Great Oak Farm
“Agriculture was one of the first employments of mankind. It is one of the most innocent and at the same time, the most pleasing and beneficial of any. By its variety, it keeps the mind amused and in spirits; by its exercise and regularity, it conduces to give vigor and health to the body; and in the end, it is productive of every other necessity and convenience of life.”
— Thomas Heyward, 1789
Great Oak Farm is a highly diversified small family farm on 60 beautiful acres near Mason, WI (about 12 miles south of Ashland and Lake Superior). Our family of four (Chris, Autumn, and sons Caleb and Danny) lives in a handcrafted strawbale/timberframe home. Most of the wood used in construction was milled locally here in the Chequamegon Bay. All of the heat for our home, as well as supplemental heat for the greenhouse, comes from firewood sustainably harvested in our woodlot. While we don’t produce our own power for electricity (yet!) we purchase non-coal, non-nuclear renewable energy through Bayfield Electric’s Evergreen Renewable Energy program.
Sustainable Farming
We are committed to using ecologically sound, sustainable farming practices that improve the soil and produce high quality, nutrient dense foods. This means that we use:
- no synthetic chemicals/fertilizers
- no genetically modified organisms
- no antibiotics or hormones
- no treated lumber
- no disposable plastic mulches/films/irrigation lines
While we are strong proponents of organic agriculture, our direct relationships with customers make certification an unnecessary expense. However, we encourage anyone who wants to see our agricultural practices firsthand to call and arrange a farm tour inspection. We ask only that you give us a few hours notice so we can arrange our day to accommodate you!
Heritage Poultry Breeds
Traditionally, farmers raised a variety of livestock and poultry breeds to meet the production requirements of their specific farms and the culinary expectations of their neighbors. This provided a diverse, resilient gene pool from which to select for disease resistance, beauty, local performance characteristics, and above all great flavor! Today, we have an agricultural system geared toward mass production and global trade. Over time, selective breeding has been used to develop a few industrial breeds of livestock and poultry, heavily dependent on advanced technology and veterinary intervention to survive and reproduce.
To help keep these heritage breeds alive (and keep great tasting food on our tables!), we maintain breeding flocks of Barred Plymouth Rock chickens and beautiful Bourbon Red turkeys. Both breeds are recognized on the Slow Food Ark of Taste. The chickens provide us with a seasonal supply of eggs and stewing birds. From the turkeys we incubate, hatch, and raise the heritage Thanksgiving birds for our Pasture Perfect Poultry co-op!
More Than Just Great Poultry
In addition to pastured poultry, we produce and sell: *rotationally grazed 100% grass-fed lamb
- honey and pure beeswax candles
- maple syrup
- fresh shitake, oyster, and stropharia mushrooms
- hand harvested REAL wild rice
- a wide variety of annual vegetables, many of which are open pollinated and grown from saved seed
- strawberries
- raspberries
- pie cherries
Products are available seasonally at the Ashland Area Farmers Market on Chapple Avenue in Ashland. The market typically runs July through October, and is open 8-12 every Saturday. We’d love to see you there!
Bon Appetite!
Great Oak Farm
Chris Duke and family
Mason, WI
715-765-4297