Primary Animals Raised: Cattle

Plum River Farm is a 242-acre family farm in the Driftless Region of northwest Illinois, where Conrad Landola and Sonia Nelson raise Hereford cattle with a focus on grass-fed nutrition, animal welfare, and responsible land stewardship. After purchasing the farm, they chose to transition the land away from conventional row-crop agriculture and toward a perennial system of pasture and hay that supports healthier soil, cleaner water, and a more resilient landscape. Their approach reflects a belief that well-managed grasslands benefit both animals and the environment, producing beef that is naturally flavorful, nutrient dense, and fully traceable. They operate with a commitment to transparency in how their food is raised.

Raising Practices

• 100% grass fed: Animals are raised entirely on grasses and forages with no grain feeding. Their herd grazes rolling pastures throughout the growing season and receives hay grown on the farm in winter.
• Pasture-based: Cattle live on open pasture with continuous access to fresh grass, shade, and clean water. The animals have free access to pasture every day of the year, with rare weather-related exceptions.
• Humane handling: Animals are moved calmly, never confined to feedlots, and processed at a small USDA facility near the farm.
• No antibiotics or added hormones: Animals are never given hormone treatments and are never fed antibiotics. In the rare instance an animal requires antibiotics for humane care, the farm treats it appropriately and then triples the normal withdrawal period before processing to ensure no traces remain in its system.
• Land stewardship: Fields are managed without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides to support long-term soil health and ecological balance.