Recognized excellence at Feathered Acres

BELGRADE — Friendly geese, chickens, ducks, kittens and a Bernese mountain dog named Stout happily greet guests at Feathered Acres Learning Farm & Inn. The welcome crew enjoys following visitors around while they learn about sustainable and regenerative farming practices from the farm’s owner, Trisha Zachman.

Her passion and dedication have brought her into the spotlight as one of five finalists for Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year.

“The whole point of this is educating people on where their food comes from and understanding how animals are raised,” Zachman said.

Feathered Acres, a farm near Belgrade, consists of 180 acres, over 400 animals and 25 cover crops. All the animals — pigs, poultry and sheep — are raised on pasture, with shelters and barns available. Yet, many of the birds prefer to wander after Zachman and her helpers, Esther, Burke and Elmer.

“The main goal is to be home for my kids and hang out with them,” Zachman said. “I want to let them experience great things, be open minded and come up with silly ideas.”

Zachman’s influence and desire for educating others have extended well beyond the farm’s dirt road. Her dedication to the future of farming has also taken her to New York City, where she was invited to ring the bell at Rockefeller Center to help launch the Next Generation Farmer Fund, a program created to provide support and assistance to young and aspiring farmers.

Closer to home, she shared her journey alongside five other women during Food Tank’s live storytelling event, “Celebrating Minnesota’s Farmers: A Love Story,” Aug. 25 at the Minneapolis Central Library to kick off this year’s Minnesota State Fair. The event celebrated each woman’s story, resilience and efforts.

“It was really, really special,” Zachman said. “I’m just so thankful I get to be doing what I’m doing,
because I’m totally meant to be a farmer.”

Zachman and her husband, Nolan, raise hogs for Niman Ranch, a company that works with farmers and ranchers across the country to produce humanely raised and all-natural meat. They are also able to sell their meat directly to consumers.

“I love talking to people, and I was in sales forever,” Zachman said. “I just think it all goes hand in hand.”

Several years ago, the Zachmans transformed an old, deserted milking barn into event spaces and an inn, featuring the Molitor Milk House and the O’Halloran House for overnight stays. The lower level of the barn is available for guests to rent, with Zachman also hosting tours and classes. The refurbished hayloft is used for wedding ceremonies, receptions and other celebrations.

When guests set foot at Feathered Acres Learning Farm, Zachman said the goal is to connect them with agriculture. All their animals are raised with care until harvest and without antibiotics. The pigs are fed a complete vegetarian diet, their tails are not docked and their teeth are not clipped. They are also housed in open environments — not gestation or farrowing crates.

The same goes for the rest of the animals at Feathered Acres Learning Farm, where piglets can be seen snacking on fallen fruit, sheep resting in the grass and chickens, ducks and geese leaving trails of feathers.

“I like to remind people that this isn’t a hobby farm (and) it’s not a petting zoo — it’s a real working farm,” Zachman said. “It’s important for people to understand the difference, and I think that’s what makes the experience here a little bit more special.”

However, the Save Our Bacon Act in the House farm bill is aiming to prevent states from enforcing local animal welfare and food safety standards on goods produced outside of the state. This comes after California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3, which required higher animal welfare standards.

“If you use a crate on your farm, your pork can’t enter the state of California or Massachusetts,” Zachman said. “The sow spends pretty much her whole life in it. Here, she’s able to run and walk around.”

Zachman said Proposition 12 has allowed her small family farm to be rewarded for high-welfare practices over quantity and size. She has been to Washington, D.C. many times before to oppose the Save Our Bacon Act and will be heading back again soon.

“The thing we’re fighting for is to keep our specialty market,” she said.

Through it all, Zachman said Feathered Acres Farm is committed to ensuring that their land and animals are sustainably managed while utilizing regenerative methods designed to restore soil health and protect local ecosystems.

“I get people here who understand farms and love food, but I also get guests who have literally never set foot on a farm in their life, and honestly, those are the best visitors,” Zachman said. “They ask the best questions, and we need as many people as possible visiting farms and getting curious about where their food comes from.”

The farm plants cover crops and uses no-till systems to protect soil, add organic matter, reduce erosion and preserve carbon. Animals are moved to fresh pastures, which prevents overgrazing and encourages plant growth, with bedding composted and returned to the land. The livestock also help fertilize the fields.

Beyond these practices — and many others — Feathered Acres Learning Farm and the Zachmans are looking forward to creating new memories, providing honest answers to consumers and advocating for small farmers and specialty markets across the country.

“I’m not looking for anything big or revolutionary in the future,” Zachman said. “It’s just nice to simmer in what we have. We’ve built this place, and I want to enjoy it, stabilize it and keep creating that space for my kids.”