Coyote Ridge Highlanders

Our focus is on raising grass fed beef. 

Our ranch is currently Certified Organic through MOSA.  We felt that becoming Certified lets others know we can prove how serious we are about improving the health of our animals and land.  With our 60+ acres of pastureland is being Certified Organic, this gives us the opportunity to offer professional grazing services to both Certified and non-certified herds owners.

Us, Our Farm and Our Purpose

Who Are We?

Our names are Rich and Carol Radtke.  Our household consists of 3 children, Chastiti (21), Austin (18) and Madison (9).  Also, part of our family is Licorice and Waffles (the family cats) and a Beagador puppy named Ellie Mae (like the Beverly Hill's hillbilly).

Some of the things we do for ourselves is make cheese, bread, wines, ciders & vinegar. 

Carol is a pretty good gardener, canner & cook.  We do plan on making some of these product available to our customers, but probably not for a awhile yet.  We want what we sell to be as close to perfect as we can get it.

Where Are We?

Our farm is located 10 minutes west of Willmar, Minnesota on County Road 7.  We currently reside on the farm.  We strongly believe in being pasture based.  Most animals are naturally designed to eat pasture and it has been proven that grass fed animals have health advantages over commercially produced animals.

Why Are We Doing This?

In the pursuit of eating healthier, studies have found that consuming food from grass fed animals is healthier.  Like our friends, Mike & Karen Lindquist, who are certified organic dairy farmers just NW of Kerkhoven, MN., we want to be part of a healthier food solution.  The Lindquist's belong to the Organic Valley Network of farmers and are helping us with our 3-year transition period to becoming Certified Organic.

We garden organically, using the droppings (pills) our rabbits generate.  Rabbit manure is one of the few animal wastes that can go directly onto the garden or in pots... this means there is no need to compost before using.  I do have a compost pile, which I started a few years ago primarily to reduce the amount of garbage we send out.  Contrary to popular belief, these eco-friendly waste-reducing piles have very little odor... if any.  The key is to keep the ingredients balanced.

We quickly discovered we feel better when we eat more natural, locally grown foods.  That's why we are continuing the organic practice to our animals.  Our animals are healthier making us healthier.  We raise animals to be sold directly to consumers, but we eat what we produce too.

The commercial food industry is flawed.  I don't think it matters what type of meat we talk about, as it all has it's low points.  Here's an example:  my sister works for a feed mixing company - one of the large ones in the state - anyway she told us that one of the larger turkey hatching companies in the area just destroyed 300,000 chicks, due to poor demand from the grower. 

We asked what happens to the chicks?  Are they made into dog food or what?  She told us that the chicks get ground-up, then fed to other turkeys.  Somewhat shocked, Carol and I asked her if the turkey or feed producers were worried about what could happen with animals being forced to cannibalize.  Her reply was even scarier than the news of turkeys being fed dead turkeys.  She smiled and said that there are so many hormones and medications in the feed that most diseases can't survive.  If by chance a super bug would develop (like a mad cow sort of thing)... we probably wouldn't hear about it for decades.

If you think this is a problem exclusive to the poultry industry, you're dead wrong.

How We Got Here?

The farm we now manage, was Rich's father's farm.  It's the farm he and his sister grew up on.  It's small, with regards to the amount of production land.  Our farm/ranching adventure began when Dad passed away in 2005.  Rich and his 2 sisters inherited the farm (in the form of a family trust).  It had the basics... a house, an old garage and a pole barn.

When first starting out, Carol was working full-time as a nurse and Rich was full-time at the farm but needed an extra pair of hands.  We put in a new well and hired an electrical contractor for the electricity.  We repaired some of the wiring in the barn ourselves, which was a big money saver.

That brings us to 2008, when we started this website.  Carol is now experienced in poultry butchering/processing and has earned a reputation of producing delicious farm raised chicken and pastured turkey.  We successfully grew 2 organic gardens and the ranch was Certified Organic (MOSA) in 2011.

Our pastured Scottish Highland cattle are flourishing in their prairie grass based pastures.  We have what is considered a closed herd.  We currently have 8 cows & 5 calves, along with 1 herd sire.