Growing A Community Farm In Dexter, Michigan

Cardinal Farms is a diversified farm founded by Rich and Cindy Kern, first-generation farmers who have spent the past several years building a loyal customer base through vegetables, cut flowers, pasture-raised livestock, and hands-on farm experiences. After establishing the farm in South Lyon, Michigan, they are now preparing to relocate about forty minutes away to Dexter, Michigan, where a larger, agriculturally zoned property will allow them to grow into the fuller vision they have held for the farm and operate with greater long-term stability.

This next chapter will create room to expand production, serve more families through their CSA and markets, and reintroduce the on-farm experiences that have become a defining part of Cardinal Farms. Through camps, workshops, field trips, and family programming, the Kerns have seen how direct experiences with farming can deepen people’s connection to food, land, and responsible agriculture. In Dexter, Cardinal Farms aims to become not only a source of local food, but a place where community life and food production are meaningfully intertwined.

Use of Funds

The proposed Steward loan will provide $920,000 in bridge financing for the purchase of a 12 acre property in Dexter, Michigan. The property offers the space and agricultural zoning needed to support the next phase of the farm’s development. With additional land available for cultivation, Cardinal Farms plans to expand vegetable and flower production while continuing to raise pasture-based livestock. The move will also allow the farm to relaunch its CSA and on-farm educational programs and serve more families in the surrounding community. These activities create multiple revenue streams across produce sales, education, and farm-based gatherings. By establishing a permanent home for Cardinal Farms in Dexter, the loan will help position the farm for long-term stability while allowing Rich and Cindy to continue growing both food and community in the region.

Stewardship Statement

Throughout the term of this loan, Cardinal Farms pledges to:

• Use exclusively organic crop production practices, prohibiting synthetic inputs.

• Prioritize soil health, biodiversity, water protection, and carbon sequestration by minimizing soil disturbance, maintaining year-round soil cover, and expanding biological diversity and conservation efforts on the new property.

• Protect livestock health and welfare, using antibiotics strategically and responsibly only when necessary. Sheep, goats, and chickens will have consistent access to active pasture from April through October, while pigs will have continuous, year-round access to pasture and/or woodland areas to support natural foraging behaviors.

• Engage with the local community by providing educational opportunities for students, children and families.

Ecological, Social, and Economic Stewardship Practices

Cardinal Farms is a family-owned farm focused on nurturing the land through regenerative practices, raising produce, eggs, and livestock with care and intention. They maintain a number of practices to strengthen the resilience and health of the farm and their surrounding community including: 

Ecological Stewardship: 

• Employing a range of regenerative techniques designed to build soil fertility, structure, and long-term resilience. These include maintaining continuous soil cover, minimizing tillage, and planting cover crops. Heavy machinery is avoided to prevent soil compaction, and conventional chemical inputs are prohibited.

• Focusing on pasture health through a carefully managed rotational grazing system. Animals are moved every 3–4 days to promote even grazing and pasture recovery. Chickens follow behind the small ruminants, helping distribute nutrients, reduce pests, and enhance overall pasture productivity.

• Raising pastured pork with year-round access to pasture, allowing animals to derive roughly 90% of their diet from diverse grasses and natural forage, supplemented with non-GMO grain feed.

• Following the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Pyramid, prioritizing prevention as the first line of defense. Management strategies progress through cultural, physical, and biological controls, with chemical intervention used as a last resort. Only OMRI-certified products are applied when treatment is necessary. 

• Investing in the local community by hosting educational and community-centered events, including school field trips, farm-to-table dinners, and a volunteer program that brings people closer to the land.

• Supporting the broader community through donations to local schools, nonprofit partners such as the Active Faith Food Bank and The Ivy Table Café (a pay-what-you-can café).

• Encouraging CSA members to experience the farm beyond their weekly share—spending time on the grounds, building a relationship with the land, and reconnecting with the source of their food.

Economic Stewardship:

• Sourcing farm inputs as locally as possible. Key soil amendments—including poultry manure, compost, and potting soil—are sourced from Morgan Composting in Michigan.

• Operating as a 100% family owned farm. This independent ownership allows them to maintain full control over farm decisions, ensuring that every choice—from soil management to community engagement—remains aligned with their core values and long-term commitment to environmentally responsible farming.