A Regenerative Future For A Fifth-Generation Missouri Farm

Ecological, Social, and Economic Stewardship Practices

Wildwood Farm has a pasture-centered model to raise healthy, free-roaming heirloom pigs. They are focused on a transparent and high quality food chain. Their business practices are centered around ecological stewardship and ensuring dignity to their workers, farmers, community, animals and the planet for this generation and the next. They employ the following practices on their farm:

Ecological Stewardship:

• Regular soil, compost, and plant tissue testing guide precise nutrient management and support healthier pastures and livestock.

• Pigs live communally in forests and are naturally weaned, cattle are rotationally grazed, and laying hens have continuous outdoor access and live out their natural lifespan.

• Pigs are processed humanely on-site, eliminating transport stress and focusing on a high standard of animal welfare at harvest.

• The farm uses minimal- and no-till practices, year-round ground cover through cover crops and mulching, crop rotation, and on-farm compost production to build soil health.

• The on-site processing facility has reduced the average food miles for meat products from approximately 600 miles to 20 miles, significantly shortening the supply chain.

• Livestock harvest forage directly from the land. Pigs are strategically grazed in forested areas to manage invasive species, and once cleared, those areas are replanted with cover crops and beneficial trees, including oaks, to restore the ecosystem.

Social Stewardship:

• Russ Kremer has been an active leader in the sustainable agriculture movement since the 1980s, teaching practical skills and leadership to young farmers and supporting the next generation of agricultural stewards.

• For more than 15 years, Kremer has donated approximately 10,000 pounds of meat annually to local nonprofits, helping strengthen food access in the region.

• He employs six community members, offering wages that begin well above the county minimum and providing a stipend that covers 75% of health insurance costs.

Economic Stewardship:

• More than 55% of pig feed is grown on-site, with the remainder sourced from farms within 10 miles. About 40% of seed is produced on the farm, while the remaining 60% is purchased locally within 40 miles.

• All fertilizers and compost are produced on-site, supporting greater control over soil health and input management.

• As the sole owner of Wildwood Farm and Cedar Creek Eco Farm, Kremer oversees all decision-making, allowing for consistent implementation of regenerative and sustainable practices.

Stewardship Statement

Russ Kremer is a fifth-generation farmer raising livestock with soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare as core priorities. Throughout the term of this loan, Wildwood Farm pledges to:

• Provide livestock with year-round access to pasture or forested areas, allowing animals to express their natural behaviors.

• Maintain organic practices by prohibiting the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, and by never administering subtherapeutic antibiotics to livestock.

• Pursue USDA Organic certification for all farmland and maintain Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Level 4 Animal Welfare certification.

• Build soil health through minimal tillage, year-round ground cover, and on-site compost production.

• Prioritize local sales, with a goal of keeping at least 70% of sales within a 50-mile radius and sourcing farm inputs on-site or within 40 miles whenever possible, helping reduce food miles.