Living the Dream at DL Farm
meet your
neighbors Dave and Larkin Busby follow an all-natural and organic approach at the Bland, Mo., farm.
By Jessica Wilson
Dave and Larkin Busby hope to share their farming philosophy and farm-raised products with others
“I am so lucky to be doing what I still teaching at the middle school, we love,” said Dave Busby. bought some calves, finished them out DL Farms, located around Bland, Mo., and had them processed. Larkin would is a century farm that has been in the go to the farmers market (in Rolla, Mo.) family since the Civil War. The farm with her little car with some coolers in has been passed down to Dave and his the back, set up shop and started selling wife Larkin, and they it into a growing, with the other vendors. People found working farm with cows, chickens and out we raised cows and it just grew.” pigs. Now Dave and Larkin can be found There are around 200 acres at the farmers market in Rolla with a of land which is used to truck and a walk-in freezer trailer. raise their 40 head of Angus They sell beef by the halves and cattle. The Busby’s believe in quarters. They also sell their organic and all-natural ways meat sliced restaurant style of growing their products. with thicker cuts. Larkin is in Bland, Mo. “It is about the people we charge of marketing, while take the good, quality food Dave is working on the proto,” Dave said. “When I was duction of their livestock.
Pastured pigs are only a part of the farming operation at DL Farms. Photos by Jessica Wilson
NOVEMBER 15, 2021
“I use intensive rotation grazing and move my cows almost every day to a new pasture,” Dave stated. They do not put fertilizers on the grass or any chemicals because of the organic way of raising their animals. There are no growth hormones, antibiotics or steroids in their animals. The meat chickens, Cornish crosses, are raised naturally, with organic feed in chicken tractors until about 6 weeks before they are processed and sold. Forage-based pigs are rotated around the farm to clean up the wooded and brushy areas of the farm. The pork is processed into bratwursts, German-style sausages, hams, bacon and chops. They also have a few beehives and sell honey, and seasonal garden vegetables. Future plans on the farm are to expand the acreage. They don’t want to take on a larger herd because they like to keep it simple and focused on what they are doing now. Another plan is to introduce Wagyu genetics with the purchase of a new herd bull.
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
“The marbling in this breed is supposed to be amazing and the taste is phenomenal,” Dave explained. “So we are going to try this Wagyu, even though the calves won’t be ready for two years. But we will just see.” Larkin treats the animals holistically. She has been certified in holistic medicine and has her own business called Health Solutions. They welcome all visitors to their farm, from young students to military members from Fort Leonard Wood. The Busbys love to teach everyone where their food comes from and how farm animals are raised naturally. Their website informs visitors what to expect when volunteering and how long the day might be. “I just wake up every day and think I am dreaming. Even on the worst days, I thank God for what I get to do every day,” Dave said as he smiled at Larkin. “I did nothing to deserve to live like this. So, a part of my goal is to share what we do here. All the things we get to do is not about the money. I like to share our good fortune with others.”
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