This week we get to meet Betsy Meereman, who is part of Grassfields Cheese, a 5th generation family farm in Coopersville, Michigan. I love the Scripture verse on their website:
Our Reason for Farming: “You [LORD Jesus] care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so You have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; You soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” Psalm 65:9-13
In order to appreciate their approach to farming, you should know a little bit about factory farming, or CAFOs.If you have a copy of Simply in Season, check out “CAFOs 101” (2005 p. 300 / 2009 p. 315). Or you can visit the Food & Water Watch website to learn more. What’s the alternative? Let’s hear from Betsy.
A photo of Betsy and her family
Briefly describe your operation
Grassfields is a 5th generation family farm in Coopersville, MI. Jesse Meerman is our cheese maker and one of the partners of the farm along with his 2 brothers, Luke and Jay. Jay specializes in poultry raising and Luke’s specialty is mechanics and crops. We have primarily been a dairy farm over the past 100+ years. About 8 years ago we started making raw milk, aged cheeses. At this time we also began raising free range, grass fed animals such as chickens, beef, pork and lamb. Our land and dairy herd was certified organic in 2007. We raise broiler chickens as well as egg layers. Currently, we milk 170 cows, raise about 2,500 broilers/year, have 1,600 egg layers, about 20 pigs/year, 80 turkeys, and a few lambs. Our animals live outside on certified organic grass. The broiler chickens and steers are raised on certified organic grass, making their meat high in Omega 3’s. The steers receive no grain. None of our animals ever receive hormones, antibiotics or are ever given grasses or hay that was sprayed with chemicals.
Our meats are sold directly to our customers in our on farm store. The cheeses are sold all around Michigan and Chicago. The eggs are mostly sold from our cheese shop along with several stores in West Michigan. We make about 24,000 pounds of cheese annually. Since our cheeses are made from fresh milk, it is loaded with healthy bacteria and enzymes that aid in our own digestion and boost our immune systems.
We have a cow share program, Green Pastures, where families from the West Michigan area own part of our dairy herd and pick up their fresh, organic milk weekly. We supply milk to about 150 families in west Michigan. Visit www.migreenpastures.com for more info. Our program began in April of 2005.
How does your operation compare to others for the same product? How have your practices changed over time, or from the previous generation, and why?
In 1997 we converted our farm to a grazing dairy farm, from a conventional dairy farm. This means that the cows no longer live in the barn, but are outside grazing on fresh grasses. During the growing season, the cows are moved from pastures to pasture, so that the land is fertilized and the cows are eating fresh grass every day. In the winter they are fed dried, organic hay and some organic grains. Converting to grazing methods greatly increased the life of the cows and their overall health.
In 2006 we began our transition to organic farming. This process took one year. The cows are never given antibiotics, hormones, or any feed that has been treated with chemicals or antibiotics added to them. All of the foods they eat are certified and if the animal becomes sick, we treat her with herbal remedies.
How is your health affected by your work?
Jesse would say that he is outside working more than before. Since he is the herdsman, he spends time caring for the animals outside in the fresh air and can appreciate God’s creation in so many ways. We are simply caring for the animals that God has created. God gives new life, makes the grasses to grow, and we get to be a part of what He is doing. Our health, as well as the health of the animals, has improved because we are not using chemicals to make things grow. The animals are healthier because they are eating much higher quality of feed and live outside rather than inside a barn.
Do you feel it is meaningful work? What role do you see yourself playing in the local community?
We love what we do! We are also so blessed by our customers. They are grateful to us for farming organically and we are thankful to them for buying our products and supporting our farm. Most people can’t have their own cows, chickens, pigs or time to make cheese, so we get to do that for them.
What environmental factors do you take into consideration?
All of them! Since we are not a CAFO, and we have enough land to support our animals, we don’t have problems with pollution. The animal to land ratio is in balance and the animals are doing the fertilizing of the land for us. Since they live outside in the pastures, their manure puts nutrients back in to the land. Since the chickens are on the same land as the cows, the land is improved because the chickens eat what the cows don’t and the different types of animals produce manure with different nutrient qualities. Thus, it gives the land everything it needs to help the plants grow healthy and strong.
What motivates you to follow the methods that you do?
We love what we do. When we need to make decisions about the direction our farm will go, we come together as a family and pray. Serving the Lord and bringing Him praise is our desire. We want to do the best we can at farming so that the people who buy our products love them and can have better health because of them. When our customers tell us about the overall health of their families greatly improving since they started drinking our milk and eating our grass fed foods, we are motivated to continue farming. We love being the farmer of so many families in West Michigan.
What do you wish people understood about this kind of work?
Farming is a lot of hard work, but it is so enjoyable because it benefits so many people.
Questions for Reflection (share your responses below for any one of these for an entry in this week’s drawing)
How do you make your decisions about whether or where to buy animal products? How does your faith come into play?
Do you know the stories behind the meat, milk, or eggs you buy?
Do we as Christians have an obligation to treat animals with mercy? Why or why not?
Challenge to Action (post on your blog and add a link below to the specific post about this challenge or email me before Friday to be included in the round up post and for an additional entry into this week’s drawing). Choose from one of the following:
Go to the Factory Farm Map and find out if there are any CAFOs near you.
Find a local farmer and interview them, using the questions that I asked of Betsy for a guide.
If you’re the winner, you’ll receive a free set of recipe cards. Jenny has a great blog that focuses on cooking nourishing foods–I hope you’ll check it out!
Do you use the milk herdshare program? We have literally been going back and forth about whether or not to go for it forever. I want to join. I think it’s a sweet idea. I can’t decide if my family is going to like raw milk after years and years of skim. Ugh. I know we should, absolutely should, but waste scares me almost as much as chemicals in crappy milk.
.-= Em.´s last blog ..Life in Numbers: Vol 6 =-.
Yes, I do use the herdshare program! Betsy will normally let you taste some before you make a decision. Funny thing, I don’t think it tastes as fatty as whole milk from the store. Weird huh?
Milk shares were made entirely illegal in my state a few years ago after several people, including young children, were made seriously ill by raw milk from a cow share dairy….it was, in fact, a nearby program that I was considering joining, but it was just a little too far away for me to try it. The people who suffered from infection were hospitalized and some had permanent organ damage. The same dairy, amazingly, managed survive the publicity, lawsuits, investigations and fines, and converted to a state-licensed raw milk dairy.
I’m a little shy of asking questions of farmers, but I do, usually one or two at a time. Whenever I can, I buy local pastured chickens, grass-fed beef. Some rather expensive pastured pork is available in very limited quantities if I’m willing to drive a ways for it. I also ask questions and buy at the meat counter at a couple of grocery stores that feature natural and grass-fed, trying to avoid the feed-lot factory farm-raised animals. If I could I would buy only from local farmers, but I honestly can’t afford it. I’m also working at trying to get my family to eat less meat over all, but my son still thinks a meal without meat is missing something.
I also keep asking in my local stores for them to carry local cheese. I can buy from one dairy at the farmer’s market in the summer, but Oregon and
Washington have dozens of artisan cheese makers and none of their products are available in my town.
I love Psalm 65 — I can remember reading it late one night and being very impressed by verse 11, then could never find it again, until a few weeks ago, and now it has come up in my reading several times since then. A search on Bible Gateway finally turned up what must have been the version I originally read, the Amplified, which says “the tracks of your chariot wheels drip fatness.”
We tend to avoid extra “fat” but in those days every drop of oil and fat was useful, and used. Many translations translate abundance. It seems to be a tricky verse to translate — many versions say “your paths drip with fatness” and the English Standard Version says “your wagon tracks drip abundance.”
But as a gardener I now also like the New Living:
“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” My hard pathways overflow with weeds, unless I mulch them heavily….so this is really an image of blessing!
Over the last few years I have begun making changes to how I choose meat or chicken to buy–I am not fully where I think I should be, but I am moving towards it. I buy whole chickens from our farmer’s market–this farmer is there on Sat. all winter, so it is available. I do miss having a bag of bones chicken breasts in the freezer to serve people, but I have gotten very creative in using every part of chicken I buy. We don’t buy much beef at all–it is not as readily available, and after not eating it at all for a couple of years, it no longer sits well in my stomach. If I do buy free range organic chicken or beef, it is now only a small ingredient in the meal, rather than the main event, which allows me to afford it as well as being better for my health in general. When what I buy reflects what ideas values I say I hold as important,then I feel I have credibility with my family and friends, and integrity in my spiritual life as well. I know I have a ways to go and areas that still need to be changed, but that also realization makes me gentler with people who have not yet started the journey I am on.
I’m not sure my faith comes to play so much in my meat choices, to be honest. I try to buy local, well cared for animal products but I can’t always afford to do that on a consistent basis. Sometimes I still hit the sale at the grocery store for chicken.
90% of my beef comes from local farmers that are very similar to your guest writer: no pesticides, steroids, etc.
ALL my eggs are from my Dad’s farm which are completely organic and steroid free.
All pork is from a local farm. Chicken and turkey is very expensive here from local farmers and I just can’t afford to go completely that way yet, but I try as much as possible.
All of our produce is home grown or purchased locally. Do I appreciate the ones who farm in a more caring and compassionate manner to god’s creations? BY ALL MEANS, yes! But my wallet unfortunately still has control (but not completely) of some purchases. I’m moving slowly towards all organic/local but its not always easy, truthfully.
.-= Krista´s last blog ..Strawberry Lime Cupcakes =-.
being in southern california makes it a little harder to get to a local farm…but we did have chickens in our own backyard for awhile. they were fairly easy and the kids loved it. we are taking a break from chickens for a little bit right now. now we primarily buy groceries from a store that carries organic, free range eggs. the meat i know is hormone free but i would have to ask where it is from… if anyone knows of a farm i can drive to for meat in the la area??
thanks Betsy for sharing about your farm!
Do you use the milk herdshare program? We have literally been going back and forth about whether or not to go for it forever. I want to join. I think it’s a sweet idea. I can’t decide if my family is going to like raw milk after years and years of skim. Ugh. I know we should, absolutely should, but waste scares me almost as much as chemicals in crappy milk.
.-= Em.´s last blog ..Life in Numbers: Vol 6 =-.
Yes, I do use the herdshare program! Betsy will normally let you taste some before you make a decision. Funny thing, I don’t think it tastes as fatty as whole milk from the store. Weird huh?
Milk shares were made entirely illegal in my state a few years ago after several people, including young children, were made seriously ill by raw milk from a cow share dairy….it was, in fact, a nearby program that I was considering joining, but it was just a little too far away for me to try it. The people who suffered from infection were hospitalized and some had permanent organ damage. The same dairy, amazingly, managed survive the publicity, lawsuits, investigations and fines, and converted to a state-licensed raw milk dairy.
I’m a little shy of asking questions of farmers, but I do, usually one or two at a time. Whenever I can, I buy local pastured chickens, grass-fed beef. Some rather expensive pastured pork is available in very limited quantities if I’m willing to drive a ways for it. I also ask questions and buy at the meat counter at a couple of grocery stores that feature natural and grass-fed, trying to avoid the feed-lot factory farm-raised animals. If I could I would buy only from local farmers, but I honestly can’t afford it. I’m also working at trying to get my family to eat less meat over all, but my son still thinks a meal without meat is missing something.
I also keep asking in my local stores for them to carry local cheese. I can buy from one dairy at the farmer’s market in the summer, but Oregon and
Washington have dozens of artisan cheese makers and none of their products are available in my town.
I love Psalm 65 — I can remember reading it late one night and being very impressed by verse 11, then could never find it again, until a few weeks ago, and now it has come up in my reading several times since then. A search on Bible Gateway finally turned up what must have been the version I originally read, the Amplified, which says “the tracks of your chariot wheels drip fatness.”
We tend to avoid extra “fat” but in those days every drop of oil and fat was useful, and used. Many translations translate abundance. It seems to be a tricky verse to translate — many versions say “your paths drip with fatness” and the English Standard Version says “your wagon tracks drip abundance.”
But as a gardener I now also like the New Living:
“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” My hard pathways overflow with weeds, unless I mulch them heavily….so this is really an image of blessing!
Over the last few years I have begun making changes to how I choose meat or chicken to buy–I am not fully where I think I should be, but I am moving towards it. I buy whole chickens from our farmer’s market–this farmer is there on Sat. all winter, so it is available. I do miss having a bag of bones chicken breasts in the freezer to serve people, but I have gotten very creative in using every part of chicken I buy. We don’t buy much beef at all–it is not as readily available, and after not eating it at all for a couple of years, it no longer sits well in my stomach. If I do buy free range organic chicken or beef, it is now only a small ingredient in the meal, rather than the main event, which allows me to afford it as well as being better for my health in general. When what I buy reflects what ideas values I say I hold as important,then I feel I have credibility with my family and friends, and integrity in my spiritual life as well. I know I have a ways to go and areas that still need to be changed, but that also realization makes me gentler with people who have not yet started the journey I am on.
I’m not sure my faith comes to play so much in my meat choices, to be honest. I try to buy local, well cared for animal products but I can’t always afford to do that on a consistent basis. Sometimes I still hit the sale at the grocery store for chicken.
90% of my beef comes from local farmers that are very similar to your guest writer: no pesticides, steroids, etc.
ALL my eggs are from my Dad’s farm which are completely organic and steroid free.
All pork is from a local farm. Chicken and turkey is very expensive here from local farmers and I just can’t afford to go completely that way yet, but I try as much as possible.
All of our produce is home grown or purchased locally. Do I appreciate the ones who farm in a more caring and compassionate manner to god’s creations? BY ALL MEANS, yes! But my wallet unfortunately still has control (but not completely) of some purchases. I’m moving slowly towards all organic/local but its not always easy, truthfully.
.-= Krista´s last blog ..Strawberry Lime Cupcakes =-.
being in southern california makes it a little harder to get to a local farm…but we did have chickens in our own backyard for awhile. they were fairly easy and the kids loved it. we are taking a break from chickens for a little bit right now. now we primarily buy groceries from a store that carries organic, free range eggs. the meat i know is hormone free but i would have to ask where it is from… if anyone knows of a farm i can drive to for meat in the la area??
thanks Betsy for sharing about your farm!