There are many reasons to buy from local, family-run farms. You may find that some products SEEM to cost more when purchased from a farm such as ours, but if you take the time to consider what you are getting for your money, you'll find that it's a much better deal in the long run!

Here in central Indiana, a major part of our economy is agriculture. Indiana is one of the largest producers of corn and soybeans in the US, and we export a tremendous amount of both grains as part of the US national product. While our farm does not produce either corn or soybeans, we do work closely with several that do. As commercial fertilizer prices continue to sky-rocket, many grain farmers are looking to animal manure as a natural means of returning nutrients to the soil.

The summer drought of '07 was a prime example of how OUR farm can and does contribute directly to the global economy. We use only animal manure, aged several years, to fertilize the fields that we cut for hay. We try to estimate how much hay we will need, then double that amount to store in our barn. The hay that is left over we sell to several area farmers for their beef cattle. A couple of these farmers in turn take some of their cattle to a packing house that produces beef to be exported internationally. Due to the drought, hay is currently in very short supply, and we sold all that we had very quickly. We really are not very far down on the global food chain!

We purchase our own custom mixed feeds from the local feed mill, who in turn purchase much of the corn and soybeans grown in our area by our local farmers. We grow and process our own hay, using equipment purchased in a neighboring county. Most of our supplies are purchased from our local farm store, our signs painted by a local painter, our goods sold to local consumers. When you purchase from us, your money stays active in a local community... right here in central Indiana.

We take great pride in the products that we produce. We work hard to bring you the very best, and because of that, we don't feel the need to "enhance" or water down our products. Take a look at the labels on meat at the local grocery store. You'll see small print such as "12% added solution" or "Up to 8% solution added to enhance flavor". Why do they need to add solutions? To make their product taste better? Or they are simply adding weight so they can charge you more for less of the product you want? Don't argue with them; accept their judgement that their meat isn't worth having! Nothing is added to our meats aside from what is needed to cure hams, bacon, etc. All of our fresh cuts are just that... FRESH! Nothing is added, nothing taken away.

We hear a lot about security these days, and how our government is trying to keep us safe. "Big Brother" is currently trying to shove a National Animal Identification System (NAIS) down the throats of small, local producers, claiming that "consumers want to know where their food is coming from". Right! We can't trust the government to track sexual predators or it's own finances. They've searched for years without success to find several high-profile international terrorists, but think they can find a specific goat, rabbit, or cow within 48 hours? This producer isn't buying it, but I DO understand that the "consumer" may want to know where their food is coming from. No problem. Come visit! You can't do that on a "factory farm", but you are more than welcome to visit most family-run farms! We can show you where our animals where born, the farms their feed came from, the fields where we cut the hay they eat, the pasture where they played, the truck we use to take them to the butcher, and even introduce you to the man that does the meat cutting and wrapping in a small, local FAMILY-OWNED and federally inspected processing shop. If you are particularly interested in how YOUR meat is produced (and can handle such things!) we will introduce you to the animal and allow you to ride with us as they are taken to the processor. Lets see the Department of Agriculture top THAT for "full disclosure"!

Many family farms are multigenerational operations. Grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren work side by side to keep the farm running smoothly and profitably. As do many other farms, we at Hard Way subscribe to the Native American belief that "we do not inheret this land from our fathers, but rather we borrow it from our children". We don't consider ourselves to be "going green", we just think we are using our land with the best stewardship practises available. We will dine next year on the products we use this year. Our children and great grandchildren will need to use this land when we are gone, and what we have left on it and in it will directly affect them and their way of life. It is imperative that we use management practises that sustain the integrity of ourselves, the soil, and the animals that we raise. We decided long ago that we would do things the right way, even if it meant doing them the hard way.

Your local family-run farms are in touch with both the products they sell, and the customers that purchase them. You won't be put on hold to "wait for the next available operator" if you call us with a question or comment. If there is a problem with something you purchase, or if you just want to find a new recipe for that product, the family farmer has the answer that you need. We take pride and invest in the lives and well-being of our animals, the happiness of our neighbors, the politics and economies of our communities, and the world.

At Hard Way Farms, your local family run farm, we could produce more meat on less feed, use less pasture and hay, get more eggs with more hens crammed into less space, and subsequently charge less for our products while we made more profit on them, but think about it for a few minutes... would you REALLY want us to?

My great-grandfather, Schuyler Rose, butchering hogs

Why family farms?