Our History

Terra Farma is run by Linda and Mike, who have been farming here since 2003. We purchased our property in 2001 without any intention of becoming farmers, we were vegetarians and mostly just wanted lots of space to grow our own food. Shortly thereafter, a friend gave us seven chickens, and our transformation was underway. We quickly expanded our laying flock and began selling eggs to friends and co-workers. When we had a surplus of mean roosters, a friend slaughtered them for us and then left one in our freezer. We didn’t know it at the time, but when we finally ate it, our lives changed forever. Thinking about that meal inspired us to raise a batch of chickens for meat, and our days of becoming aspiring veggie farmers were numbered. At about that same time, we met someone who encouraged and helped us acquire our original flock of goats, with the eventual goal of meat production. However, after a couple of years of struggling to find our way in the meat goat world, we decided to try milking a couple of our does and became intrigued by the idea of changing our focus to dairy. We continued to grow our farm slowly, adding turkeys one year, and pigs the next, but the farm didn’t truly feel complete until we acquired our first cow.

Today

We have since transitioned away from dairy operations and now focus on raising the finest quality meat and eggs in a manner that builds soil and sequesters carbon while providing our animals a fulfilling place to live and providing our customers with the most flavorful, nutrient-dense foods possible.

Linda and Mike

We are both passionate about raising animals in the most caring and humane conditions possible. We both love animals and are convinced that animals that are treated right will repay that favor in the quality of products they produce. Additionally, we both come from scientific backgrounds, Linda with a degree in Environmental Science and Mike in Geology. Both of us have extensive environmental testing experience which helps us, particularly in the case of our raw milk, to identify and prevent any possible routes of contamination. The success of the farm allowed Linda to quit her job at an environmental testing laboratory in 2011 to become a full-time farmer. Mike left his off-farm job in 2020 to join Linda full-time on the farm. He has also served on the Board of Directors at the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) since 2012 and sincerely thanks the voters of the district who have elected and re-elected him three times.

Mike also serves on the advisory committee for the Oregon Pasture Network (OPN) and serves as a farm mentor through both OPN and the Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT). He has presented at the Oregon Small Farms Conference, California Small Farms Conference, and Oregon Small Farms School, and has taught grazing courses through EMSWCD.