, mark your calendars for Summer 2032 (It will be here before you know it) as we will be celebrating our humble farms 150th birthday!
Here we will honor my family that came before us: Martha Ellinghuysen who bought the land in 1882, William & Mary E, William H & Martha E, Edward and Arlis E (My grandparents,) and Devin E (My Uncle)
In the meantime, enjoy this awesome photo of this old Case steam tractor in front of our barn.
