You have any bacon for sale?

Customer: “Hey, do you have any bacon for sale?” Me: “No sorry, we have sold out of that, but we still have some pork chops. Customer: “Ok, have a good day.” Conversations like that happen on a regular basis for small farmers like us, and to be honest, it is a source of frustration. The root problem is many people still look at us like a grocery store instead of a farm store which is a uniquely American problem. To Read More

Read this list before you start

Thinking of starting a farm or homestead? I think that’s great idea, so let me give you some advice before you get started. We have been farming for 10 years now, and we are still learning (hard to believe it has been that long). So here is our list: Read books – Anything by Joel Salatin works. His book “You Can Farm” is what started it all for us. His latest “Polyface Micro” is aimed at homesteaders so check it Read More

Remember when we were so busy?

Certainly the last month has been different. COVID-19 has shut down everything in its path, and many families are doing their best to adjust to the “new normal.” I can only imagine the difficulties some households are facing with not knowing whether or not mom and dad will continue to get paid, or if they will even have a job tomorrow. That is terrible. I wonder what, if anything will change after this is over? Will there be another “new Read More

Temple Grandin

We watched Temple Grandin last night on Amazon Prime (it’s free). I learned about her a couple months ago after my friends Tony and Betsy Brown (Longview Farms) told me they were going to hear her speak along with Joel Salatin at Polyface Farm in Swoope, VA. What an amazing woman. Her autism allows her to see everything in pictures, and the movie does a great job of describing it. There are so many special gifts God gives us inside Read More

We believe…

We believe that raising livestock in a chemical-free, grass-based environment is the answer to healing our planet and our bodies. It is no coincidence that so many people today are chemically dependent; our farm land has been that way for years. Nature is trying to tell us that chemicals don’t fix anything. Just google “Dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.” The land is a living, breathing organism, and we are connected to it by what and how we eat. Read More

Local food prices

If you could buy all your meats and produce from a local farm, why wouldn’t you? Everyone agrees local food is better quality, more nutritious, and it tastes better. The answer nine times out of ten is price. Local food costs too much. Yet those same folks that claim the price is too high somehow find money for satellite TV, soft drinks, new cars, annual trips to Disney and the list goes on. So is it possible that the issue Read More

What sets us apart?

One thing that sets us apart is our transparency. We have an open-door policy for anyone who wants to learn about farming this way. That’s right, you can stop by anytime to see what’s going on. We don’t have any “no trespassing” signs. I still work an off-the-farm job, so if you come by during the week, you are on your own. Come by on Saturday afternoons and I’ll show around (see also Tour info). We believe farming this way Read More

Fantasy land

The ultimate American fantasy is the idea that you can spend today and pay tomorrow. Today consumer debt makes up almost 80% of the national gross domestic product. In 2007, just before the great recession, consumer debt was over 95% of the GDP and personal savings was below 2%. Do you see a connection here? Our “paper economy” is built largely on DEBT. That is not sustainable. The main culprit in 2007 was mortgage debt. Now we see college debt Read More

The Field of a Sluggard

I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30-34)   Read More

“I don’t want to see that!”

During the recent Ag and Art Tours, we met tons of nice people and gave many tours of our farm. One couple wanted to learn how to process chickens, so they returned on processing day, jumped right in and did a great job. I remember one other couple in particular, because when we got to the chicken processing overview (overview, not demonstration), the wife said “I don’t want to see that” to which I promptly asked “Why?” She explained that Read More