Welcome to Blooming Joy Farm!
Good, healthy food has always been important to me. Growing up in a holistically minded family I understood the value of incorporating fresh, nutritionally dense food into our everyday diet. Healthy sources of proteins and fresh vegetables and fruit have been my focus.
My husband, Gene and I started our farm in 2000 from a bare piece of land in NW Montana. We had dreams of what we wanted our farm to be. Looking back over the years our goals and vision have changed some but the core values have stayed the same, raising healthful food for our family and community. Raising our children in an environment where they could see and experience the joys, sorrows, rewards of hard work and wide open spaces to play and explore have been important to Gene and I. Oh the lessons an animal can teach!
Gene came from a rural community in Oregon. His family raised a small herd of beef cattle when he was a young child. Gene’s real learning about farming and animal husbandry started once we moved to Montana. His background is in mechanical engineering so he is the brains behind all of the systems that we have in place here.
I grew up on a small farm in the Pacific Northwest. We raised cows, horses, chickens and rabbits. 4-H was a very big part of my life. Veterinary science, trail riding and developing a rabbit breeding program were some of the projects I enjoyed.
We have enjoyed the process of choosing breeds of livestock to raise based on heartiness, temperament and quality of meat. The Icelandic sheep have been a sweet addition to our farm. Their versatility, heartiness and spunk have been very enriching. They have a curious, friendly disposition that helps keep us excellent fence builders! Icelandics are a triple purpose sheep. They provide rich milk, beautiful wool and world class meat. We are offering high quality meat, wool pelts and raw wool for sale.
The “Montana Special” Duroc based pigs are a great source of entertainment, and the best bacon providers. We rotate our pigs through the pastures so that they have ample sunshine, vegetation, and room to roam. Fresh, raw milk is a daily treat they eargerly anticipate. Our customers rave about the quality of our pork.
I have had a milk cow for many years but in the most recent years have obtained a Heritage Jersey cow “Olive”. I have read about this specific breed for years and have always had an inclination of someday having a Heritage Jersey. Olive has been a great addition to our farm and is providing rich A2 A2 milk for us to enjoy making into all things “delicious”. The pigs and chickens appreciate the leftovers!
One thing that I have learned is that farming provides me with an opportunity to learn something new each and every day! Thus, the motto “Come Growth with Us”. The rhythm of milking and feeding/tending to animals in the early morning and evening ensure a predictability to the day. Experiencing the miracle of new life and the sobering effects of a life lost has helped me appreciate the gift of each new day.
Sharing our farm with our children, grandchildren, family and friends is so rewarding. Farming is a labor of love and hard work with great rewards of knowing that you are providing an environment of healthful growth for both animals and humans alike
