By Michelle M. Sharp, Founder and Content Creator of Meet the Minnesota Makers
Pettit Pastures, its people, animals, and plants, demonstrate everyday that agriculture and nature can coexist.
Through the practice of regenerative agriculture, the Pettit Family restores a healthy balance to their land while raising premium beef and pork for their community.
Regenerative agriculture considers the full ecosystem in its approach to cultivating any consumable product. This ecosystem begins and ends with the soil itself. The cycle includes the plants and animals intentionally raised on the land, the plants and animals that share the land, the health benefits for the people who work the land, and finally the consumers of the land’s products.
In Milaca, Minnesota, this ecosystem flourishes at Pettit Pastures. Established in 2012, three generations of Pettits tend to cows and pigs who forage herbicide- and pesticide-free 
pastures on their 400 acre farm. Focusing on the health of the soil, Jake and his dad Tim raise grass-fed beef and Berkshire pork following sustainable practices that require minimal human handling of the animals.
“The part of our farm that brings me the most joy is working with nature, rather than against it. We prove how mimicking the natural ecosystems in our farming practices actually heals and improves our soil and water. This results in more nutritious meat, which improves the health of our customers,” explained Jake. “Agriculture can be a tool to repair and heal our world ecosystems when done correctly.”
Jake’s dad Tim had been a dairy farmer in Loretto. In the 1980s he sold that farm and began a different career. Upon retirement, he shared with Jake how much he missed animal agriculture. Jake was working in food industry manufacturing at the time. “I had been doing a lot of research about our food—how it was handled and processed. I had a lot of 
questions and concerns,” shared Jake. “We started in regenerative agriculture because I was thinking about how grass fed beef could work to heal the environment and heal consumers.”
Pettit Pastures delivers their products directly to their customers with Jake himself making the majority of the deliveries. Beef and pork are available in bulk as quarters, halves, and whole as well as in individual cuts. Jake always invites customers out to the farm so that they can see how their product is raised. He wants them to know what regenerative agriculture looks like so they understand what their purchase supports.
“The consumer has tremendous power. Every time we buy food we vote for the kind of agricultural model that we want,” reflected Jake.
In this light, Pettit Pastures has proudly entered a partnership with the Princeton school district. For the 2024-2025 school year, Pettit Pastures will provide the Princeton students with grass fed ground beef and stew meat. “These schools are located about 10 miles from our farm. We are so excited to help our local community with healthy protein
for their children!”
“The more we support local agriculture, the better off we all are. We keep that money within our community, within our state. We support practices that directly impact our land, our health, our families,” explained Jake. “When we buy meat that’s from overseas or conventionally raised, we tell that farmer, that corporation, that we appreciate the way they operate. It’s important to think about the hidden costs as a part of the total price of what we consume.”
Learn more about Pettit Pastures at https://www.pettitpastures.com/. Follow @pettitpastures on Facebook and Instagram to see where the cows have wandered today.
Visit meettheminnesotamakers.com or follow @meettheminnesotamakers on Facebook and Instagram to discover the farmers and innovators working to strengthen Minnesota’s local food networks. Meet the Minnesota Makers is a news site that connects you to the local food, farms, artists and artisans that make Minnesota thrive.
Visit pettitpastures.com for grass-fed beef and Berkshire Pastured Pork. Arrange for pickup in Milaca or delivery in Central Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metro. 
This farm feature is published in partnership with Greener Pastures.
Read the full article on the Greener Pastures Blog. Greener Pastures is a blog, community, and activism hub in the upper midwest here to make everyday support of humane, sustainable agriculture easy and seamless with your lifestyle.
Photography by Sarah Carroll of Greener Pastures
