Time for a Change

In Lake City, Minnesota, Dennis and Sue Rabe are taking an alternative approach to farming. After finding that they were working more hours on the farm and getting less for their input, it was time for a change. As Dennis said, “the idea of a family farm had been lost. We didn’t have enough time to be a family.”

Dennis, Sue, and their three daughters Heather, Polly and Kelly are an example of a growing number of farming families who seek alternatives to row crops and feedlot livestock. When the Rabe’s began farming 19 years ago, Dennis farmed “pretty much by the book.” This meant their fertile land was planted with corn and soybeans, and the latest farrow-to-finish production equipment was employed for the hogs. The cattle were fattened in a feedlot using silage and grain.

Farming “by the Book”

In the early 1990’s it became clear to the Rabe’s that the “book” they were farming by was made up of chapters that lacked a central theme. The theme that was missing was the environmental and economic health of the farm as a whole and most importantly, the health and quality of life of their family. The realization that farming needed to be approached as a whole project, rather than a set of isolated endeavors, began with the question of how to reduce erosion. Seventy percent of the Rabe’s 315 acres are considered “highly erodible.” Keeping the soil in the fields was a continual concern for the conservation-minded family.

What began as an exploration into methods to combat erosion, soon blossomed into the implementation of whole farm planning. Whole farm planning is a process that families use for balancing the quality of life they desire with the farm’s resources, the need for production and profitability, and long-term stewardship. Farming should be done according to a bigger picture, says Dennis, “there are too many relationships here that we can’t split up.”

Whole Farm Process

A significant part of the whole farm planning process for the Rabe’s was the choice to direct market their meat products. On the advice of a local consultant, the Rabe’s began processing their beef and pork at a local federally inspected plant and targeting individual customers as a potential market. “I like to sell because I have a lot of contacts,” Sue said. “I bump shoulders with a lot of women. I’m a nursing instructor.”

Under the label Eagle View Family Farm, the Rabe’s have been selling their pork and beef in many varieties of cuts and packages. Eagle View Family Farm sells:

* steak boxes,
* wild rice,
* smoked or old fashioned gourmet bratwurst,
* wild rice or cheddar hot dogs,
* wild rice,
* onion or bacon gourmet hamburger patties,
* smoked or regular pork chops,
* cubed ham, beef or pork stir fry and
* ham links or wild rice breakfast sausage.

“We’re trying to make it quick….and yummy,” Sue said.

Nice and Healthy

The Rabe’s raise their beef and pork using rotational grazing methods. There are no antibiotics or hormones used. “We’re trying really hard to make it a nice, healthy product,” said Sue. Eagle View Family Farm pork and beef are always fresh. During the summer months the Rabe’s butcher twice a week. Because the meat is directly marketed to the customer, the prices are not different from grocery stores. “We try to hold the price down so families can afford this,” Dennis said. “These prices aren’t any higher than grocery stores, but we end up making more money on it.”

Each week in the summer, the Rabe’s load up their converted mail truck, complete with two freezers, and travel thirty miles to the Rochester farmer’s market, where they routinely sell out, and make over $700. In addition to the farmer’s market, Eagle View Family Farm has a mail order business that includes over 100 people. Currently the Rabe’s are exploring the possibility of selling their product in retail stores and to area restaurants.

Environmentally and Financially Sustainable

By seeing things in a different light, and by approaching farming as a whole system, rather than isolated boxes or sections, the Rabes are succeeding in more areas than one. Not only is Eagle View Family Farm an environmentally and financially sustainable endeavor, but the Rabes are enjoying a meaningful life to go with it. Whole farm planning has opened up new options for the Rabes, enabling a decision making process that allows the family to see all of the possibilities of their farm. “That’s what I really strive to have in my system – flexibility,” said Dennis.

It is this approach that makes Eagle View Family Farm a model for farmers interested in environmentally and economically sustainable methods, and a model for those people interested in lifestyle choices that place an emphasis first and foremost on quality. Whole farm planning also produces quality meat products and many satisfied customers can attest to the great taste and healthy quality of Eagle View Family Farm pork and beef.