One Year In

We're coming up on our one-year anniversary of Opdyke Family Farm, and we are proud to look back on what we accomplished.

This year marked our first time raising and processing pigs and broiler chickens. At the end of June, we'll have pork available for sale. 

We are also raising sheep for fall processing and welcomed a Highland cow, named Giles, to the farm. While we have raised sheep for many years, we are expanding our flock to provide additional meat and wool products, while helping manage our pastures. Highland cows are new for us, which we choose to raise for their docile demeanor and hardy nature. We are looking for a companion for Giles to incorporate into our breeding program.

In April, future egg-laying chickens joined our farm. These include Cuckoo Marans, Easter Eggers, Austra Whites, and Black-laced Silver Wyandottes. We picked them to provide a beautiful rainbow assortment of eggs, which we will begin selling this fall.

To diversify our offerings and balance our investment in livestock, we planted blueberries and Christmas trees. These crops will take a few years to mature, and we're excited to one day welcome families to our farm in search of the perfect Christmas tree.

Farmers survive on the kindness and business of customers, but we're doing more than just working to make a profit. We're deeply committed to stewardship of the land. To protect the land for future generations and wildlife, we are working to remove invasive species and replace them with native plants. This year we planted 100 saplings of various species. We are also allowing over-tilled fields to lie fallow with the intention of improving soil quality and encouraging wildflowers that support pollinators.

We invite you to join us on our adventure of farming by becoming a customer and sharing our story with others.

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Fun fact: Highland cows are eco-friendly. Their grazing helps maintain natural landscapes and supports biodiversity.