Southern SOIL
Hunter Cattle Educational Tours Hunter Cattle Company, a grassfed beef and pasture-raised pork operation, offers a unique learning experience for kids. Educational tours allow children to learn more about where their food comes from and what it takes to care for the land and the plants and animals it supports. The Fergusons know a thing or two about bringing kids and farm life together to create an educational experience. The family started their farm about 15 years ago as a family venture and as the farm has grown, so has the family.
Adding educational tours was a natural progression that allows the farm to engage with the communi-
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Kristan (Ferguson) Fretwell homeschools her own
ty and help others learn about the importance of
five kids on the farm which often involves putting
sustainably produced food. The tours give kids a
problem-solving skills, research, math and science
chance to experience the natural world in what is
to use with real-world issues on the farm. Educat-
often their first time on a farm.
ing others on farming practices and the differences between pasture-raised meats versus those con-
“That’s something that we, and me in particular are
ventionally produced became an integral part of the
passionate about. We saw the need for educating
selling process once the farm became a commer-
people in general early on when we started farm-
cial enterprise.
ing,� Kristan explained. The educational tours are one of the aspects of the farm with which Kristan has taken a lead role. She acknowledges the success of their family farm is due in large part to each member of the family having different skill sets and being given the opportunity to use those skills in a cooperative effort.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KRISTAN FRETWELL
