Before breakfast each morning, husband and wife Joel Slezak (@freegrassfarmer) and Erica Hellen (@shefarmsinfreeunion) have hundreds of mouths to feed. All the chickens, ducks, cows and pigs on their small farm near Charlottesville, Virginia need food and water before anything else. Plus, the temperature in the brooder needs adjusting for the baby chicks, the hens need moving to fresh grass and the pigs need to be accounted for. “They’re total escape artists,” Joel jokes.
For Joel and Erica, a life connected to the land is richly rewarding. But it’s manual and it’s tough. “The cows don't leave and the chickens don't just die when we're tired. We simply have to keep going until the work is done,” Erica says. “I think what keeps us going is knowing that what we’re doing is a truly viable and better alternative to the factory food system,” Joel adds. “When customers come up and just pour their heart out on why raising this type of food is important and why it means so much to them, it does keep us going.” Photo by @shefarmsinfreeunion