Shadow and DK arrived at the farm in the fall of 2025. Shadow was the quiet one — calm, watchful, the kind of presence that made the back pasture feel like it had a wise neighbor. DK (short for Donkey Kong, because he was, frankly, enormous) was the absolute opposite. Loud. Curious. Genuinely convinced every gate was a suggestion. We loved them both.
When we bought this place we promised ourselves we’d be honest about what kind of farm we were going to be. We didn’t want to pretend we were a sanctuary, and we didn’t want to pretend we were a feedlot. We wanted to be the kind of small farm where animals have good lives, are known by name, and — when the time comes — are respected on the way out the door.
A good life. A good day. One bad moment.— a saying we keep coming back to
Why Martzolf Meats.
We worked with Martzolf Meats, a small, family-run processor we’d been told about by another local farmer. We did not pick them on price. We picked them because everything we saw — when we visited, when we asked the kind of uncomfortable questions you’re supposed to ask — pointed to careful, calm, low-stress handling.
The cows didn’t spend hours in a strange place. They didn’t get panicked or pushed. The team there treats the animals with the kind of quiet respect you’d hope for, and the kind you can’t always assume. We’re grateful for them.
What it felt like.
Hard. It felt hard. We are not going to dress that up. We have cried in the truck, in the kitchen, and once, embarrassingly, at a gas station an hour from home. We have also felt — and this is the part we didn’t expect — a kind of clean peace about it. We did what we said we’d do. Shadow and DK had a real life on real grass. We did not look away from the ending.
We’re sharing this because the farm story we want to tell isn’t only the funny one. The goats are funny. Bowser is funny. The ducks are genuinely funny. But there is also this. And we think you, the people who follow this farm, deserve to hear that part too.
What we’re bringing forward.
A few things we’ve learned that we want to carry with us:
Choose your people. The processor you work with matters as much as the breed you raise. Visit them. Ask the uncomfortable questions. If they get defensive, that’s your answer.
Name them anyway. A lot of farmers told us not to name the cows. We named the cows. We think that’s how it should be. It cost us something at the end and it was worth it.
Tell the truth on the website. We’d rather you know who we are now than feel misled later.
✎ Thank you, Shadow. Thank you, DK. We’ll do right by the next ones too.