It is no secret that Americans are not as healthy as yesteryear. Similarly, America’s environmental and socio-economic health and strength as a nation has experienced a similar decline. At Pasture’s Delights our farm business model is one that positively addresses these issues.

Animals raised outdoors where they can get sunlight, fresh air, and eat healthy grass have remarkable potential for providing a higher margin of health attributes as compared to their conventionally raised counterparts. Also, on a well run organic grass-fed farm the animals should literally be HAPPY. Compare the happiness factor of our animals with those of a confinement system and you will see the difference. When people eat well they can think better and are more energetic, allowing for a more effervescent society! Furthermore by capturing sunlight, a renewable resource, with grass and allowing a variety of different animal species to economically harvest that grass we add real value (wealth) to our community which further serves to strengthen our country.

Operating any business is fraught with challenges. What gives us the ability to overcome these challenges is our sincere belief in what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. Pasture’s Delights is the real deal offering the same to the people who work here and to our customers.

Mark is the founder of Pasture’s Delights. Raised on an east-central Indiana farm he attended Purdue University where he milked cows at night while taking classes and flight lessons during the day. He gained valuable organizational leadership experience as Purdue University Flight Team coach and valuable perspective as an airline captain union employee. For the past 15 years in his “spare” time he has been studying various farming methods as well as progressive ethical business practices. As a child he remembers the raw milk experience and the not-so-wonderful experience of drinking the milk at school. Possessing a real enthusiasm for farming, business, and the ideals of our Founding Fathers he combines these 3 passions into a dynamic vision for Pasture’s Delights.

Krista Braman – Business Administrator, Produce Garden Manager 

A satisfied herd-share owner, Krista learned that Pasture's Delights was a place where she could really do what she enjoys doing.  Having interest and skills in so many areas, she consequently wears many hats at Pasture's Delights and through her dedication is involved in almost every element of the operation. She is an Advanced Master Gardener through the Allen County Purdue Extension and spends her spare time volunteering. She also uses her love of gardening to manage the Produce Garden at Pasture's Delights. When she is not getting her hands dirty in the soil she is wiping the dirt from cows’ udders.  She also applies her office experience and knack for organization to handling a plethora of business administration responsibilities, including marketing and fielding customer inquiries and orders. 

Kelsie Preston – Pastured Poultry Assistant Manager

Kelsie, a high school student and musician, doesn’t just read books and say she is interested in Animal Science.  She is sincerely interested in animal livestock production and it shows.  At her home she raises beef, pigs, and poultry.  Now she brings her knowledge, work ethic, and passion to learn more to Pasture's Delights as she begins to take the reigns in managing the Pasture's Delights Poultry enterprise.

Jim Grieshop – Animal Caretaker

Dairying runs thick in Jim's blood.  He grew up on a dairy farm and showed cattled at numerous fairs, winning many awards.  In high school he worked for one of the most progressive dairies in the country at the time.  Post military service he applied his dairy experience by enthusiastically starting his own dairy farm.  Before organic farming was "cool" Jim already had an appreciation for soil life and wildlife, and thus had an innate desire to keep chemicals away from his land and livestock.  He made several important discoveries, some of which helped deliver the highest yields in the area during the 1988 drought and are now being used by many organic farmers.  While his son Mark has since rivaled his knowledge of organic cropping, neither he nor too many others will rival his eye for good dairy cattle. 

Andy Alig – Pastured Poultry Support Technician

Andy acts as a business adviser for Pasture's Delights and assists in the support of the pastured poultry enterprise. He contributes his valuable fabrication skills making various items for the farm operation. Andy was raised on an east-central Indiana farm and has fond memories of growing broilers as a young boy.  With a personal heightened awareness for health responsibility he is an avid supporter and marketer for the mission of growing healthy, great-tasting food.

Patrick Wellman – Dairyman

Patrick owns and operates a multi-enterprise property landscape and environment business- LandVision.  During the winter he lends his penchant for high standards and first-rate customer service to Pasture’s Delights. 

Justin Kukelhan – Dairyman

Justin grew up in a dairy family and showed cows when he was younger.  He now runs cross-country and track while taking business management courses in college.  When he is off from school we are glad to have his meticulous attention to detail when milking cows. 

Joel Seip – Dairyman

Joel, a high school student and musician, is Johnny-on-the-spot and very reliable, even in the most challenging weather elements.  Hey, the cows have to get milked rain, snow or ice and he understands that as well as anybody!

Bryce Bedwell – Dairyman

Bryce, his high-school football team’s quarterback, enjoys bringing his enthusiasm and leadership to be part of the Pasture's Delights team.  He likes working outdoors and with the cows. 

Phillip Karges – Dairyman

Phillip, a high school student and musician, having no previous agriculture exposure is doing a superb job.  He likes the responsibility that comes with his job milking cows. 

It all starts in the soil. At Pasture’s Delights we take the cliché “you are what you eat” literally, beginning with the soil atoms. Since you desire to be healthy by eating healthy food from Pasture’s Delights it is imperative that the animal also eat healthy food. We make that possible by growing nutritious grass/legume pasture on healthy, living soil.

We do NOT use soil-killing biocides (fungicides, herbicides, insecticides) all of which have direct and/or indirect harmful ramifications for people or the environment at some point. Since farming and producing food is biological in nature killing soil life does not make much sense to us. With an emphasis on soil biology we are able to manage our fields to minimize soil erosion, maximize carbon sequestering all the while producing competitive, albeit more nutritious, yields.

Managing at the atomic level of our soil is where we begin to grow the best food for you! With soil test results in hand, we fertilize only with manure and natural fertilizers. Since every single mineral that exists affects gene expression in our DNA, and hence our health, we place an emphasis on re-mineralizing our soils fully so that when you eat Pasture’s Delights you are getting a fuller compliment of minerals that will enhance your health.

Grass is the only plant capable of assimilating all the minerals in the soil therefore we want to make sure there is at least some grass in all our fields for the animals to eat. We also include legumes, such as alfalfa and clover, which are also very beneficial to the animals and produce nitrogen which allows us to sustainably and economically grow grass for the animals. Incidentally, clover a significant component of our pasture increases an animal’s cancer-fighting CLA content up to 30%. Since we are what we eat, if you want to be healthy then you need Pasture’s Delights!

We select for animal breeds that have genetic traits favorable for a productive life out in the pasture field and produce nutritionally superior food. In doing so we also look for the type of animals whose final food product is going to provide the kind of delightful eating experience our customers and herd-share owners desire.

With the animals being outside and on pasture they are generally very healthy. On the rare occasion when an animal is injured or is suffering from poor health we may treat it using only natural products, except in the case of the dairy cows where we may have to use some conventional therapies to treat a sick cow until we are fully skilled at using natural remedies. We are proactive concerning our animals’ health by minimizing stress and using natural solutions and methods to minimize impact from environmental pathogens.

All of our animals are cared for and handled properly by our people.

On our farm we will graze a variety of different animals; all providing our customers with many delights… tasty, nutritious pasture’s delights.

We are a 100% Grass-fed dairy with the idea of producing the purest, healthiest milk possible – not only following close to organic practices but also going one step further by requiring the cows to be 100% grass-fed.

At Pasture’s Delights the cows have been given access to fresh pasture with 100% pasture (forage) diets and absolutely no grains. For a proper lactating dairy cow diet we do offer supplemental molasses when the energy in our forages is lacking. (This has no negative impact on the animal or the milk.) Being on pasture ensures that the cattle are raised in a low-stress environment with plenty of fresh air and sunshine.

Many dairy producers, including “organic producers”, may offer their cattle some pasture but also supplement them with grain. It is important to understand that the health attributes of being Grass-fed decline rapidly when a cow eats grain.

NO Hormones or Steroids
Milk comes from animals that have been raised on our farm without the use of hormones, steroids, growth stimulants or animal by-products.