Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Keleman.
Hi Mike, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In the fall of 2019 My wife Melissa and I were looking to sell our home. At the time we both worked part time on an apple orchard. Agriculture was very fresh on our minds. We were looking to move and start our own little farm.
Around that time Melissa saw a post on facebook announcing an opportunity for a lease transfer of a farm in the Cuyahoga valley National Park. This was a farm that was part of the countryside initiative. The program was set in place to preserve heritage farms in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The Facebook post asked for serious inquiries. Since the possibility of an already established farm was possible, we went for it. We had an interview with the current tenants, and it lasted for four hours. With a history of working on an apple orchard, we figured that we could handle this farm. The already established Goat Feathers Point farm already had a heard of Tennessee fainting goats, hay pastures and Turkeys.
With no formal education with livestock other than a few backyard chickens, we felt it would be an adventure.
An adventure it was. We assumed the remainder of the Goat Feathers lease as of July 1st 2020.
With the first-year learning how to farm livestock and maintain 48 acres of pastureland grasses and what seemed like miles of fence lines that need constant attention. Once we hit our groove with what was needed, we decided to expand our responsibilities and increase production in all areas. We added to the turkey flock as well as introduced pigs for pork and Cows for beef. We maintain a market garden as well as hay pastures. They hay is made for our animals.
In time we were able to add a farmstand that is open year-round.
Melissa makes the majority of the goods sold in the stand. We have available jams, handmade crafts, and bakery. We also sell eggs, seasonal produce and honey.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To say farming is a smooth road is probably something no farmer would ever say. It’s just part of the job. There are so many moving parts on a working farm that it is inevitable something won’t go the way you want. Saying that, Farming has taught me how to be optimistic. “There is always next season”. It may be a good weather year for hay, but it’ll be a bad for tomatoes. It will be a dry spring but wet summer.
I have learned early to have a positive outlook. It can always be worse, I can have a desk job.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Having a choice to describe our work here. I choose Artist/Creative.
First and foremost, we are farmers. That is the job. In our location we are limited at times. When we are limited we usually have to come up with a creative solution.
An example is the way we maintain our pastures. We have eleven different pasture that are all separate from each other. Our pastures are along Akron Peninsula rd as well as Riverview road. Our expanse is around two miles. we graze in each one of our fields. our herd of goats alone can not graze the grass fast enough to maintain optimal grass growth lengths. So what we did was introduce cattle along the same grazing pattern as the goats. the cattle eat the grass and the goats maintain the weeds. by grazing goats with cattle we have reduced the amount of invasive weeds that were growing in our pastures. We also do not have water lines in these fields. We had to be creative with how we administer water. We made mobile water towers that move with the herds from field to field.
Another creative thing we do is not to use chemicals or herbicides in our production. The weed control is either don by goats or by hand.
Artistically Melissa dominates that with our presentation of social media as well as our farm market. I believe she captured the esthetic of what customers may expect when visiting a small farm market.
Creatively we engage with the public as much as we can. We pride ourselves on public relations. The moto ‘know your farmer” We do our best to have relationships with our customers as well as the surrounding community.
We are also proud that we have seen a difference in our grass land. Using intensive grazing and mowing we see that more of the beneficial natural grasses are starting to prevail over the invasive, all without the use of a chemical.
What matters most to you? Why?
A healthy environment to raise our children.
Pricing:
- eggs $6
- Fesh organic Sourdough $10
- jams $4
- honey $11
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kelemanpointfarm.com
- Facebook: Keleman Point Farm
