We are a family owned and operated 120-acre farm located in central Minnesota, raising an international award-winning elk herd of approximately 175 animals. Our family has a solid foundation and belief in the traditional hard-working honest life associated with small-town country life here in Central Minnesota. Our two daughters attend the local K through 12 school, and are heavily involved in many school activities including sports (volleyball, basketball and softball), music (regular, honor, and pep band), school play productions, and FFA at the local and state level. There is never a dull moment, but this lifestyle of hard work is what provides the foundation of what we want to engrain in our children. This life requires a focus on what we value most, which we feel is important to pass on to our children.

 

Even if it is challenging, life has far more meaning when you can do what you are passionate about and what you believe in, and this is why our family farm exists today. We believe that quality of life is important, we believe in experiencing the outdoors, we believe in creating something special from the land we live on, and we believe in harvesting and managing the land and its natural resources.

When I was doing my original research, I remember how exciting it was to go to farms and see the elk and hear the bulls bugle. Today, all I need to do is walk a few minutes to see them, or open the windows to hear them. It is pretty amazing to have my neighbors and friends tell me how they enjoy hearing the bulls in the fall while they are going to sleep, or while they are enjoying the outdoors in their deer stands.

As far as the meat, we are absolutely spoiled. I used to cherish the years when I was successful filling my elk tag and putting meat in the freezer, but now we eat elk several times a week and love it. There is nothing that taste better or that is better for you than good elk meat. The meat is a wonderful source of protein, it is low in calories, fat, and cholesterol, and it has none of the gamey taste of wild venison. We also eat wild deer we harvest and enjoy it very much, but farm raised elk is different. It is almost like an incredibly lean beef, and tastes wonderful.

Another main product of elk is the antler velvet. It is an amazing natural, renewable resource that I take regularly. I also have customers who have shared stories with me about how it has helped alleviate the symptoms of arthritis and allowed them a better quality of life.

We believe in small town living, we believe in family farming, and we believe in hunting for conservation and providing for oneself off the land. These beliefs play a big part in our life. As you can see on our website, we participate in and are members of numerous associations which share these same values and beliefs. This support and activity is a significant investment of time and money, but we do it because it’s necessary to protect the right to live this lifestyle. It’s the right thing to do, and I want to do everything I can to make sure my children and their children have the ability to experience what we are able to.