Staff
Josh grew up on our farm which was a working dairy, beef, and crop farm until he was about 10 years old. After graduating from high school he attended the University of Minnesota for Conservation Biology and spent his free time learning how to be a city slicker and playing in rock bands.
After meeting Sally in a Northeast Mpls coffee shop and realizing the corporate world wasn't for him, he returned to Henderson and began hobby farming and working as a carpenter. A few years later, he built a house on the farm for his young family and decided to start a full-time farming business. His father still lives in the old farmhouse and has helped tremendously in getting us started in farming.
Josh is an active volunteer and serves on the board of directors for a number of organizations including the Ney Nature Center and the Sustainable Farming Association of MN. He enjoys teaching and sharing his knowledge of homesteading, building restoration, and farming with others. And he still plays music in a band, although it sounds more like bluegrass now.
Sally was born and raised in South Minneapolis, a city girl. But because her paternal grandparents grew up in rural Mankato and had farming roots, Sally was always drawn to the old school farming lifestyle. After a run at corporate life and feeling quite unfulfilled, Sally attended Dakota County Technical College for a degree in Landscape Horticulture.
After graduation, she worked at Minnesota Valley Garden Center for two years and then decided with Josh to start gardening and farming on their own land. Slowly she built a flock of chickens and dabbled in fiber goats.
Five years, 4 goats, 2 kids (human) and 120 chickens later, Sally is still in love with the lifestyle of old school farming and self sufficiency.
Kezia Otting first began work with us as an intern in 2010. In 2011 we hired her as our first employee. Kezia grew up in and around Henderson with four siblings. For most of her life she has lived in the small town setting, but she has always loved the country lifestyle.
She grew up with her mother working at a green house where Kezia spent much of her time when she was not in school. One of her fondest memories was her mother teaching her how to water plants, pollinate tomatoes, and seed flats. Her love and interest for plants derives from those memories and skills she learned at a young age.
Kezia is currently a freshman at Southwest Minnesota State University at Marshall, and we're looking forward to her returning in 2012 as a full-time employee during her college break.
