Local families fulfilling dream of owning, operating their own farms
Eric and Janel Woodward moved to Northeast Lower Michigan 14 years ago with a dream of owning and operating their own dairy farm.
Eric grew up working on the farm that his grandfather and uncle owned in Millington, knowing he wanted to farm from a young age. Janel grew up on a dairy farm in Vassar.
Janel said they initially purchased property in Hubbard Lake before settling in Ossineke, where they currently own and operate Huron Meadows Farm. The farm was certified organic in 2014 because the Woodwards liked the stability of prices in the organic milk market.
According to Janel, transitioning to an organic farm means their cows are free of antibiotics and are given untreated feed that’s free of any genetic modification. It also means the cows spend the majority of their time in a pasture rather than a barn.
Today, the Woodwards, along with their five children, produce organic milk as members of Organic Valley’s cooperative, which sells organic dairy products in grocery stores throughout the nation. They own 150 head of cattle and currently are milking 80 cows each day, mostly Jersey cows.
Janel said it’s more expensive to produce organic milk, but they’re happy to provide consumers with a choice.
“We try to support organic farmers as much as possible and we try to support local as much as possible,” she said.
Ray and Loretta Burns moved to Posen because they wanted to raise their family in an environment where there is quality water and soil ideal for farming.
With Ray attending school to become a chiropractor, Loretta said they tend to think of food as medicine.
“It’s really important to us to raise our kids knowing where food comes from and making sure that it’s healthy food,” Loretta said.
The family founded Zdrowy Farms — named after the Polish word for “healthy” — two years ago. Their vegetables are sprouted from organic heirloom seeds and are grown free from fertilizers and pesticides. They also raise their own egg-laying hens on organic feed and allow them to roam freely in their pasture.
While the original intent of the farm is to grow healthy food for their family, Loretta takes any additional produce to the Rogers City farmers market and the Hilltop Mini Mart in Hillman. Loretta said that although she sees returning customers, the shift of awareness driving people to buy healthy, local produce is a bit slower than she would like it to be.
“We can’t deny there’s more illness and sickness, so we try and promote what we believe is best for us and for other people,” she said.
Molly Stepanski, Northeast Michigan food coordinator with Taste the Local Difference, said people are beginning to shift their focus to long-term health care and realize that food can keep themselves healthy.
While there are many people who have been farming in Northeast Michigan for generations, Stepanski believes there are more opportunities and markets opening for smaller farmers. The affordability and fairly decent quality of farmland makes Northeast Michigan an ideal area to start a farm.
Stepanski also owns and operates Presque Isle Farm in Posen with her husband, Dion. The farm became certified organic last year. The couple has found success growing an assortment of organic greens and vegetables and has created a niche market growing multi-colored potatoes that their customers just love.
“(Farming is) sort of this new, entrepreneurial approach as far as taking advantage of what is happening around the rest of the country,” she said of the growing interest in the local food movement.