One on one relationships are key in personal relationships, but what about as a consumer? What if you were able to have a one-on-one relationship with the people growing and producing your products. That is a large part of Dandan Zhu’s operation. She and her husband, Adam, self-distribute all of their products to keep the one-on-one relationship with their customers.
The Zhu’s family operation consists of beef, pork, lamb, chickens, ducks, goats, turkeys, eggs, and flowers by season! Dana says they want “to show that a mid-scale, multi-species farm can be viable.” They first bought the farm in 2019, and in 2021 they started selling meat. When they bought the land, it had been fallow for 5-10 years and needed major improvements before being planted, but little by little they have been accomplishing their goals.
To continue to grow their operation, this year Dandan used the CultivateGrowth grant to attend the Make It In Michigan Seminar. This seminar is an MSU Sponsored conference for Michigan small scale food producers to network and meet distributors. When asked her favorite part it was “Meeting with passionate makers of specialty foods from the state. We have added a number the products of several other producers to our farm store.”
Their overall goals are “To be the trusted supplier of regeneratively produced animal proteins in northwest lower Michigan.” Regenerative agriculture is a food production system that uses and reuses farm resources to restore soil health, support the climate, water resources and biodiversity. Practices like cover crop rotation, keeping roots in the soil, rotational grazing, and using natural compost or animal byproducts to spread on soil allow them to waste less and utilize more opportunities in their farm.
The CultivateGrowth grant has allowed Dandan to realize how important it is to her to self-distribute their products and build that relationship with those around her. GreenStone understands the importance of supporting education for young, beginning, and small farmers like Dandan. We work to provide the educational and financial resources needed to help establish a solid foundation. To apply for a grant, visit CultivateGrowth Grant | GreenStone FCS
