Handsome Brook Farms continues to demonstrate commitment to our investment in network farms through 2 USDA grants, one private grant and HBF’s Cost Share program, with a total investment in 2025 of $637,000 from all funding sources. Grant funding represented $352,000 and included projects for energy efficient lighting/equipment, silvopasture, manure storage, watering systems.

Handsome Brook Farms led an awareness campaign on social media to raise money for One Love Community Fridge as part of Giving Tuesday. Our digital content garnered 33,563 views and 63 interactions as we spotlighted community-led solutions to food insecurity, supporting volunteerism, meal donation, and an increased awareness around ending hunger. 

Since the beginning of our partnership with Rethink Food and One Love Community Fridge, we’ve donated over a quarter million eggs to New York City residents facing food insecurity. The first farms to join our network are in New York and for that reason we consider the city as our neighbor.

In this part of the state, the north south roads count down in number as you approach state road 267, the Missouri, Kansas border. The Brubacker family has traded a suburban life in Pennsylvania for a simpler one on a farm and a healthy dose of hard work. A new life has brought new opportunities, opening roadside farm store where they sell fresh produce, sandwiches and refreshments. Barry also helps manage the community produce action across the street from their farm where families in the region sell their farm produce to wholesalers in the region.

Houghton's farm in Northern Ohio has undergone a remarkable transformation under his sustainable management practices. Once plagued by erosion and depleted soil quality, the land is now thriving with minimal tillage and reseeding methods that retain moisture and prevent runoff. The result is a lush pasture teeming with life, where Houghton raises layer hens and beef cattle alongside a solar array that powers his barn and provides shade for the chickens during hot summer days. This innovative approach not only benefits the farm but also contributes to a more environmentally friendly future, as Houghton believes by incorporating sustainable energy into building codes, "we could build a whole different world."

As a former Missouri dairy farmer, David isn’t new to farming, but he is new to raising pasture raised layer hens and he’s new to the area. His 75-acre farm in North Eastern Oklahoma was an overgrazed cattle farm until he and his family moved for more land and more opportunity for their growing family. With the help of Handsome Brook Farms cost share program he’s been able to optimize his pastures for each species of livestock, using techniques like pasture rotation and grazing patterns to maintain health and biodiversity. To further enhance the ecosystem, Yoder is experimenting with nurse cropping, sowing fast-growing annual crops like oats to protect and promote native grasses. With a focus on holistic management, the farm has become a hub for diverse life, including fruits and vegetables, horses, cows, sheep, and even bees. The Yoders' commitment to regenerative agriculture has created a thriving home in Oklahoma, where they're raising their children and building a sustainable future.