Belvedere Farms

Farming for Flavor and Raising our Family on 47 Acres in NE Ohio

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Our Story

Hey there! Welcome to our farm.

We are a diversified, regenerative agricultural family farm in northeast Ohio. With 47 acres, an 1883 barn, a 1908 fixer-upper farmhouse, and 5 little-farmers-in-the-making, we’re always fixing something and always learning some new skill.

I’m Raelene and here at Belvedere Farms, I have two main priorities:

  1. to raise nutrient-dense, delicious food using sustainable, loving, and environmentally-sound practices and management
  2. to raise my children to be hard-working, compassionate humans who understand, appreciate, are in awe of, and thoughtfully contribute to and care for the natural world around them.

People often ask what we raise on our farm, and though I know they’re really asking about the animals and produce, my first answer is always: kids! I have five kids, all of whom contribute in meaningful ways to the daily operation of the farm – from the pre-teen to the toddler: we all live here, we all eat here, we all work here.

We moved to the farm in 2015. It had been leased and farmed in conventional row crops for more than 30 years with little to no inputs. The land was depleted and the declining yields year after year reflected that neglect. Little by little as time, money, and energy permits, we’re rebuilding and regenerating the biodiversity of the soil, water systems, and forage of our 47 acres.

We came to farming in search of flavor, looking for nutrient-dense foods bursting with natural goodness that can only come from sun-on-grass and free-ranging, happy animals (and plants!) living their best lives. We believe in good food – in sourcing the best whole ingredients from responsible local growers, and learning the basic old-fashioned skills necessary to create simple, wholesome, nutrient-dense, from-scratch meals with those ingredients.

About Us

I’m Raelene! I grew up on a cattle ranch in northern British Columbia, Canada where I rode horses, chased cows, checked fence, and loved being outside. I loved growing up the way I did and always hoped to have a few acres so my kids could have a similar experience. I have Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and French and a Master’s degree in English Literature. I love to read and am always trying to find a way to sneak in a few minutes of reading every day. I milk the cows, teach the classes, make the garden plans, can and preserve all the things, give the baths, and make the meals. Peas and tomatoes are my favorite things to grow and trust me, the best way to eat them is straight out of the garden, sun on my shoulders, dirt on my hands. I’m a single mom and could always use a nap.

I am honored to be your farmer.

We raise beef, pork, chicken, eggs, raw milk and fresh vegetables. Most everything we eat is grown right here – farm to fork. I’m passionate about sharing our story, our knowledge, and our hard-earned old-fashioned skills in the hope of inspiring you to make the most of the best you’ve got – whether that means growing your own food in your backyard and making more meals from scratch, or sourcing the best ingredients you can find from your own local farmers.

If you’ve got questions, I’d love to hear ’em. Drop me a line right here:

Contact Us
First

belvederefarms

Hey there friends! Long time, no see eh? . Popping Hey there friends!
Long time, no see eh?
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Popping in to let you know I’ll be posting over at @belvedere.farms from now on.
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Same farm, same milk cow / farming / homesteading / canning & preserving / free-range kids capers & misadventures kinda stuff, but a whole new chapter.
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Sneak peek: if you’ve been around for awhile, you’ll know Maude (our milk cow Sandy’s first calf). She’s a brand new momma herself!
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She and I are learning together how to train a milk cow from scratch. It’s an adventure, to be sure!
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Come on over to @belvedere.farms and follow along.
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- Raelene
Wow. Just wow. . This is how I feel every time I l Wow. Just wow.
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This is how I feel every time I look at the pantry shelves, filling slowly but surely, bit by bit.
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Summer’s bounty + hard work (and plenty of hot sweaty days in the kitchen) means my family will eat like kings all winter long.
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It’s such a blessing to know these skills and get to pass them along.
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Sign up for my newsletter (link in bio) so you know when the next homesteading/self-sufficiency class is happening here at Belvedere Farms and you too can start filling those pantry shelves with goodness.
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#homestead #preservingtheharvest #canning #cannedpeaches #canningseason #selfsufficiency #homemadefood #homesteadmama
“She is little, but she is fierce.” Don’t pu “She is little, but she is fierce.”
Don’t put out that fire.
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#farmraisedkids #farmher #farmgirl #ican #homesteadmama
Can I hear an AMEN? Just tell me one thing: Team L Can I hear an AMEN?
Just tell me one thing: Team Lake or Team Ocean?
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Me? Lake. All the way. Nothing in the lake wants to kill me. 😱
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#gooutside #wildandfreechildren #lakeday #summertime #outdoorkids
There’s nothing like the smell of fresh cut hay. There’s nothing like the smell of fresh cut hay.
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#hayingseason #freshhay #hay #farmlife #summeronthefarm #hayfield #ohiofarm
Just like that, canning season has officially begu Just like that, canning season has officially begun.
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I drove down to the vet’s to pick up meds for a sick heifer and since it takes me right through Amish country, I couldn’t resist stopping at a farm just off the road to pick up 10 quarts of small but luscious berries (the small ones are sweetest, I think).
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Harvested rhubarb from the garden and a couple hours later : strawberry rhubarb jam.
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When you’re filling shelves for the winter, every little bit counts.
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Are you making jam this year? What’s your favorite fruit to use for jam? I loooove apricot jam, but have a hard time finding local apricots here in Ohio. If you know of a source - spill the beans!🤣
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#canningseason #strawberryjam #homesteadmama #homesteadskills #oldfashionedonpurpose #preservingtheharvest
It may seem like a small thing, but it always make It may seem like a small thing, but it always makes my heart happy to look out the window and see the cows grazing in the pasture.
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It took a lot of work to get here, and takes a lot of work to stay here, but working hard for something you love isn’t a burden. Instead it builds confidence, self-respect, resilience, and stamina.
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Go, friends. Work your tails off at work worth doing. And stop every now and again to take stock of all you’ve accomplished and all you’ve learned. It’ll blow your socks off and give you the gumption to do the next hard and worthwhile thing.
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#iamyourfarmer #milkcow #grassfed #rawmilk #farmlife #lifeouthere #hardworkpaysoffs #ohiofarm
Every farm needs a barn cat. We’ve noticed a hug Every farm needs a barn cat. We’ve noticed a huge difference between the years we’ve had barn cuts and the years we haven’t. They’re essential.
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And yet, I’m pretty sure my kids all think we keep barn cats for the kittens.
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There’s a new litter every spring and so far we’ve always been able to give enough away to keep from being overrun. Their momma, Scout, is a phenomenal mouser (and catches birds and squirrels and chipmunks too) and earns her keep many times over.
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So much so that when she decides to give birth, she finds a spot in the basement and we let her come and go as she pleases while the kittens are teeny. That in itself is a testament to her place on the farm.
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Are you team barn cat? How many do you have?
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#barncat #kittens #kidsandkittens #farmraisedkid #farmkid #homesteadkids
Eleven brand spankin’ new piglets born on the fa Eleven brand spankin’ new piglets born on the farm yesterday afternoon/evening.
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It never gets old this farming thing. There’s always something to work on, look forward to, get better at, learn from, grow into, and try again.
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I’m here for it and doing my darndest.
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#farmlifebestlife #babypigs #piglets #iamyourfarmer #supportlocalfarmers #berkshirepigs #farmher
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