LINDSBORG When Matt Hemmer was a kid, he would help his dad with the cattle on their family farm in North Dakota. But when Hemmer turned 11, his dad sold the land and moved to Kansas to start a business.
Now more than four decades later, Hemmer is back on the land, raising chickens, sheep and some cattle, including Wagyu, at Smoky Buttes Ranch.
But this farm in Lindsborg is different from the one Hemmer grew up on. He s raising heritage breeds.
A heritage breed mates naturally, has a slow growth rate, thrives outdoors and can live a long, healthy life. The animals are antibiotic-free and free-range all the way from hatchling to adulthood.
Shannin Rettig enjoys raising all types of chickens. She especially loves seeing the different-colored eggs they produce.
Along with the standard white and brown, her heritage birds lay dark brown-, blue-, green- and pink-toned eggs. There s so much variety, Rettig said.
Rettig started raising heritage chickens in her backyard in Denver. When she moved back home to Kansas, she had them sit beside her in the moving van. They re just fun pets, Rettig said. When I met Chad, he let me expand to about 40.
Rettig and her husband, Chad Mathis, live on their farm in Haven, Circle Open R. Along with their chickens, the couple has four goats and the same number of horses.