Growing Connections Through Food
Our Story
It started in 2018 as Roosterhaven, a small farm cultivating a wide array of vegetables and pastured poultry for farmers’ markets and private customers.
We quickly added pastured pork to the mix and started selling to small local restaurants. With a combined 25 years of working in commercial kitchens, our focus is on raising ingredients that people are excited to cook with.
But we want our farm to be more than just producing ingredients. We want it to be a gathering space, a place to share the abundance with our community. That’s why we are introducing on-farm workshops, providing a space for individuals to immerse themselves in the art and science of growing, gathering, and working with local ingredients.
So come and join us at Stubborn Oak Farmstead. Let's celebrate good food, beautiful landscapes, and the joy of connecting with nature. We can’t wait to share our adventures with you!
Our Values
Humanely Pastured Meats
We do not raise livestock because we think people should eat more meat. We believe that meat should be consumed sparingly, and- when consumed- come from an animal that lived their best life.
Industrial agriculture has devastating effects on soil and water health, produces vast carbon and methane emissions, harms human workers, and raises animals in horrific living conditions. It perpetuates crop monocultures that rely on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and erases habitat for native plants and animals.
We raise our livestock on pastures, intentionally crafting habitat that minimizes stress and allows each animal to fully express themselves. Their diet, rich in forage, leads to meat that is higher in polyunsaturated fats, omega-3s, and vitamins D and E [1].
When we do eat meat, it is an accompaniment to our largely plant-based diet. We take the time to honor the animals that we consume.
We pledge to only sell meat from our own humanely-raised pastured livestock.
Our Name
Stubborn Oak Farmstead reflects our connection to place, our personality, and our collective nature.
We acknowledge the wisdom of the land and those that stewarded it before us. The mighty bur oak is a keystone species of the oak savanna ecosystem. As we adapted our farming and land management practices, we began to see oak seedlings emerge around the farm. These living symbols of hope encourage our efforts to blend agriculture with a thriving native ecosystem.
We embrace ourselves, in all our authentic messiness. We wouldn't be here if not for our tenacity, our stubbornness, and at times our ability to accomplish the impossible only because we failed to grasp its enormity when we set out. We will continue to work towards our goals and remain true to our values, no matter how difficult the journey may be.
We have explored several production models and realized that we will never be an industrial farm. Our lives are interwoven with this land and the process of growing, harvesting, and preserving food. Some of our own ancestors lived and worked on small farmsteads, their lives indistinguishable from their work. We take inspiration from this and continue to grow our own small farmstead to be diverse and self-sufficient.
Our People
Sal
she/they
From planning to marketing, working in the fields to delivering orders, Sal handles much of the farm work. She has an educational background in Biology and is always looking to get involved in new research projects. She sidelines as a freelance writer and hopes to be a published sci-fi author some day.
Joe
he/they
With a background in food service management and formally trained in classical french cookery, Joe brings a deep knowledge of what to do with ingredients after they are harvested. He shares in the farm labor and heads up our construction projects. In his spare time he enjoys woodworking and other hands-on projects.
Sue
she/her
Sue brings over 40 years of experience backyard gardening. Now that she’s surrounded by so many vegetables, she can focus on her passion for planting and improving native habitats around the farm. In the winter you can find her putting together quilts, totes, and working with other fiber crafts.
Your Support
Your support allows us to contribute to organizations building positive change in the food system, as well as reinvest in our local foodshed by purchasing as much as possible from our farm neighbors. Consider giving them your support too!
Memberships
National Young Farmers Coalition
Seed Saver’s Exchange
Whole Earth Co-op
Wisconsin Farm Bureau
Wisconsin Farmers Union
Farm Neighbors
Blackbrook Farm
Cosmic Wheel Creamery
Cylon Rolling Acres
EB Ranch Farmstead
Fresh Starts Farm
LTD Farm
Northwood Mushrooms
Red Clover Herbal Apothecary
The Beez Kneez
Whetstone Farm