Donna Schauer, a lawyer and magistrate judge, grew up with horses and raising lambs. When her two oldest daughters were young, their family continued to raise animals, but this time horses and poultry. Despite her passion for country living, her profession kept her in the city for many years – until 2004, when she bought land in rural Dallas County, Iowa, and established Sunny Silver Maple Farm.
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Animal Welfare Approved | November 20, 2012
Kristin Goettlicher had no farming background growing up, but she always wanted a home with land somewhere in the country. Her husband, Matt, was raised on a small farm and in 2009 the couple was finally able to buy a small farm for themselves.
Eve’s Orchards is comprised of an organic apple orchard with a variety of tree cultivars and rootstocks, ranging from recently established to long-standing mature trees. The Goettlichers grow many fruits and vegetables, and they are now experimenting with growing grain crops. All of the crops grown on their farm are traditional, open pollinated varieties. In fact, Kristin is a member of the Seed Savers Exchange and Minnesota Grown. “I am starting to experiment with plant breeding and hope to develop some open pollinated varieties that are tasty, beautiful, and suited to our northern climate,” says Kristin. “I enjoy growing my own food, learning skills, and trying to be self-sufficient.”
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Animal Welfare Approved | September 27, 2012
While Julie is proud of the success of her system, she’s the first to admit that it hasn’t always been a smooth ride. “I spent a lot of the first seven years hating working with the rabbits,” she explains. “It wasn’t returning a profit and I felt that I had no resources to support me. But the rabbits have given me so many other things, and working with them has been such a creative outlet for me. The uniqueness of the system I have developed, and the challenges I have had to overcome, have taught me so much over the years.”
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Animal Welfare Approved | September 5, 2012
After attending college and pursing very different careers in special education and biology, respectively, Erica Solis and Joel Helge purchased their 40 acre farm in Stoughton, Wisconsin in June 2010 as a way to provide sustainably-farmed eggs, meat and fiber for themselves, their families, and the local community.
Situated upon a glacial moraine hill, Emancipation Acres sits upon the dividing summit between the Yahara River watershed to the west and Koshkengon Creek to the east. The groundwater all flows out of two ravines out of the north side of the property, toward the Yahara River. Erica and Joel’s goal is to use livestock to restore the fertility in the soil, manage the invasive weeds, and create a fluid, sustainable system. As Erica explains, the steep terrain of the farm means that multi-species grazing represents the best utilization for the land: “Effective pasture management is not only important for building the natural fertility of the soil,” “It also allows us to manage weeds and desired forage without reliance on herbicides, and enables us to control parasites and disease in the animals without resorting to routine veterinary treatments.”
The Stamps family moved to their current 40 acre farm near Chariton in 2009, after being introduced to farming and growing while restoring old homes in the downtown areas near Des Moines. Initially, they purchased an empty lot and planted fruit trees, but they soon realized what they really wanted was a lot more land. “We looked for a long time to find a farm with the right mix of pasture, woods, water, and an old home we could be comfortable in,” says Chad Stamps. “The wait was worth it.” About a third of the land is taken up by a 7 acre pond and its surrounding features, with the remainder comprising pasture, rough grazing and woodland.
In late October 2009, Stephanie and Andy Schneider purchased a 60-acre abandoned farm about 10 miles from Mondovi, WI, and named it Together Farms.
Their decision to start operating a high-welfare, sustainable farm came as a result of their desire to live in a way that is ethical and sustainable, and their wish to support their local community by producing food in the healthiest, sustainable way possible. “Our motto is ‘We’re all in this Together’,” Stephanie explains. “Our mission as caretakers of this small piece of land is to preserve biodiversity, restore soil health, and strive towards implementing a sustainable farm ecosystem.”
For three generations the Hill family has operated their grassfed Angus operation on the beautiful rolling hills of Louisburg, Kansas. The Hills are passionate about producing the healthiest, safest and highest quality grassfed beef possible. The Angus cattle are born, raised and finished on open grass pastures. The farm’s management practices are centered on respect for the environment and respect for the cattle.
Jack and Betsy McCann of True Cost Farm in Montrose, MN raise AWA laying hens as a result of their quest for the tastiest food possible. Having grown up in the suburbs, the McCanns were fairly unfamiliar with farming in the beginning. After learning more about sustainable, pasture-based farming and the nutritious, delicious food it produces, they were determined to not only raise their food the right way, but also to provide it to others. Jack transitioned out of his previous career as an entrepreneur and management consultant to build and lead True Cost Farm and Betsy now leads a dual life as farmer and musician – she loves her career as a high school band director.
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Animal Welfare Approved | February 28, 2012
After years of working for a confinement hog operation, Sean Bansley and his wife Carol began raising Berkshire pigs “the right way” in 2009 at Bansley’s Berkshire Ridge. The Berkshire breed is known for its adaption to living on pasture and its high quality meat and the Bansley’s pastured pigs give birth and live outdoors on their 40 acres of pasture in great contrast to conventional hog operations. Carol and Sean choose to raise their animals in a high-welfare system because they believe that “you are what you eat—if you feed them well, they’ll be good food for us.”
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Animal Welfare Approved | February 22, 2012
While Lesley Million grew up on a cattle farm, it’s goats that she wanted from the time she was three years old. She finally got her opportunity when she and her husband Barry bought Terrell Creek Farm, 25 miles east of Springfield, Missouri in 2006. The couple bought dairy goats in 2007 to make a profit from the pastures, forage and woods on their land, which was well suited to the browsing eating habits of goats.
