The Farm
About MI Family Farm
We raise cattle, pigs, goats, chickens, turkeys—and kids—on 540 acres in Hartland, Michigan. In addition to raising happy kids, our goals include being good stewards of the land and animals, and providing healthy food for our community. We practice regenerative farming, grazing our cattle on rich pasture, building healthy soils throughout our farm.
We got started raising animals for our own family because we wanted to know where our food was coming from. It was important to us how it was raised, how it was cared for, what it was fed, and that food would be available when we needed it. We learned a bunch about our animals and how raising them the right way is better for you, the animal, and actually benefits the local environment, we wanted to raise food for more than ourselves and share our knowledge and the benefits of good food with others in the community.
Thanks for checking us out and supporting your local farmers. We hope you enjoy your food as much as we enjoyed raising it!
From MI Family to yours,
Troy and Melissa Biddix
Pasture-raised for the happiest, healthiest life
We pasture-raise because we want to allow the animals to experience life as God intended—giving them the happiest life. We believe raising animals this way not only gives them a better life, but makes them a healthier source of food for us and our community. Our eggs and the meat from the cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys is healthier because they are less stressed and are getting the benefits of a pasture-based diet. This regenerative way of farming isn’t just better for our animals, it can actually increase the fertility of the soil and bring positive change to the surrounding environment. Raising our animals in our pastures can help regenerate worn out, unproductive soil and bring it back to life.
On our farm, we are developing silvopasture, allowing us to graze animals in forested areas. Trees provide shelter, shade, and forage to the animals. Silvopasture is an old method of land management that is not often used but can be beneficial to the land and the animals.
Our Products
Beef
We raise Angus and Angus-cross cattle on pasture, which means our cows are raised and finished on grass and forage. Grass-fed beef is more nutrient dense and cattle raised in pastures live a more natural life than those raised in feedlots and that’s important to us. Wholes, halves, and quarters will be available by reservation in the fall.
Heritage Pork
We raise Berkshire on pasture, finishing them in an oak tree grove where they can feast on acorns that drop in the fall. Berkshires are excellent grazers and enjoy grasses and legumes. Berkshires produce a well marbled meat that is consistently sweet, tender, juicy and delicious. We sell by the whole or half which are available in the fall or offer feeder to stock in the spring to raise on your own.
New to the farm in 2021, the Gloucestershire Old Spots is a historic pig breed known for its distinctive white coat with black spots and big, floppy ears. Recognized as the oldest pedigree spotted pig in the world, the GOS was once popular with small family farms, where they were raised on dairy byproducts (such as whey) and orchard “drop fruit,” giving these pigs the nicknames “cottage pig” and “orchard pig.” Old Spot pigs are excellent foragers and grazers. Old Spots are in danger of extinction and are on The Livestock Conversancy’s breed watch list as threatened. We are excited to join the farmers across America raising these animals, protecting and bringing awareness to the breed.
Pastured Poultry
We raise Cornish Cross chickens for our meat birds. They are moved to fresh pasture every day in order to get plenty of greens, bugs and sunshine, in addition to their non-GMO feed. These young broilers are full of flavor and nutrition. We raise the chickens seasonally and are available beginning in the summer. We also pasture raise turkeys and we raise them in time for Thanksgiving dinner!
Free-Range Eggs
Our hens spend their days free ranging in green alfalfa pastures and scratching through the leaf litter of an oak grove, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, eating as many planes and fresh little bugs as they like. Free of GMOs, antibiotics, and other drugs, our hens are happy and we believe happy hens lay healthier, more nutritious, and definitely tastier eggs. We think you’ll agree!