Farm Description:
    Our family has been farming this land since 1882. In 1992, we changed from a confinement dairy to a pasture-based dairy farm. In 2002, we started making and selling the cheese and meats from our own animals. We own about 240 acres and rent about 240 acres also. All but 4 acres (for our buildings) is in grass, pastureland. This is a true family farm, as it is wholy owned by our family, and we only have one part-time employee (who pretty much grew up here anyway, being a best friend to the youngest son Jay). Although we are not certified organic, we try to minimize any use of chemicals and medications. Our animals rarely receive antibiotics (because they are very healthy out on the grass; the calves start eating grass as young as 6 days old!) (we only give antibiotics if the animal will die without them, never feeding antibiotics on a regular basis, like feedlot cattle), and do not receive growth or production hormones or steroids.

Practices:
    We grow grass which does not have to be replanted on a regular basis, thus reducing soil erosion, and machinery fuel consumption. We use less grains for our cows' feed; our animals also receive free choice minerals and live outside, where it's healthier (they have access to shelter when needed). This helps them have fewer health problems and longer, helathier, happier lives. We utilize free manure and inexpensive calcium instead of purchasing hight-cost inputs to fertilize the crops, which are grass, clover, and and more grasses. Also, because the animals harvest their own feed in the summer, we use little energy, fuel, and machinery for that half of the year.

Describe your product specialties and highlights:
    We make (by hand) and sell raw milk artisian Dutch cheese made from our own grassed/pastured cows. The varieties we make are: Gouda, Gouda with Chives, Gouda Spiced Blend (paprika, onion, and garlic), Leyden (with cumin), Edam (a lowfat cheese), and Cheddar. We also have in our on-farm store: beef and pork cuts, chicken eggs, and seasonally: chicken, turkey, and rabbit. We also offer farm/cheese tours for any size groups. The tours can include: a hayride tour of the farm, watching cheese being made, eating home-made ice cream, and watching cows being milked.

Where we sell our products:
    The Farm: Our on-farm store south of Coopersville, Michigan is open Thursday and Friday from 1-6 P.M. and Saturday from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. Farmer's Markets: Holland Farmer's Market in Holland, MI, May thru October, 8 A.M. to 2 P.M. most Wednesdays and Saturdays; Fuller/Fulton Street Market in Grand Rapids, and a few other farmer's markets throughout West Michigan. For a complete listing of the stores and co-ops which carry our cheese, please visit our website: http://www.grassfieldscheese.com/store. For online ordering, you can go to www.earthy.com and look up Fine Cheese, American cheeses, Grassfields Cheese.

Web/Mail Order Items:
    All our cheeses, beef jerky, beef summer sausage, Redmond's All-Natural Sea Salt. Web order thru http://www.earthydelights.com