Wian Prinsloo and Lydia Carpenter run a multi species grazing operation south of Belmont Manitoba. Their operation centres on grazing cattle, hogs and poultry. Both Lydia and Wian are first generation farmers. They started farming together in 2011 with nominal savings and the opportunity to lease 80 acres of pasture land near Nesbitt Manitoba.

The initial focus of the farm was to invest in things that produced a yield (livestock) and to use planned grazing to increase pasture productivity. From the time they started farming emphasis on ecological principles and functions within farming including healthy water, carbon and nutrient cycling have been key to their management.

By 2014, after Lydia left a part time teaching job in Brandon, and after securing additional leased acres, they were both employed full time on the farm with much of their income coming from sales retail meat sales from the livestock they raised on the farm. In 2017, after leasing land for a number of years, they were able to purchase 160 acres where they built their homestead while still maintaining stock on additional leased acres.

Lydia and Wian continue to employ adaptive multi paddock, multi species grazing techniques and Holistic Management whole farm and ranch planning with the objective of building a truly sustainable business centred on relationships as well as the health of the land and livestock.

Over the last 8 years the business has grown from serving several hundred patrons per year to serving hundreds of households on a biweekly basis via a buying club “direct to the consumer” model created by Carpenter and Prinsloo.

Wian and Lydia are passionate about farm succession strategies and ways to get the next generation involved on the farm through diversification and exploring new (direct) markets. They are also passionate about participating in their producer peer support group and supporting producer led conservation efforts on grazing lands.

Check out their operation at Luna Field Farm

 

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