Our journey to regenerative farming has been long and unexpected.
My family history is one of dairy farming. Growing up, both my maternal and paternal grandparents, my parents and nearly all of my 15 uncles were dairy farmers. I grew up on this farm. As far back as I can remember I loved the land, especially when I was out driving the tractors doing field work. I was not a big fan of milking cows, but I did enjoy taking care of the calves and replacement heifers. It was a great way to grow up. I learned the value of hard work from a young age, I was able to see where some of my food came from, and I learned how to steward the land.
At the age of 18 I decided dairy farming was not for me. My dad sold the dairy herd in 2001 and I began looking for another job. Around this time the farm had 35 acres subdivided off for houses, but the remaining 100 acres remained intact. I eventually settled on a career in the fence industry and started my own installation company in 2003. It’s ironic that I settled on fencing because as a kid I hated installing and repairing barbed wire fences for the cows.
I married my wife Jolene in 2005. We lived briefly in Middletown, but I missed the farm so we moved back after two short years. I continued to help my dad make hay and maintain the property. Jolene was raised in a suburban setting, so it took some time for her to adjust to life on the farm, and to being the wife of a self-employed man. We have been blessed with 6 beautiful children. Jolene and I are partners, in business and in life, and there’s no other place we’d rather be than at home on the farm, together, raising our kids.
In 2019 I bought my first beef cow. I raised that steer knowing that it would eventually feed my family. Going through this process made me realize that I really missed having animals. The love of farming had never left me. At the same time, Jolene realized she preferred homegrown meat to what she found in the grocery store. This led to us purchasing a heifer calf that I eventually bred, and in 2022 the first calf was born on the farm in over 20 years. I continued to buy mother cows with calves from that point on and have been growing my herd by breeding the females and selling the steers. In 2022, we were also blessed to be able to purchase the farm from my parents.
Becoming a regenerative farmer has been a more recent, and unexpected, development. It started with the book Folks, This Ain’t Normal by Joel Salatin — a birthday present from Jolene. The book describes how different today’s food industry is from historical norms. People used to get their food from local farms or their own garden. Today, food is grown and processed on a corporate scale, then trucked long distances to store shelves. That model is efficient, but it has also depleted the soil of many nutrients, and with it, the nutritional value of the food supply. Reading Joel’s book led to reading more of his books, which then led to a visit to his farm in the summer of 2025. Through this process I’ve been learning about the symbiotic relationship between livestock and soil health — and it has changed the way I think about everything we do here.
I strive to be a good steward of the land that’s been entrusted to me. I know that every day on the farm is a gift for which I am very grateful. I want to leave it better for my kids, and hopefully someday, my grandkids. I believe regenerative farming is the best way to do that. I also believe that the food produced on a regenerative farm is much better for our bodies. Whether it be beef, chicken, pork or eggs, I want to share its goodness with you. Farming is hard work, but it’s good work, and I see every day as a new opportunity for learning and growth. Thanks for being part of this journey with me.
— Nick Kuperus
