This week’s Female Farmer Friday is super interesting! Not only is Laura a farmer, but she is also a dancer! Also, wait until you hear to cool story behind their farm name. Please welcome Laura Madden.
• Sara Beth

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Please briefly introduce yourself.

My name is Laura Madden. I am in my thirties, married and live on my dream farm in southeast Michigan.

What type of farm do you have?

For our farm business, we raise pastured meats – poultry, pork, Turkey, and grass fed beef. We also have free range eggs and are into natural beekeeping. I make soap with our goat milk and pastured lard to sell as well.
In addition to our farm business, my husband and I like to work on our homesteading skills. Patrick is really good at vegetable gardening and preserving our produce harvest each year. I enjoy making cheese with our goat milk and LOVE training some of my goats and cattle for cart pulling, riding, etc. I also love hunting and skills of that nature.

How long have you been farming?

We have been homesteading for about 7 years and started our LLC farm business selling pastured meats in 2018.

Do you have an off-farm job?

Yes! I teach dance at a local studio. I have danced my whole life and am so fortunate that I can continue dancing and teaching dance while also farming. I teach all styles of dance, but my favorite is Scottish Highland Dancing.

Please share with us one of the biggest struggles you have with farming.

Balancing the workload. There is never enough time to get everything done, especially during the growing season!

What is something about your farm life that you think would surprise most people?

We are named Mastodon Farm because mastodon bones were found on the property when digging out a pond several years ago!

Can you share one of your long-term goals for your farm?

To have a mobile petting zoo as part of our farm business. I would like to have my riding cows, cart goats, and some other animals available for events, birthday parties, etc. I am still in the animal training stages for this right now but hope to start small with this venture in 2020.

If you had the chance to tell one thing to someone without any first hand knowledge of the farming industry, what would it be?

It is all a lot more complicated than you could imagine – there are a lot of moving parts involved in every part of farming and a lot of variables to consider for every decision.
Also, farmers are the hardest working people you will meet. I didn’t really realize how much work was involved until I started farming. I have a huge amount of respect for all farmers no matter how or what they farm, it is all hard work.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about agriculture?

That livestock, especially cattle, are bad for the planet. I truly believe that animals are a vital and natural part of farming ecosystems and can help restore the land and improve the soil. I am glad to see regenerative agriculture practices becoming more popular and spoken about in the media.

What is something you are deeply passionate about?

Raising livestock with natural methods. This is focusing on treating illness through diet, natural remedies, with strengthening and supporting the immune system being the goal. I have so much to learn still but I find it absolutely fascinating and have been amazed by some of the things I have seen work.

What social media accounts and podcasts do you think everyone should check out?

I love Instagram so I have a few! For farming, I really like @bigskycaroline as well as @fivemarysfarms (she is my farm business idol!).
For animal training I love horse trainers @ben_actionhorses and @kat_pickering
Farm podcast – definitely the Grassfed Life podcast of Permaculture Voices

If people want to follow your farm journey, where can they find you?

They can follow me on Instagram @mastodonfarm and Facebook at Mastodon Farm
If they like watching Wallace my riding steer, he has is own Instagram account! @wallacetheox

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Thanks again, to Laura for being our guest this week! Be sure and follow her journey on Instagram, it’s so fun to see her animals!