I (Rory) grew up on a small, diverse livestock farm. I enjoyed milking the goats or feeding the cows and pigs, stopping to scratch their heads or rub their backs while they ate contentedly. I knew the food our family produced tasted better than what came from the store though I didn’t consider that it could be better for me until my dad showed me an article that explained that the butterfat and protein found in goat milk makes it easier to digest than cow milk. Later, while studying agriculture at Dordt College, I worked on a grass-based dairy farm and learned about the health and environmental benefits of raising livestock on well-managed pastures. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Agriculture, I returned home and began raising grass-fed beef and pastured poultry on my parents’ farm. The connection between diet and health became clearly visible when I met a neighbor, a mother of three whose severe arthritis made it difficult for her to walk while in her mid-thirties. She changed to an all-organic diet, and eventually, she and her husband bought some goats so they could have their own milk. Within months, her gait became smoother, and she looked stronger and more energetic.

 

I continued farming with my parents for a few years, and also became a volunteer firefighter and EMT. When life seemed to take away my opportunity to farm, I moved to Ankeny to pursue a career as a firefighter and paramedic and as a result met my wife, Lynette.

 

Lynette grew up in a farming community, where her dad was an implement dealer, selling tractors and other farm equipment. Lynette suffered from frequent illnesses, including ear infections, asthma attacks, and environmental allergies. She was prescribed many different medications, and over the years, began to experience various side effects. As an adult, Lynette became interested in essential oils and other natural remedies to find relief from her health problems.

 

After we were married in 2008, Lynette began reading about prenatal nutrition as we planned to start a family. Lynette soon connected with the Des Moines chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation and began to learn about the intimate relationship between food and health. Lynette’s involvement with WAPF led me to an internship with Cory Family Farm, where I gained more valuable experience raising grass-fed lamb and beef. I noticed that most of the Cory’s customers were leaner and more energetic than those whom I treated for heart attacks and diabetes in the ambulance, who frequently ate a steady diet of processed foods.

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Lynette and I have since had two daughters and purchased a farm of our own, where we raise grass-fed beef and lamb, and pastured pork and chicken. Our health has steadily improved as we have pursued a diet of nutrient-dense foods and quality supplements. We have found our passion: making soil, animals, and people healthy!