They keep Jersey, Brown Swiss and Guernsey cows for milk, Icelandic, Katahdin and Polypay sheep, heritage chickens, Pekin and Khaki ducks, Pearl Gray guinea fowl, and an Anatolian Shepherd called Bria who guards them all. In their own words the animals are rotationally grazed on pasture and supplemented with alfalfa through the winter, and the farm never uses soy, pesticides, hormones, routine antibiotics or unnatural supplements. They eat everything they produce at their own table, which is how they say they hold each product to the same standard.
Illinois law does not allow raw milk to be sold without a licence, so the milk goes out through a legal herdshare instead. Members buy a share of the herd once a season, pay a monthly boarding fee that covers their cow's care, feed and milking, and collect about a gallon a week on a prearranged day. Everything else is ordered through the website and collected at the farm, because they offer local pickup only rather than shipping. The shop carries beef and lamb cuts, slow grown chicken and turkey, unwashed free range eggs with duck, quail and guinea fowl eggs through the summer, organic honey and a tallow cream made in house. There are no standard hours, each pickup is arranged with you and most orders can be collected any day of the week. Farm visits are welcome by appointment.
