It's not an uncommon situation. We get older and start to have health issues, causing us to reexamine our lifestyle, do some research and make some adjustments. For most of us, that means changing our diets, trying to get a little more exercise, hopefully getting a little more sleep. Ike was in the same situation, but he went all in. He quit his job, got his brother and sister to do the same, moved back to his childhood home, and started a regenerative farm.
Ike had grown up in Van Etten, NY, on land first bought by his grandparents in 1928. They and subsequent generations tried different farming formulations to make a living, including dairy, poultry, crops and even firewood. But it got harder and harder, and his folks decided to stop farming in the mid-eighties. Ike, like many children who grew up on farms, wanted a different life. He left to get a degree in electrical engineering, got married and had kids. He went to work for a big telecommunications firm, got posted around the world from Singapore to Saudi Arabia, and eventually got divorced.
At one point he was in Kansas City and just for fun went to an agricultural conference. Not wanting to pay the extra five bucks to go into one of the special sessions, he stood outside and listened to a talk about what is now termed regenerative farming. In it, animals are raised using a symbiotic cycle of feeding, moving from pasture to pasture as opposed to being centrally fed. And that got him thinking.
Meanwhile, the life he was living was taking a toll. "I was having health and nutrition problems. I was overweight and had high blood pressure. I decided I needed to change my diet. I eliminated all gluten and dairy and started becoming highly aware of how what you eat profoundly affects your health and well-being." He shared his revelations with his brother Dave, a heating and air conditioning technician who was also having issues, including being a type 1 diabetic. Both moved toward Paleo and Keto lifestyles, eating more grass fed and pasture raised meat, eggs, and more vegetables, while eliminating carbs, seed oils, sugar, and other processed foods. It had an effect: both saw dramatic improvements in their health. At the same time they started to grapple with how to care for their aging parents, and the 200 acres that they would inherit. And an idea started to develop.
They attended conferences and lectures, and read dozens of books and articles. They invested in infrastructure like movable electric fencing for cattle, and eggmobiles to house chickens. Ike said, "My whole idea was to make an enterprise where we can actually pay ourselves a living wage, unlike most farmers who are just happy to be able to turn the tractor on and pay their basic bills, not necessarily making income." They put together a business plan, gave up their jobs and moved back home. And Red House Ranch was born.
That was 10 years ago. The business has developed and grown to offer 100% pastured raised grass finished beef, lamb, eggs and pasture raised pork via their website to buyers in the Northeast. On their land they raise cattle and pigs using natural methods. The cattle graze on fresh pasture daily, a practice known as mob grazing. They are given access to supplemental minerals, including salt and seaweed to help them balance their diet and to assure optimum nutrient density. The pigs are raised using the silvopasture method, a practice that integrates trees, forage, and livestock grazing on the same land. For poultry and lamb they partner with other local farmers who raise their animals the same way. The result is that they can offer a complete menu of farm raised meats in a sustainable and humane manner.
They've also added other offerings based on their interests. Dave raises garlic and packages it as flakes and powder, and they work with a local neighbor to tap their maple tree to make syrup. In keeping with their approach to waste nothing, they offer pet treats, including smoked pork nose and tail. And Ike has developed a charcuterie product line, so it's only a matter of time before those products make an appearance on the website (Spoiler alert: we tried some on a visit and they're great.)
Dave and Ike's sister Chris helps with the marketing and online presence, while their mom helps pack eggs, and like all farm moms, patches their pants. As to the name, the house on the property was red when they were kids, and it's still red, so Red House Ranch was the obvious choice. The not so obvious choice: updating a century old farm to a modern regenerative operation. Says Ike "We've dedicated our lives to this type of farming because we're passionate about sustainability, and we want to help others improve their health, too."
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You can find the farm online at https://redhouseranch.net/. Marc's column can be found weekly via email and online on Substack and Blogspot as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and X.
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