Nov 22

Nov 22 Cornerstone Farm offers variety of meats, syrup and more

Welcome to Cornerstone Farm

Cornerstone Farm offers a cornucopia of fresh from the farm goodness from goat cheeses to beef, from pork to elderberry syrup, to name a few.

The farm, located near Henning, MN, is home to Stephen and Brittany Springer. They started their consumer model, but they were farming before then.

“Stephen grew up farming, but I did not,” Brittany said. “Everything was a learning curve for me. WE got married in april of 2012 and were farming even before then. …We didn’t just decide to farm, it was a way of life that we wanted.”

Moving to a consumer model

They changed the marketing of their farm to a consumer model in 2014 when people started asking them where they could get the healthy food the Springers were eating. The business developed from the demand the twas already there, she said.

Jams, elderberry syrup and jams were among the items sold at the Battle Lake Farmers Market by Cornerstone Farm

Stephen was already raising beef cattle so it provided a good base for what they wanted to offer consumers. Then customers began asking for healthy pork alternatives to they added pork. It got the ball rolling and more items have been added since.

It started with beef

“Our beef is strictly grass-fed and finished,” Brittany said. “They just graze on pasture all summer and are fed organically raised haying the winter. WE maintain a healthy number of cattle to our pasture which is more than big enough so, with our current numbers, rotation isn’t an issue. We raise all our own cattle from birth. The father is Normande and the most are mixed breeds including British Whites, Angus, and Hereford. The babies, are half Normande and half mixed breed keeping the beef to their quality standards

Hogs are also raised on pasture and supplemented with soy-free organic grain that the Springers grow and mix themselves. The breed of pigs they raise depends on what is available for them to buy as piglets, Brittany said. They don’t farrow (have piglets born on the farm).

They also have goats which are raised for commercial dairy production. All the milk is shipped to a creamery in Rockville, MN. There is no organic market in Minnesota for goats milk so, unfortunately, she adds, the goats are raised conventionally.

The chickens, both the broilers or meat birds and egg layers are raised with free ranging walking around they’d lives. They graze on grass, worms and bugs and receive some soy-free organic grains

While the winter months have slower sales, they do make monthly deliveries to metro area dropsites.

Customers can order meat and other products through their online shop at their website cornerstonefarmmn.com.

The meat is processed at one of two local meat facilities including Miltona Meats and Perham Locker Plant.

Specific cuts or whole, half or quarters can be ordered.

There are other special meat offerings like cheddar beef sticks, wild rice brats and more.

Besides the meat cuts, there are other offerings at the site including colloidal silver, eggs, elderberry syrup and organic garlic.

Brittany has been the manager of the Battle Lake Farmers Market where she also has the farm’s stand among other vendors. From the stand she sells vegetables, meats, breads and more.

Although COVID has caused life to shift, the Springers remain busy and active. Cornerstone Farm has grown each year and this year has been no exception, she said.

Produce is sold mainly through CSA shares (Community Supported Agriculture) with extra produce sold at the Battle Lake Farmers Market.

Check out their offerings at cornerstonefarmmn.com. And, for Christmas, consider gifting a gift card for Cornerstone Farm! Check out the details at their site!