Meet Your Farmer
I’m Joe. I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors and working with animals.
I grew up in a farming community, and in and around farms. When I was young, I couldn’t see a future in producing food. I grew up around a lot of chemical based agriculture and in a time when farms were getting larger and chasing commodity production for things like Corn and Soy, and in a place where there wasn’t a movement around organic/healthy/chemical free food. In my late 20’s and early 30’s I became more interested in clean, healthy food and our family made the decision to move back to the country. After 10 years of producing poultry, pork, and beef on the side for family and friends, I decided to start producing healthy, tasty, and clean food full time and the result is Joe’s Happy Acres Farm.
One of the primary goals of my farm is to create a functional, vibrant, and healthy ecosystem where I work with nature to produce my products. Just as I am a steward of the livestock I produce, I am also a steward of the land, the ecosystem and it’s inhabitants. No chemicals, no hormones for growth, and no prophylactic antibiotics. Animals that spend the vast majority of their lives outside, on pasture, being themselves and enjoying their time with us. I call what I’m doing regenerative, but, that is a term that lacks a strong definition. My personal definition is close to that of the Rodale Institute for Regenerative Organic: ‘Regenerative prioritizes soil health while simultaneously encompassing high standards for animal welfare and worker fairness. The idea is to create farm systems that work in harmony with nature to improve quality of life for every creature involved.’
I believe in progressive values, and they align closely with regenerative agriculture. Investing in soil health, protecting water, treating animals ethically, and supporting local communities are all progressive commitments — and they’re the foundation of my farm.
— Joe
