Kallan Maxwell received his first introduction to organic farming as a child. He recalls, “Dean Swenson, an organic farmer for 25 years, had a farm up the road from my parent’s house. When I was 12 years old he knocked at our door and said he needed help unloading hay. So I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll unload hay.’ I thought I was tougher than I was and I made it through about a load and a half and I had to quit. Dean gave me a hard time so I thought well, I’ll show him.” Kallan began working for Dean after school and fell in love with farming and working with the animals. He knew that someday he was going to have a farm of his own.

Farmer Edward Baker raises calves on his farm Baker’s Acres in Ellsinore, Missouri.

Farmer Michael Hackworth raises Angus and Angus cross beef cattle on Hackworth Farms in Piedmont, Missouri.

Farmer William Mize raises Angus cattle on his farm in Bunker Hill, Illinois.

Lee, Noreen, Evan, Carsten and Brita Thomas raise heritage hens for eggs plus several dairy cows on Lee Thomas Farm. The farm is a century old and located near Fargo, North Dakota. The Thomas’ often provide on-farm tours for school children and groups in the summer to come and learn about animal welfare and the family’s farming practices. Contact Lee Thomas Farm for more information through their vendor listing above.

Greg Shafer originally decided to start his farm selling goat milk because his step-son Jake is allergic to cow and soy milk. With this motivation and after extensive research into dairy farming and the health benefits of goat milk, he purchased his first five animals. Since then demand has grown through grassroots networking and now he proudly discusses his sixteen goats and ten cows, including four new calves this year.

Farmer John Buttke raises crossbred hogs on pasture at his farm in Lowden, Iowa.

Farmers Phil and Diane Sherry raise Dorset and Dorper sheep on Nothing But Nature Farm in Oakwood, Ohio.

Tom Martin has known since age four that he wanted to be a farmer. His childhood memories of farming with his father have inspired his dedication to the land and his animals, and to leaving both in even better condition for the next generation. “There’s a different way to do things these days that is healthy and productive,” Tom says. “Raising our cattle on pasture is one of the things I can do to make sure that my sons will be able to farm healthy land with healthy animals.”

As a small boy on his grandfather’s mushroom farm, with only a few goats, chickens, and pigs, Scott Hasselmann began dreaming of a farm of his own. Today he lives a two hour drive from the city and raises grassfed laying hens, pigs, cattle, and a dozen sheep with his wife Nena and their two children Georgie and Alexia.