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filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Welcome to our farm! We are Christy, Benton, Nora and Naomi. We are first-generation farmers operating a regenerative-type farm in northwestern Nebraska. Our farm has its original roots in Colorado, but in 2021, in an opportunity to scale up, we acquired an old farmstead through an auction - now we are slowly bringing it back to life.
On the cropping side we focus on crops that do well in the semi-arid high plains, including millet, wheat, barley, oats, and peas. We currently offer fresh-milled winter wheat and triticale flour. We are looking to include, heirloom/landrace grains, and perennial grain (Kernza®) - and much more; the sky is the limit. Keep a lookout for new products to pop up on our website as we grow.
As part of our regenerative practices, we heavily integrate livestock into our cropping system. We have fallen in love with the Navajo Churro sheep breed because of their beautiful wool, cultural history, hardiness, and independence. They are a heritage breed and part of the Livestock Conservancy and Shave 'Em to Save 'Em program. We shear our own sheep and love to see the beautiful regenerative cycle of wool. We are members of The Mountains and Plains Fibershed which helps to utilize our local resources.
We have a small herd of Highland cattle and keep a few goats to help manage weeds. Our current product lineup includes wool and wool artistry, lamb, beef, and various crops sold on the commodity market. This year we added into our operation a large laying flock for pasture-raised eggs.
The name of our farm embodies our mission to be Guided by the Light and build our farm on a solid foundation (Rock).
We desire, in the most humble way, to produce healthy food and a healthy environment for the community of which we are now a part. Hopefully this will prove to be fruitful to the generations to come after us. Thank you for your support, and thank you for following Guided Rock Farms' journey to make this little piece of land a better place to the life that surrounds it.
We follow regenerative agriculture practices and have the utmost respect for our land and animals. We desire to leave the land we farm in better condition than when we began our term of stewardship. Regenerative practices that are central to our operation include, little to no tillage, no synthetic fertility, use of cover crops for nutrient cycling and weed control, integration of livestock into cropping systems, planned grazing, and animal and plant diversity. As we are in the beginning phases, and working other jobs to make ends meet, we do not meet all of our own management objectives. We are a work in progress, but we are growing and learning everyday.
Instead of a romantic story of generations farming the same piece of land, we are a story of a seemingly impossible, very challenging start from scratch, of which we are very proud. Benton and I are both a generation removed from farming; we did have exposure to agriculture through our grandparents, and Benton worked on a few farms between geology jobs, and so are not completely clueless in our endeavor. We are, a first generation farm that took a big leap of faith to move to Nebraska to start our small operation. Thank you for supporting our journey with humble beginnings.
We know that food grown in healthy soil is healthy food. We also know that the way we farm affects neighbors who live downstream (in our case, down hydraulic gradient), and downwind of us. We stive to love our neighbors by promoting health, both actively (food and fiber) and passively (environmental stewardship).
For Benton the shift to agriculture started shortly after graduating from college and was a culmination of a few things. Benton’s first job out of college was as an exploration geologist. Although it was probably the most exciting, mentally stimulating job he could imagine, flying a helicopter to different locations to map, and collected rock and sediment at the toes of receding glaciers in the remote Alaskan wilderness, it also opened his eyes to how resource intensive we, as a civilization are, and to the great lengths we go to extract earth’s resources to support our economic model…and our consumptive way of life.
Then, to add a twist to that revelation, Benton read The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Not only did this book help Benton make the connection between resource extraction and hi-input agriculture, it showed him that there was an alternative, healing version of food production. The Omnivore’s Dilemma was also a gateway to other literature, first Joel Salatin, then Wendell Berry, Allan Savory, Gabe Brown, and so on.
In winter and spring, 2012 Benton worked on his uncle’s farm in Gordon, NE between geology jobs. This experience was also eye-opening. Mostly, the work was fulfilling – growing food for others to eat; what could be more important – but also, it was mentally challenging, solving new problems every day, and it was generally fun. Sure, all of that positive was combined with it being hard, exhausting at times, and frustrating (equipment breakdowns, cows through fences, etc.). This experience allowed Benton to see how a conventional, no-till operation is managed but it also gave him opportunities to question how it could be done differently.
The additive result of these experiences caused a conviction to grow in Benton, where he felt, based on what he understood about environmental processes from his degree, and experiences in agricultural production, that perhaps farming in an environmentally healing way is the best thing he could do to love his neighbor as himself. He kept the conviction to himself – He had, after all, a valuable degree, and he was a geologist, not a farmer, and a subtle cultural pressure to use his degree stifled any agricultural interests.
It was not until late summer, 2012, when walking down the slopes of Mount Huron with his oldest brother Bret, when Bret, looking down at the Wet Mountain Valley below us remarked, “wouldn’t it be great to ranch in a place like this.” That created an opportunity for Benton to finally verbalize his conviction to farm…and so the seed was planted.
Life has a way of taking us down circuitous paths. Christy and Benton’s paths have been no exception. Christy and Benton both have a history in endurance sports and mountain adventures. In fact, sparks first flew between the two when running rim to rim to rim across the Grand Canyon. Benton was a triathlete, mountain biker, and general adventurer. Christy was an avid trail runner, competing in many ultra-marathons, and even an Ironman triathlon. Now they are applying their endurance grit to farming.
Their time outdoors allowed them to connect intimately with nature. Their love for nature was another inspiring factor – it inspired them to take on a new adventure, the biggest adventure of their lives…starting a farm.
For Christy, this has also offered her a way to express herself creatively through fiberarts and photography. Her most special talent is her connection with the animals as she demonstrates daily on the farm Instagram feed. It is clear that all of the animals on the farm share a special bond with Christy which has provided many moments of awe.
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