5th-generation farmer succeeds with grass-fed beef
By Anne Harnish, Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era, Pa. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The owner,
At 48, Martin is an experienced businesswoman, managing the family insurance business in
Working at her side is farm manager
Harnish brings a lifetime of experience with cattle to the 85-acre farm, where he began doing its day-to-day production in 2007.
Martin grew up on
She believes one big reason for the farm's success is the work that her grandparents,
Her father also invested heavily in the farm infrastructure, adding barn buildings and fencing.
After graduating in 1988 from
But gradually, times changed for the small independent hatchery. "The writing was on the wall," she said. "It was hard to survive."
In 1996, she bought her uncle's insurance business in town and is the fourth generation to operate that.
Around 2005, she said, she noticed the growing trend toward locally produced foods and decided that niche could work for the farm.
She took over the farm and bought 20 or 25 bred Angus heifers to grow the herd. Since then it has been a closed herd.
The herd now has 35 breeding cows year-round. The herd size peaks at about 100 in the spring, before butchering begins.
"The farm doesn't take a lot of time," Martin added. "I was glad to get Larry. It makes a big difference."
A reason for their success with all-grass-fed beef, Martin believes, is the quality of the pastures.
"These are much better grasses," she said, gesturing around the farm. "The pastures have been here for 40 years or more."
Recently, Martin added special events to the operation, by offering the farm for weddings, business meetings, birthday parties and other catered events, both outdoors and indoors at the well-maintained historic farm.
But the grass-fed beef business remains the mainstay of the farm, generating 80 percent of its annual revenue.
Their grass-fed beef is a huge hit.
"There's so much demand!" Martin said.
It's so popular, she said, they start taking orders in January and are nearly sold out for the year by the end of May.
Local customers aren't the only loyal ones, either.
Others drive here from two, even three hours away to pick up their half or quarter or sixteenth of beef. Some are buying it as gifts for friends and family.
Martin does all the marketing. The farm's beef is
Though the farm is not organic, they use many organic practices. They don't feed any corn or grain. There are no hormones, antibiotics or pesticides.
The closed herd is healthy, she says, because they don't bring in cattle to the farm, opting to use artificial insemination or a bull of theirs during breeding season.
Martin said the farm typically has the young cattle butchered at 1,000 pounds or 15 months of age, to meet the constant demand.
Butchering begins in June and runs through October with four to five cattle going each month to Smucker's Meats, a
Orders come by phone or Internet. The cuts and pricing are listed on the website ironstonespringfarm.com, with pricing starting at
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