Looking Back
2025 was a year of firsts and a year of learning curves for our farm. We had our first set of pure Meishan litters, our first time licensing and processing pork to sell for individual cuts, our first time formalizing our business and pursuing financial training, marketing help, and business planning. It’s been a whirlwind, and we’re going into 2026 with lots of excitement and hope of what we can achieve next.
One of our first two inaugural Meishan litters — from our favorite sow Mab.
We also had the opportunity to participate and learn in several farm support programs, starting with FarmConnect’s Certified Farm Startup in early 2025, which then opened a whole world of resources available to us. Over the summer, we joined the Universities of Wisconsin’s Food Finance Institute cohort for farm finanical readiness, joined the Transition to Organic Partnership Program as mentees, and also through the TOPP program, accessed amazing marketing support from the teams at Abundant Montana and Taste the Local Difference. The support from all of these organizations have been truly instrumental in getting our business off the ground. We’re grateful that 2025 brought us into contact with so many smart, kind, and helpful people working towards a better food system.
A few of our young growers enjoying life on pasture!
Meishan afternoon cuddle-puddle.
On the farm side, 2025 brought a lot of trial and error as we figured out the best management practices for our growing herd. With major help from family and friends, we competed two large infrastructure projects, a large fencing project and building shelters. This greatly expanded the pasture base we have available for our different family and age groups of pigs.
After a year of research, 2025 is also the year we were able to source bulk custom feed for our pigs, ensuring the grain they eat is corn, soy, and canola-free. We also made the leap into fermenting whole grains, which provides an array of health benefits for our pigs compared to feeding dry grain only. We have many more ideas we are hoping to implement in 2026 to continue to be more sustainable for our pigs, our land, and ourselves.
And the most exciting part of the year — after three years of working towards this goal, we were able to share our Meishan pork with local customers, both direct and through YVFH! It has been a true joy to meet people who care about local food and local communities as much as we do. A ongoing goal for us is to continue to refine our finishing, packaging, and offerings to bring the best pork we can to our amazing customers. We’re looking forward to a bright 2026!
