For 154 years the Parker’s have been caretakers on what they often called “Windy Ridge”. GG Aunt Rebecca (Parker) and Carlysle Blakely farmed here beginning in 1870 or before. Rebecca’s nephew, Great Grandpa Franklin & Grandma Dice Parker bought the farm from Rebecca and Carlysle.
In 1930, Franklin and Dice’s son Grandpa Alva and and wife Grandma Gertrude (Hatfield) Parker took over, raised 5 children here, and built the first dairy cow barn in 1951. They also had a flock of sheep that outnumbered the dairy herd for many years. Grandpa had a side job excavating and built many flood control dams in the Kickapoo Watershed. In March 1968, he was tragically killed while loading the excavator onto a trailer in the front yard.
In August of 1968, Alva’s oldest son Murl, Dad, left a career as an Electrical Engineer with Lockheed-Martin (airplanes) to carry on the family farm. The youngest of 4 siblings raised here, I was Dad’s shadow from the time I could walk. We farmed side by side for 25+ years. Dad passed away in November 2020.
Our 4 children are the 6th generation here. Now we have grandchildren, the 7th. Our sons both farm with us, one as needed, while operating a construction business, and one full time. Our youngest daughter helps milk cows and care for calves. Our oldest daughter works at a Law Firm in the “city” so we get to enjoy a taste of that life with her.
In 2004, we purchased the “home” 365 acre farm from parents Murl and Alice. That year we started transitioning to certified organic.
As the years have passed we’ve added acres of neighboring crop and woodland, and become certified organic in 2007.
In early 2015, we made the decision to grow our organic dairy operation and traded some of our beef herd for more milk cows. The 1950’s barn had been good to us, but it was time to modernize and grow organics. By October 2015, the new parlor and free-stall were up and running. Phew!
In April 2016, we installed solar panels. This renewable energy offsets about 60% of our farm electricity costs.
In recent years, we’ve welcomed more sheep and goats to the farm. We raise them for fiber, meat, and breeding stock. They are sweet, friendly companions, and happily graze our smaller farmstead pastures.
We continue to raise a few heritage breed Berkshire pigs for our freezer, and for family, neighbors & friends and our farm-store.
Today the Farmstead totals just under 600 acres (275 tillable/crops and the balance pasture and woodland). We practice many conservation practices and carbon offsets- such as rotational grazing, tree plantings, water recycling, woodland management, contour strips, flood prevention, manure and nutrient management, soil building, and pollinator habitat.
We look at the farm as an interconnected family of plants and animals doing what is natural, living in harmony.
Circa 1930
Once our Great Aunt and Uncle’s farmstead.
All photos on this page copyrighted/taken by Rachel Parker.
Parker Farmstead, a Family Farm since 1870 