Sep 9

Sep 9 Haffner Family Farm a true farm to table model

The spare ribs and bacon served at our Locally Grown Meal came from Haffner Family Farm. The Haffners offer a diverse choice of meat products and cuts and have a great business model and model for family farming. Welcome to their farm story…

Becky and Will Haffner didn’t plan to sell their farm’s meat products direct to the customer.

It just happened.

They moved to their Eagle Bend, MN farm in 2013 when Will had an opportunity to farm with his parents, John and Cindy.

But, while crop prices had been high in 2012, the prices dropped in 2013.

“We didn’t have a plan when we bought this farm,” she said. “But we needed one. We needed a ‘Plan B.’ ”

They turned to livestock.

“When we started, I was raising food for us to eat,” she said. “Then I started raising a little bit more.”

In less than a decade, Haffner Family Farm has built a solid business selling chicken, pork and beef to customers at the Alexandria (MN) Farmers Market, on their farm and through sales at dropsites in several area communities including Alexandria, Glenwood, Lowry, Starbuck, Fergus Falls, Baxter, Moorhead, Long Prairie, Wadena and Parkers Prairie. There is also a dropside in Pope County. All locations are in Minnesota.

Sales are very customer friendly thanks to a great online shop at their website haffnerfamilyfarm.com.

Developing the business meant adjustments along the way.

They started the entire livestock venture with sheep. The market was high and sheep were easier to get started, she said. Their first flock was 13 Romney sheep.

Then they bought chickens - both broilers (meat) and laying hens (eggs).

Next came pigs. At first they purchased feeder pigs (young pigs weighing around 35 to 50 pounds) which they raised to market weight. They transitioned that part of the operation to “farrow-to-finish” or from birth to market. That meant having sows (momma pigs) who farrowed or gave birth on the farm. Last year they sold the sows and are now back to buying feeder pigs.

When they had the farrow-to-finish operation with the hogs, they were processing about 5 hogs every two weeks. Now they process about 3times a year, she said. It’s about half the hog numbers they’ve had in the past and has been an adjustment they have made to the operation.

Two years ago they added cows. They currently have 40 cows with calves.

Not everything is raised year round on the farm. The broilers (meat chickens) are raised during the summer, she said. They have about 1,000 broilers a year. The chickens are processed by Jahnke Mobile Processing.

Everything else - lamb, beef and pork - is processed at Klinder Processing of Carlos. The facility is state licensed and is an "Equal To” plant. Due to this particular licensing, Becky cannot cross state lines to sell the farm’s meat products.

She does have a mobile retail license which allows her to sell added value items like bacon, sausage and other meat products that have added ingredients. She makes the sales at the Alexandria Farmers Market in a specially designed trailer.

What does this mean, this “Equal To”?

Minnesota is one of 27 states currently operating Meat and Poultry Inspection Programs that are considered at least "Equal To” the federal meat and poultry inspection program (USDA). This means establishments in Minnesota’s Equal To or E2 program can slaughter animals and process products to sell, distribute and wholesale to any entity within the state of Minnesota.

These products were inspected and passed the same regulations and requirements that the USDA uses to ensure the production of safe, wholesome products.

The list of items available is extensive. Besides offering beef, lamb, pork and chicken, the onion store also offers baked items and tallow lotion and soaps.

Meat by the cut is available through the Farmers Market, but customers can also purchase meat bundles which can be ordered online. Those bundles include 1/8; 1/4/ and 1/2 or whole beef; a half or whole pork; half or whole lamb or a $130 beef box which includes two roasts, a package of steaks, soup bone, 1 package of stew meat and 10 pounds of lamb. Prices on the bundles vary. Check it out at haffnerfamilyfarm.com

Customers using the online store can pay online and choose where they will pick up the order either from Klinder Processing, on the Haffner farm or at one of the dropsites in area towns which includes

The ordering process is easy and a great example to follow if you are interested in adding such a feature to your farm’s offerings.

During COVID-19, many turned to Haffner Family Farm to make bulk meat purchased or meat bundles, as the website refers to it. Whether it was 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 or whole beef; 1/2 or whole pork; 1/2 or whole lamb or a $130 beef box which includes 2 roasts, a package of steaks, soup bone, package of stew meat and 10 pounds of hamburger, there are many options for customers.

At the Farmers Market and through the online store, customers can purchase meat by the cut. That’s how I got the spareribs and bacon for our Locally Grown Meal. The ribs were meaty and the bacon was sliced thicker than most grocery store packages. And the flavor and meatiness was super!

Most of the customers at the Farmers Market are vacationers, but those who live in the area and experience the quality meats from Haffner Family Farm become regular customers.

“I don’t have to advertise a lot,” Becky said. “They just keep reordering.”

Will and Becky have five children ranging in age from 7 to 16. Each of their kids has farm chores with the three oldest also helping with haying and spring and fall fieldwork.

They farm 1,000 acres with 110 acres of pasture and focus on meat sales plus hay, corn, wheat and soybeans.

They raise Red Devon, Black Angus and British White cattle, Katahdin Hairsheep, Hampshire cross and Yorkshire hogs plus chickens, turkeys and laying hens.

Visit them at haffnerfamilyfarm.com.