RAUB-RAE FARMS
A Way of Life
by Janis Stein

Robert Linck still lives on the family farm where he was born, and believes whole-heartedly in organic farming. Though officially retired, Bob, at 87, is still active on the farm, running errands when needed and offering advice when consulted by son, John, who now handles the farming operations at Raub-Rae Farms in Brown City.

“We’ve been 100% certified organic for about 15 years,” says Bob. “My son and I have come to know organic farming is intelligent agriculture.”

Raub-Rae Farms owns 340 acres and rents an additional 160; of that, approximately 400 acres produce grains and beans, including spelt, oats, corn, soybeans and sunflowers. “We also grow legumes, like clover and alfalfa, and plant rye as a cover crop,” says Bob.

In addition to growing crops, Raub-Rae Farms is also home to a herd of 100% organic certified cows, and the squawk of chickens completes the farm scene. The cattle are, for the most part, a black, angus breed, though a strain of limousine in the 30-plus herd produces the occasional red animal.

“The cows drop their calves here on the farm in the spring. We raise the calves until they are ready for market,” explains Bob.

After a calf is born, it takes about 18 months for the calf to grow to a marketable size.

“The cows feed the calves during the summer. We winter the calves here, and the next summer they’ll be back on pasture. By then, they’ll be getting ready for market.”

Raub-Rae Farms rotationally graze their cattle, alternating every two days or so between strips of grass and legumes. The cattle’s winter diet consists of oats, hay and some corn silage, all grown organically on the farm.

Raub-Rae Farms sells their beef cattle directly to the consumer, first taking their cattle to C-Roys Meats in Yale, a small meat packer, who is USDA inspected and organically certified. After slaughter, the meat hangs in the cooler before the beef is processed to the specifications of the buyer – fulfilling the age-old question, “What’s for dinner?”

Chickens and turkeys complement the beef livestock on the farm, with the Linck family selling up to 900 chickens annually. Raub-Rae Farms truly is a family farm with three generations rolling up their sleeves.

“I have a grandson interested, and he has been raising poultry for meat. Right now he is getting into egg production, and a granddaughter is raising the turkeys.”

Like the cattle in the summer, the chickens and turkeys gain their nourishment from grains as well as from the pasture. “We have small pens we can slide around the pasture field to different locations.”

The egg-laying chickens follow the cattle in the grazing rotation, eating a variety of insects that also follow the cattle, as well as picking out choice grubs from the cattle manure. The chickens also pick grass; the grain that complements their diet has been grown right on the farm.

Raub-Rae Farms is in the process of building egg mobiles, which are portable chicken coops on wheels. Laying hens will occupy the structure at night, and during the day, the chickens can feed on insects and grass within a designated section of the pasture.

The Linck family farm continues to grow and adapt to the ever-increasing organic market. “We began getting requests from folks who wanted to raise their own poultry using organic feed, and so we began providing a feed service last year. We now have a large number of customers coming to the farm for their poultry feed.”

In 2008, Raub-Rae Farms will also produce and market a variety of organic garden vegetables, including tomatoes, lettuces, peppers, cabbage and strawberries, among others.

“We have four houses on the farm, and they are all occupied by members of the family. My daughter has returned to the farm; she and other members of the family will be handling the vegetables. We’ll probably take the vegetables to a farmers market in Rochester; we’ll take our chickens and eggs there, too,” adds Bob.

What inspired Bob to try his hand at organic farming? The next generation.

Bob farmed for 60 years, many in the traditional agricultural practice.

“I put my first weed sprayer on a tractor back in 1950, and started using herbicides. Over the years, I was a bit disillusioned about what was developing…the problems with weeds, corn root worm and so forth.”

After college, son, John, worked in the financial industry before returning to the family farm with his wife, Barb.

“We started considering the negative effects that chemicals and artificial fertilizers were having on the land as well as our health. We began to ask ourselves why it was that we were applying substances to our food crops and livestock feed that we could only safely handle while wearing a HAZMAT suit. It just didn’t make any sense, so we decided to change directions and the most logical choice was to switch to organic production methods. It was considered a little radical at that time, but it is now becoming more commonplace as consumers increasingly question where their food is coming from and how it is being produced. Educated consumers are demanding organic food without pesticides and genetically modified organisms being used in its production. They are beginning to question the 'system,' and they don’t trust the 'corporate dominated food industry' like they used to.”

As Raub-Rae Farms has learned, organic farming is not without sacrifice. Traditional farmers contemplating switching to organic methods will first need to consider the time and cost involved during the first few years as the soil returns to its natural state.

“It takes awhile to get the soil in condition to be certifiable. One of the first things to do is to get a soil consultant and broad panoramic soil tests to determine not only what’s in the soil, but also the condition of the soil. Some soil is so saturated with chemicals that it will take awhile to regain its natural health and the ability to produce crops without the help of artificial fertilizers.”

For Raub-Rae Farms, the sacrifice has been more than worth the rewards.

“We have the satisfaction that we’re producing a really good product, and we’re also taking better care of the land. Eating organic is important: It’s safe; it’s healthy; the quality is better; and it is sustainable from the standpoint of protecting our soil and maintaining long-term food production.”

Bob still shakes his head at the 1940s experts who promoted the idea that farming is a business, rather than a way of life.

“Organic farming is an intelligent way of using the land. Farming is an art, and an art becomes a way of life. You have to live it, and you have to have an appreciation for the natural law.”

Raub-Rae Farms is located at 8820 Clear Lake Road in Brown City. For more information, you may call Robert Linck at 810-346-2039, or e-mail John Linck at jandblinck@yahoo.com.