- Eden Valley, MN
Nicole Frank
Mother + Farmer
My husband and I bought his family farm a few years ago. It started as a dairy farm and in 2019 we sold the cows unexpectedly. Since then, my husband and I slowly started purchasing beef cows to calve two times per year (spring and fall) while also updating and making improvements to the farm site….which never ends. Three years ago, we also started dabbling in cover crops and no till. We currently no till most of our land and every year we learn something new when it comes to cover cropping and no till. We do actually harvest our cover crop in the spring and use that as feed for our cows. A true dual crop system on the farm. We currently have 60 mama cows, 40 calves, 100 steers, 4 ewes, 3 pigs, 4 lambs, egg laying chickens, broiler chickens, some cats, and a trusty farm dog.
Do you farm with family?
Yes, my husband and I bought his family farm nearly 2 years ago. It started as a dairy farm and in 2019 we sold the cows unexpectedly. Since then, my husband and I slowly started purchasing beef cows! My father-in-law is still active on the farm and helps with day-to-day chores. It’s nice being able to see 3 generations working together every day.
What are your hobbies?
Cooking/baking, watching trashy reality tv, trying a new brewery, decompressing from raising county kids
Why is sharing information about agriculture and farming important to you?
My husband and I are constantly learning and that is one thing that I feel like will never change. At the same time, I want to remind others that it is okay to not know all the answers and to seek out the information from someone you can trust, a farmer, if there are ever questions on how food is grown or raised. I think it is so important to share our knowledge or information learned from others so we can continue to be better everyday.
Tell us a quick story from the farm.
Everything we do on the farm is family orientated. Typically at night, we all go out to do chores to feed and care for all of the critters…cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, lambs, and cats (very important part of the farm for the girls). For me and the two girls, chores usually consist of making sure that all animals have water and that my youngest does not end up sitting in a water/mud puddle. I’m thankful for the time at the end of the day with my family to slow down and enjoy being outside. While we are doing our version of chores, we always check pens and the animals within it to ensure they are all healthy and thriving in their environment. I coordinate with my husband if there is anything that seems not right or out of place to take action if needed. This time of year, its night to be able to watch the cows and calves in the pasture. I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.
WE ARE COMMONGROUND –
