Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Brekke.
Hi Laura, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up on a small family beef farm next door to where I live now. I always loved the farm, and after a brief period away from the Otsego area, I returned and married my husband. My husband was raised in town and did not have experience with farming, but he was interested in it right away and has learned so much over the years! We bought the farm that we live on now about 15 years ago, and it has grown a little each year. I still have several family members who live on the same street as we do, and so our farm is still very much a family endeavor- we couldn’t do what we do without the support of our family. I live next door to my sister and her family, my mom lives behind her, and I have an aunt and uncle as well as several cousins on my road or within a couple miles of me. My sister is on the tractor in one of the pictures with me! That tractor was bought brand new by my grandfather, went to my dad and now we own it. And it still runs great!
My husband and I raise beef cattle, as well weanling pigs to butcher and chickens for meat. Along with this, I also make homemade soaps, lotions, and other products made from tallow and lard. Lastly, we make canned goods to sell, such as spaghetti sauce, pickles, and jams from scratch.
We own a small amount of land to pasture the animals as well as raise hay. In addition to what we own, we also rent land to increase the amount of hay and bedding that we can produce. We rent from a number of different people to patch together enough land to maintain our herd of cattle.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We certainly had our share of struggles along the way. When we first started out, the quality of the equipment that we could afford was not optimal to say the least. Even now after we have upgraded our equipment, there are breakdowns. Equipment doesn’t work as it should, and it always breaks down at the worst time. Like so many farms, finances are tight and so I continue to work as a nurse and my husband works in the winter to help support the farm. Since I am a nurse and farmer, IT is not my strength- therefore one of the struggles is learning computer things to run a business and stay current with upgrades and things that could make the farm run smoother.
Another thing that we face that is specific to our area is the growth and the development in our suburb. Wright county, and specifically the City of Otsego, is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. This decreases the amount of land available to farm and the competition for this land is high. We fight to maintain the farmland available.
Lastly, and I realize this is a good problem to have, we have a hard time keeping beef in stock. We have a waiting list for people who want beef. We are expanding our herd, but we work really hard to keep the highest integrity in everything, so we do not often buy outside animals. This means, that is takes longer to grow the herd because it is done primarily by keeping our own animals to breed and raise.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Having our own farm has really given us an opportunity to make things what we want to make it. We raise both grass fed and corn fed beef, traditional raised hogs and chickens that have the ability to be real animals- outside digging in the mud and scratching in the grass like they should be. We use older methods of raising some of the animals, but these are the methods that we feel produce the best product because they are allowed to live in a more natural way until the day that they go for processing.
I think what we are known for is having high quality meat that is raised in excellent conditions on a regenerative farm. We encourage people to come and take a farm tour so that they can see how their meat is raised and know their farmer. This is what sets us apart from others– educating people on the difference in how things are raised that they can taste in our product. We stand behind the quality of our products. I often say that we have the most spoiled animals in Wright county. When the cows are pregnant and getting very round they get “maternity massages”– this is where I scratch their backs because they can no longer reach!
My creative outlet has really been to create soaps and things for our small farm store. The number of different combinations is endless. Bath bombs with different scents and colors, soaps with pigs on top of them, lotions with numerous iterations that can match the needs of different people=– it is so great to come up with different options for people.
Another thing that sets us apart are the biographies that are posted on our Facebook page from time to time. These are fun, lighthearted stories that I make up and post about the cows and the staff that help on the farm. They are good for a laugh and I think shows the personality of us as the farmers.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I think that the biggest thing that people can do to help support us is to educate themselves regarding what they are eating and where they are sourcing their food. This is so important in supporting local small farmers near them. We can not survive without the support of our local communities. That is the reason that we really started expanding our farm– we wanted to be able to offer a great product to our local community. It really started with that and grew.
Another way is to shop our website for the great products that we offer. The tallow based lotions are amazing for nourishing your skin with something that it can process since it is a natural product.
Pricing:
- soaps $6-9
- lotions 18-28
- canned goods $5-18
- chickens $5/lb
- beef-varies by hanging weight and availability
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Masonmeadowsfarm.com
- Instagram: mason_meadows_farm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076847253912
