When Merlin and Rita Friesen bought the farm ground in 2006, it consisted of some farm fields and pastures overgrown with cedar trees. There were no buildings. They spent years moving and fixing up old barns and installing new outbuildings, building the soil organic matter, installing fencing for grazing and planting fruit trees and hedgerows. They spent the first years on the farm with their son Isaiah as an off-the-grid operation. The only electricity they had was generated on the farm. They operated a CSA and sold eggs and grass fed beef at the Beatrice Farmers Market under the farm name Sunny Slope Farm.

Without their support, the purchase and successful transition of the farm in 2018 would not have been possible. Unfortunately, the name Sunny Slope Farm was already registered for use by another farm in Nebraska. While the farm name had to change, the Friesen’s focus on healthy food, sustainable agriculture and a welcoming place for people young and old alike continues today!