Earth-Be-Glad Farm
Farming Traditions
In the bluff country of southeastern Minnesota, a family is carrying on a farming
tradition. The Rupprecht's, Mike, Jennifer and Johanna, own and operate Earth-Be-Glad
farm. Their farm site is located at the head of "Rupprecht's Valley" which was
settled by Mike's great-great grandfather in
1854. Because of erosion and the extensive flooding that followed, Mike's ancestor
had to give up the farm in 1914. It is Mike and Jennifer's goal to avoid such
farming practices and gains have been made in restoring fertile soil to the land
"so that our descendants and others can enjoy a place of bounty and beauty."
Earth-Be-Glad is located near Lewiston, Minnesota, and does not look like a typical
farm. Visitors and people passing by will immediately notice the land divided
into paddocks. Mike and Jennifer graze their cattle by moving the animals between
paddocks daily. Each new area is a fresh "salad bar" for the cows. This carefully
managed grazing system provides the least possible impact on the environment.
There are no pesticides used in the pastures and there is virtually no erosion.
The pastures have also become home for many varieties of plants and wildlife.
More than 15 different plants are seeded in the pastures which have become habitat
for grassland birds and other wildlife. There is always one or two paddocks that
are not grazed and ground-nesting birds such as the bobolink have made these areas
their home. Mike and Jennifer draw on the wild prairie as their model and attempt
to imitate the ecosystem of the time when the great herds of buffalo existed.
Free Range and Healthy
On Earth-Be-Glad Farm the cattle do the harvesting and fertilizer spreading.
Mike checks on the herd twice a day to make sure that the water pipes and fences
are intact and operational. During the winter the cattle are fed stored feed.
When weather permits the cows spend time in winter pastures,
and extra care is taken to provide shelter from the wind for the animals. All
feeds are grown on the farm and stored in the silos. Mike has reduced the amount
of pesticides used to one-fourth of the recommended amount. There are no genetically
engineered seeds used and the crops are high quality.
Earth-Be-Glad Farm also raises chickens in a similar fashion to their beef. The
chickens are free-range and live on a healthy diet of fresh grass and insects.
They spend the nights inside to keep them safe from predators. Mike has developed
a high quality chicken feed that has become famous in the area, and the chicken
tastes terrific.
Sustainable Farming
The farming methods of Earth-Be-Glad Farm create a meat product that is healthy
and sustainable. There are no hormones, chemicals, or animal by-products used
in the raising of the cattle or chicken, and any "unknowns" are avoided. The outcome
is meat that tastes better and is much healthier than factory raised beef. Grass-fed
beef have higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, CLA'S (a potent anti-carcinogen),
and beta-carotene. The threat of e. coli bacteria is lower in grass-fed animals,
because the cows are eating what their bodies were designed to eat.
Earth-Be-Glad Farm directly markets their products. "We're working for a new
consumer paradigm in which the buyer of food knows the producer of the food and
trusts him/her to provide a clean, nutritious product at a price which provides
a living for the producer." Mike and Jennifer are bypassing much of the conventional
food system. As Mike says, "When you buy our food, you're not only getting a high
quality product, you're getting our guarantee of environmentally responsible farming,
humane animal treatment, and a vision for the future of our land."
Caring for the Land
Earth-Be-Glad Farm beef is available in bulk, by the quarter, half, or whole,
or in any quantity as frozen individual cuts. When you buy bulk you can choose
the cuts you would like. Chicken is available whole, quartered, or cut up. Purchases
can be made at the farm, or the Winona farmers market, and deliveries are an option.
Mike and Jennifer also sell garden produce and sweet corn seasonally and popcorn
and eggs all year round.
On hilltops that were settled and farmed by ancestors four generations ago, they
are making an effort to take care of the land in new ways. By imitating the ecosystem
of the wild prairies, beef, chickens and other wildlife experience lush pastures
and healthy habitats. The result is meat products that are healthy and delicious,
and environmentally sustainable. Mike and Jennifer believe that "Our goal is to
be good stewards of the land and our animals are raised with as much freedom and
care as possible." By maintaining and restoring healthy soil and raising healthy
animals, Earth-Be-Glad Farm remains a full-time independent family farm that provides
an alternative to corporate factory-style confinement farms.
Earth-Be-Glad Farm
Mike, Jennifer & Johanna Rupprecht
Regions:
MinnesotaOrganization type:
Business - family


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