Here’s to educating the next group of Farmers. A group of Iowa FFA members toured This Old Farm during the National FFA Convention.
As you know, there is more to a chicken than the breast. Today many of us have gotten used to buying only the breasts, often injected for flavor since they lack it on their own. We have to learn or relearn what to do with the whole chicken. You can eat organically for the same price as eating what is… Read More »A whole chicken? What would I do with it?
This week we will have………….. 100 % grassfed beef pastured pork eggs sprouts egg noodles made with This Old Farm eggs Drop us a line if you want us to reserve an item for you. We look forward to seeing you Wed from 3 to 6:30 at the West Lafayette Sagamore Farmers Market.
Now that the garden is planted and hopefully you avoided Monday’s frost without too many losses, it is time to think about how to organically fertilize your plants. Luckily there are many options that do not involve chemical fertilizers. In this weeks workshop we will talk about… Compost Foliar feeding When to feed This workshop will be held from 10-11:30… Read More »Fertility 101
At the farm, it is just another day. Another day that the animals need to be cared for, milked, and watered. Another day we can’t let the new seedlings get too parched. Yet, despite the normal chores, even we might take a break and enjoy the beauty of the spring and the memories of a time gone by. Whether it… Read More »Here’s to a great Memorial Day!
The following is an article first written for the magazine Heritage Homecoming edited by Larry Truitt. Good food; now that is something I have a passion about! Yet, when asked to do an article on organic foods I thought for the purpose of Heritage Homecoming I should start with an even larger passion of mine which is good, local food! … Read More »Local Foods; How History Can Be Repeated In A Positive Manner
Wednesdays threat of severe weather with hail kept us from the West Lafayette Farmer’s Market. I greatly missed seeing our regular customers and will look forward to returning this coming Wednesday. We will be bringing pastured pork, 100% grassfed beef, egg noodles made with our wonderfully orange yolked eggs, as well as the eggs themselves. I will also have our… Read More »Sorry we missed you.
Today as I weeded the first of many strawberry rows, I reflected on the beauty of spring. I kneeled in a very humble position pulling weeds that had crept into the strawberry patch. Straw was used to heavily mulch the area and with our recent heavy rains weeding was pleasant. I looked out on our front pasture with the laying… Read More »Take time to smell the flowers!
By request, we will be offering the Fridays at the Farm workshop series on Saturdays as well during the month of May. That means, weather permitting, we will offer the workshop on beginning an heirloom garden this coming Friday and Saturday. This will be our second workshop in a series of workshops to be offered on the farm this season. … Read More »How to start an heirloom garden.
Pigs arrived at the farm a few weeks ago. We again purchased local organic feeder pigs from Dave Randal outside of Lebanon, IN. These pigs will be grown out in the next several months eating organic grains and foraging through pasture and woods. One of the things we strive to do on the farm is utilize animals to the best… Read More »The pigs are hard at work
By popular request, This Old Farm is launching a workshop series to be held Friday mornings, 10AM to 11:30AM at the farm. Jessica Smith will share information about different aspects of farm life from organic gardening to raising chickens to preserving the harvest. Whether you are new to growing your own food or a seasoned veteran, there will be something… Read More »Fridays at the farm
On Wednesday, May 6th, the Sagamore West Farmer’s Market will open from 3 pm to 6:30 pm. We look forward to seeing many of you that we have not seen through the winter season. It is yet another sign of spring! Please stop and see us even if it is just to say hi. We will be taking orders for… Read More »The Farmer’s Market Season Begins
The following is an excerpt from a presentation that I gave for the Westin A. Price Foundation on Saturday. It was a wonderful gathering with many individuals dedicated to eating local, nutrient dense, farm fresh food. 10 Time Saving Tips in a Whole Foods Kitchen So you desire to feed your family good, healthy, natural foods but don’t want to… Read More »Jessica presents one of her many passions
If you’ve purchased local beef from our retail store here at This Old Farm, it was likely raised by Ed Newby near the border of Clinton and Boone Counties just a few miles south of our Processing Facility. Ed Newby has been a great help to This Old Farm for the last several years, providing beef for our retail and excavating the ground for some of our construction projects. We are very grateful to have him as a member of our farm alliance.
Ed Newby is a third-generation farmer tending over 100 acres of land purchased by his grandparents many years ago. He raises beef on pasture without any antibiotics or growth hormones, using more grain in their later months to ensure good marbling and fat cover.
Growing up on the farm he never realized how tight finances can be in agriculture and how low the profit margins are, at least not until he took over management of the farm itself. All too familiar with the challenge of slim margins in agricultural businesses, we do our best here at This Old Farm to provide Ed Newby with above commodity market prices for his beef so that he can spend a little less time monitoring his cash flow and a little more time ensuring that he has Happy Cattle.
Denny’s Grass-fed Beef has been raising 100% Grass-Fed beef at their farm in Pekin, IN (about 30 miles northwest of Louisville, KY) for over 10 years now. They’ve had their product on our shelves since February 2018. John Denny grew up on the farm, which has been under the care of his family for five generations now! As more and more children of farmers choose to pursue careers outside of the family farm, it’s incredibly exciting to be welcoming a farmer to our alliance who has a heritage in farming.
As a child, John actively helped in his family’s dairy cattle operation. After an attempt to grow conventional corn and soybeans in the 1980’s, and selling off the dairy cows in the 90’s the Denny family began raising beef cattle. In 2002 John was diagnosed with Leukemia, which was among the motivations he had to consider raising Grass-fed beef. Luckily after several rounds of chemo therapy and a reconsideration of his and his livestock’s diet, he is doing well. As a Pastor at South Liberty Church in Palmyra Indiana, he sees Grass-fed practices as the best way to carry out the Biblical instruction of land stewardship on his farm. In 2006 he began using rotational grazing practices, and is very proud of the positive impact this has had on his land, and the quality of the meat he produces.
In addition to rotational grazing, John Denny also harvests his own hay and haylage which he uses to maintain a 100% Grass diet throughout the winter. Haylege is very similar to hay, but is baled at a higher moisture content than hay. By baling and tightly enclosing grass at a higher moisture content, a fermentation process is encouraged which can increase the protein content. This higher protein content aids in producing a well-marbled meat that is difficult to obtain with 100% Grass-fed products.
Our primary mission at Living Water Ranch is to steward our resources (our cows, our land, our streams, etc.) in a manner that provides a sustainably healthy alternative for generations to come as we seek to grow healthy Grass-Fed Beef making it available to not only our local community, but abroad as well.
The establishment of the farm, before it became what it is now, is the realization of my father’s childhood dreams of living the pasture rural lifestyle. Coming home from bible school I came on board helping the farm become more than just a hobby farm but a productive operation that functioned as a business. Though our farm is not some sprawling ranch you might picture in the western U.S. having the term in our name is a nod to my childhood days living in Texas. We have two streams that converge on our property, several active springs that pop up here or there, numerous ponds, as well as 5 water wells. Having a name that sheds light on both our geographic water features as well as our personal faith was a no-brainer (John 7:38). Those who believe in Jesus, as the Bible says, "springs of living water will flow from within them."
How we began our farming days was touched on above concerning my parents. However, the choice for me to come on board was a long process. After moving away from Kentucky to attend Bible school I underwent a painful divorce and despite my best efforts I could not move forward in that regard. My father’s health was waning and as an only child I felt the responsibility to help where possible. Moving back to Kentucky I began helping around the farm in little bits with my roles ever increasing. Getting involved again in the community certainly helped but all in all it was the peaceful lifestyle, the hard work, the continual challenge faced on a regular basis, and the interaction with God’s cattle … providing for them an amazing life. Soon we began seeing how we can better the animal’s lives. Soon we learned how to grade them and then improve their body condition. A sleek coat, fleshy curves (not bony), and an animal (or a herd of them) that comes running up to me when I drive out to their pasture … those are the marks of a happy healthy cow (in my opinion).
Hunt Family Farm LLC is a family owned and operated grain and pasture raised pork farm in Amboy, IN. Father and son Jack and Nathan Hunt represent the fifth and sixth generation of farmers to tend to the operation. Nathan has this to say about Hunt Family Farm:
"What sets our pork apart from everyone else's is the story behind it. All hogs are born on the farm and are a heritage breed combination of 50% duroc, 25% landrace, and 25% yorkshire bloodlines. Our sows and boars have free range to a 5 acre pasture and breed naturally. Once the farrowed pigs reach 25 pounds, they then have free access to the outdoors at all times. All hog feed is made on-site using a blend of our own corn and a byproduct of cold pressing sunflower seeds for oil from our neighbors, Healthy Hoosier Oil. This is a green pellet that includes the shell, hull, and some remaining oil which provides a non GMO feed additive for our hogs. It gives our pork a unique flavor, while utilizing something that would otherwise be a waste product for Healthy Hoosier Oil. We feel that the combination of all of these factors creates a healthier animal that grows slower and produces a higher quality meat.
We hope you enjoy our pork! We are very proud of what we represent and put our heart and soul into our farm every day."
Please support other Indiana Grown members, Jefferson St. BBQ and Eskenazi Hospital, for other locations where Hunt Family Farm pork can be found.
If we wouldn’t feed it to our family, we won’t feed it to you. At Finn’s Ranch, our cattle and chickens are free to roam on our fourteen acres of pasture.
It all started as a dream in South Chicago. In 2013, the Finns’ packed up their belongings and moved to a farm house in Buchanan, Michigan. What started off as a few cows for the family turned into a full fledged business, as friends and family clamored for their high quality meat and eggs. In 2015, Sean retired from his day job in the floral industry to become a full time farmer, and his wife, Alejandra, followed suit years later. Their sons, Nicholas and Matthew, play an integral role in maintaining the farm and animals day to day.
Sean Finn and his wife Alex, along with their sons, Nicholas and Matthew, run the farm on a daily basis. The family goes to great lengths to ensure everything is fed a natural diet, their cows are 100% Grass Fed and Grass Finished. As well as the goats and lambs. The chickens, the ducks and turkeys for Eggs and Meat are fed Non-GMO feed and have full access to all of our pastures. The pigs are also fed a Non-GMO feed and have access to pasture. Finn's Ranch has Grass Fed Certified Pastures, Animal Welfare certification and MOSA organic.
Our farm is a labor of love and we do not cut corners in order to bring you the best local meat the mid-west has to offer.
Jeff Blacker and his wife Shelly own and run a 63 acre family farm with their son Brenton and daughter Bailey. JL Blacker Farms is a name you will see on many of This Old Farm’s pork and chicken products in our retail storefront. They joined our Farmer Alliance program in 2015. Living across the road from This Old Farm, Jeff was skeptical about raising grass-fed meats without the use of preservatives and additives, and thought it was a fad. He was a hard working farmer doing things the way he always had since he was a small boy and he was resistant to change. But after time, Jeff and Shelly watched This Old Farm grow, seeing healthy, vibrant people who obviously cared about what they ate, drive out to rural Colfax from all over to buy healthy meats. He began to realize that locally grown, healthy food was not a fad, but here to stay. And since then he and Shelly have been in the process of changing how they farm.
They started using non-GMO feed, free of growth hormones and antibiotics for their animals. Jeff learned from books and materials written by the renowned farmer Joel Salatin how to best use the land to raise their own food and maximize the quality of life for his family and his animals. They are converting their farm over to pasture, and will eventually fence in the whole property so animals can graze freely. Jeff plants a rye cover crop to retain the soil on his land, making organic matter and adding a natural positive nitrogen effect instead of spraying chemical nitrogen to improve the quality of his soil so that his grasses can grow optimally. He is proud of being one of the only full-time farmers in Perry Township his age who is also selling products recommended by someone else. He believes that the large industrial farms and massive machinery of today disconnects farmers from the land, which can result in devastating consequences such as the recent Monsanto Round Up Class Action Lawsuits. Jeff said that the United States has lost 8000 farms since 2015 showing that conventional farming methods have not helped rural families sustain a living on the land. Jeff believes that farmers must create their own markets to be profitable and sustainable.
Jeff and his family love their work producing fresh meats and they want to help others, who are committed to buying local and knowing their farmer, to cultivate a healthy lifestyle. The mission of JL Blacker Farms is to sustain the next generation, encouraging people to eat better and feel better by eating naturally grown foods and locally raised and processed pastured meats. Jeff and Shelly are pleased with the way This Old Farm processes their pork and poultry using vacuum sealed packages with labels that attractively showcase their products, allowing them also to develop their own market through Facebook, Craig’s list and the farmers market in Whitestown. Jeff said they would not be doing what they are doing without collaboration with This Old Farm. For more information, the website for JL Blacker Farms Family Meats is wegotyourmeats.com
In 2001, the home farm ground was purchased outside of Darlington, IN. It was purchased with the thought of better understanding what it takes to farm while being able to raise children that had the opportunity to grow up in the country, learning how to work a full day. One of the first things to arrive on the farm were 3 Katahdin ewes and a ram. There was no business plan, nor thought of making this a full-time ag business. Over time, the love of the land slowly chipped away at the pull from corporate America and a steady paycheck. In 2009, a processing facility was purchased to get pastured pork, lamb, grass fed beef, and pastured poultry to, what I saw as, a growing market. I knew we needed to be able to provide a meat product with none of the additives used in the conventional meat stream.
As my knowledge in the agricultural industry grew and my actual farm time shrunk through the expanding processing business, the farm diversification model changed. While I handed off the responsibility of growing pastured pork and grass-fed beef to other local farmers, we kept our sheep flock growing. That original sheep flock grew and grew to what we have now, which is 200 ewes, giving us a near year-round supply of lamb. We are primarily a grass fed and finished operation rotating on green grass in the warm seasons and feeding a mix of haylage and hay in the cold season. We supplement with non-gmo corn when we need to meet higher nutritional needs. We offer a mineral mix formulated for sheep.
Through the years we have discovered that our Katahdin lambs are sought by an ethnic market that likes the smaller lambs we produce. In 2019, we processed our first group of lambs under a Halal exemption at our processing business and would like to see this market grow. Our goal is to be able to have individuals or businesses select their lamb that is then walked into the facility with minimal stress and processed in a manner, just like the last 2000 years.
Call or email today to place a deposit on our next litter. $700 females $500 males
$3.30/lb Call today to put down a $50 deposit. We will have a date to come pick up from the farm within a month.
$3.30/lb plus processing dependent on your cut choice.
$150 each. Your kids will love the experience of creating that perfect lamb from "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Call or email today to get on our winter or spring list.
$150 each. Want something to mow some pasture? Get on our spring list for feeders.
It is breeding season on the farm. Two rams have been fitted with their marking harnesses and the ewes have been brought up from the fields out back. Each week, we will bring the ewes through the chute so we can record who has been bred and what their expected lambing dates are. The farm has roughly 300 ewes being bred this season by a couple rams. Whewe that is a whole lot of daily activity by our rams! Every few years we cycle a ram out and replace him so that we keep varied genetics. One of our best rams is therefor ready for a new home.
Romeo is a large Katahdin ram weighing in at 250 lbs. He sustains on grass or hay and produces a good crop of grass-fed lambs each year. We are selling him for $750. Please call (765) 324-2161 if interested or email jessica@thisoldfarminc.com.
We also have a yearling ram lamb available for $500. He was kept back from one of our best ewes and should make a great breeding ram for years to come.
See Ram post - with ram pic and price $750
At TOFI Packing, we offer USDA inspected Beef, Hog, Lamb and Goat harvest, and further processing. This means you can sell anywhere in the USA. We love to see your farm business grow. Are you a beginning farmer with new livestock? Are you transitioning a new generation back to the farm and looking to be able to direct market your product? Are you proud of the unique way in which you raise your livestock and want a processing partner that can help you tell your story? If so, we are the right partner for you. We love to highlight what you do on your farm by offering many USDA approved label claims. You will be greeted by friendly people when you call to schedule your appointment. We train all of our staff on livestock harvest and processing so you can have all of your questions answered. Being farmer centric while promoting integrity, knowledge, and quality is what makes TOFI Packing stand out as the leader in 100% traceable livestock harvest in the Midwest. TOFI Packing was started by a 1st generation farmer and many of our employees raise livestock as well. We know farming is hard and we are here to help. Integrity is the cornerstone of our business. Because our facility is 100% traceable, you know that your customers will be enjoying the meat you raised and ONLY your meat. We don't pool grind and therefore can add "raised by" on your packages. Again, we know how much time you spend raising livestock the best you can and we are here to harvest your livestock with humane handling and integrity. We offer first class rollstock packaging for all of your meat cuts that beautifully frame your cuts of meat. Give us a call to find out more and book today.
Our desire in the beginning was to provide healthy food for our family and friends. Though our little farm helpers are all grown up now, our commitment to families hasn’t changed. We love supporting youth in agriculture. Are you a 4H family, FFA member raising livestock, or simply working to create a vibrant hard working family that can feed themselves? If so, we are the right partner for you, as it is exactly where our owner started when she brought home her first 3 Katahdin ewes.
At TOFI Packing we specialize in R&D runs for established and emerging meat brands. We specialize in co packing for regenerative, local, regional, and organic brands. We can help your product dreams become a reality. We have friendly staff that help you navigate the R&D process. Give us a call today.
Some say there are no periods in our VAG.................... In Memory of Kendra Rairdon, she may have moved on from TOFI but she lives on in our hearts and in our acronyms.
At TOFI Packing we offer a wide variety of value added goods to diversify your meat offerings. Many of us in the meat world end up with too much ground product. To help you have more ribeyes or pork chops to sell, we produce items such as cotto salami, uncured smoked sausages, jerky, uncured bacon and so much more to use up some of the trim product that would go to grind while diversifying your product offerings. We primarily utilize all natural ingredients and minimally processed seasonings in our value-added production to compliment your grass fed, pasture raised and/or regenerative based operation. Taste tests have proven that most people chose our naturally cured bacon over bacon containing added nitrites and nitrates even if they are NOT health conscious. Our staff is ready to help delight your customers with new products. Download our list below. Give us a call today.
At TOFI Packing we can provide kill and chill services for your livestock operation, butcher shop, or further processing facility of your choosing. Do you already have a processing facility but need livestock humanely harvested and primaled? Do you need a facility to harvest your livestock organically? TOFI Packing can provide humane harvest efficiently. Studies have shown that many gain efficiency by separating the harvest from the processing and letting different facilities do what they do best. While we pride ourselves in our 100% traceable facility from harvest to package, we are a team player and are happy to work up and down the value chain. Give us a call to learn how we can get livestock harvested and into bins for pick up or delivery.
At TOFI Packing, we offer Co-packing services for local, regional, organic, and regenerative meat brands. We have all of the systems setup to help you navigate the niche meat manufacturing space. Whether your brand is established and looking to grow or your brand is just starting out, we can help. Our brand services include: R&D, Consulting, livestock harvest, local livestock sourcing, co-packing, portion control, and more. Let us help your local, regional, organic, or regenerative brand grow or let us help make your local, regional, organic, or regenerative brand dreams come true. Give us a call today.
Give us a call to schedule your livestock today. If you have 1 animal or hundreds out on your pastures, we want to be a part of achieving your farming dreams. Give us a call today.
At TOFI Packing we have great resources in our people. Most of our employees farm or come from a farming background. We also have experts in the local, regional, organic and regenerative niche meat manufacturing space. Are you a farming trying to develop a direct to consumer market? We can help. Do you have family member trying to find their place on the farm? We can help with that. Are you just getting started out farming? We can help you lay a good foundation. If you’re an experienced farmer in a bind and need some suggestions for a way forward, we can help there too. Give us a call.