Naturally Raised, Free Range Animals
BEEF
Our high-quality Angus beef comes directly from our own cow-calf herd. Starting from “scratch” in 2005 with no cows on the farm, we have grown our herd with continual emphasis on environmental sustainability and meat quality. All calves are born on rotationally grazed pastures in late summer and early fall. Calving on pasture allows us to avoid the mud and cold and consequently, our calves are healthy and do not receive antibiotics routinely.
During the fall and winter, they join their mothers on harvested crop fields to help clean up missed grain from our crop operation and stockpiled grass. After weaning in the spring, they go into our small feedyard where they are finished on hay, silage, and corn from our farm. Since the beginning, we have selected for top meat quality and our cattle routinely grade prime meat quality (the highest rating on the scale).
POULTRY
We have a variety of poultry on the farm including egg laying hens, broiler chickens for meat, and turkeys raised for Thanksgiving. Our egg layers are a combination of chicks hatched in our own incubators here on the farm and others that are a specific breed ordered from a hatchery made to withstand the cold temperatures and short daylight in winter. All our poultry can free range on the farm. The benefits of free range include a more natural diet as they hunt for food, a cleaner coop, exercises, and overall, better well-being for the bird. Free range chickens are naturally less aggressive. Free range poultry also provides a better product as the eggs are richer in vitamins, and the meat is better tasting due to their abundance of nutrients and the exercise they get. And in our opinion-free range poultry is quite fun to watch!
Our eggs are $4/dozen if picked up on the farm, $5/dozen delivered locally. We have both brown and white eggs and can sort them if you prefer a certain color.
We sell our meat chickens and turkeys whole and by the pound. Chicken is $4-$5/pound and usually run approximately 5 pounds. We have whole chicken available in June and November.
Turkey is $5-$6/pound and the birds range from 18-30 pounds. If purchasing for a gathering it is recommended to figure 1 pound of turkey per guest. Turkeys are butchered and ready for pick up the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Giblets are included at your request.
Final pricing is dependent on input costs for the season.
PORK
The pigs on our farm are all raised with outdoor access and in deeply bedded hoop barns. All the pigs are antibiotic-free and are never fed animal byproducts. They get to spend their days lying in the sun and rooting in bedding. They are selected for meat quality and have excellent color, marbling scores, and sufficient backfat to deliver a high-quality product and eating experience.
LAMB/GOAT
Our sheep flock is based on the Tunis heritage breed of sheep. Tunis is renowned for its meat quality and very mild flavor. The Tunis breed has won many blind taste test competitions. Our lambs are born in late spring on crop and cover crop fields which allows their mothers and the lambs to thrive without parasite pressure.
Starting in 2022 we began using No Fence virtual fence collars for our sheep. This allows our sheep to have access to fresh rotationally grazed grass and cover crops without the need for a physical fence. This has allowed us to expand our flock while at the same time making available previously unusable grazing areas.
Since the animals are not confined their health is excellent and we can avoid worm, disease, and foot problems. We also contract out our sheep to local people who want areas of their property grazed that cannot be mowed or that need weeds and brush cleaned. After weaning the ewes and lambs graze on several local municipal lagoon areas to save the cities time and money on mowing and maintenance.
After the grazing season is over the lambs return to our farm to be finished on high-quality hay and grain rations.