By Pete Wurdock

On an overcast day in June, I arrived at a farmhouse in Engadine. I was greeted by the voice of a young man who had just started growing whiskers. After that, everything happened quickly. The screen door slammed and when I turned around, a group of children rushed to greet me. They knew I was coming and instantly I was bombarded with smiles, laughter, questions and introductions by the welcoming committee.

Then I was greeted by Andrea Kalnbach of Furlong Creek Farm (FCF), the mother of nine kids ranging in age from 6 months to 18 years. The house smelled like a bakery; Andrea was just about to remove two trays of homemade cinnamon rolls from the oven. Between their homeschool activities and piano lessons, everybody is assigned important chores ranging from something farm related or looking after their younger siblings.

An incredible amount of science and knowledge is factored into how the Furlong Creek Farm runs. This is not something Andrea and Kevin learned overnight; they experienced it growing up and they’re now passing that knowledge to their children.

When their pending real estate purchase is complete, FCF will have amassed 260 acres of land, which by many standards is still considered a small farm. They are a dairy and cattle farm, but also raise lamb and a wide assortment of vegetables. Their cattle are 100% grass fed.

They are not given hormones because the purpose of their business is to cultivate sustainable agricultural practices. In a world where it is cheaper to spray Roundup, Furlong Creek Farm takes a different approach.

“When we started all this, the question we asked ourselves was ‘How would we like our family to eat and live, and can we make farming sustainable enough to support our family?’”

A growing trend is inspiring people to want to know where their food comes from. Furlong Creek Farm has a presence at five farmer’s markets during the year, selling vegetables and baked goods.

A large part of their business comes through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) – a win-win for the farm and the community.

“We started our CSA program back in 2014 with about 25 families taking part in it,” Andrea said. “Participants pay a flat fee at the beginning of the growing season and come to the farm once a week to take a 5-gallon tote-style basket of whatever is in season. Later in the season there will be additional varieties to choose from. It is like a subscription that grows; starting small and while by the end of the growing season people always walk away with more than what their basket can hold.”

The farm is dedicated to using non-GMO seeds and doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides, Andrea said.

“We also offer USDA certified packaged meats including grass fed/finished beef, lamb and pork,” she said. “We provide quality foods with 100% assurance that our meats are raised/grown with no hormones or antibiotics.”

Andrea and Kevin have been married for 20 years and both came from farming families. They understood what they were getting into and still jumped into it feet first.

Being a farmer is more a way of life than a job. True, a farmer is his or her own boss, but when the weather is uncooperative and crops need to be picked and delivered to market, you’re on your own. You are on your own when it is 20-below outside, your tractor won’t start, and your bare hands are freezing while you reassemble tiny parts because you need to plow a path for your cattle so a veterinarian can access a sick animal.

The Kalnbach family works hard and lives generously. When Andrea and Kevin decided to build a greenhouse, Andrea put the word out on Facebook to see if they could get a couple of their neighbors to help with the construction. What happened next was amazing.

“The next thing you know we had about 50 community members come over to help us, and we built a 2,160 square foot facility in one day because of their help. We are so grateful and could not have done it without them,” Kevin Kalnbach.

As farmers they can experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. As the kids grow, they have witnessed the miracle of birth with new calves and lambs, and the heartbreaking loss of an animal. Farming is their family life and their way of life.

Kevin and Andrea welcome you to visit and ask questions so they can show you what they’re growing and how they are growing it. They want people to be informed about their products and how “staying local” is beneficial for everyone.

“If you don’t know us, come to the farm and get to know us,” Kevin said. “At the end of the day, we are living our dream. And that’s a fact.”