The opportunity arose unexpectedly for Andy and Beverly; they could buy the 34 acre farm of Andy's youth, so they jumped on it. They'd always wanted to be on a farm. Against almost everyone's advice and over their own doubts, they left good paying jobs in the city and, at the tender age of 60, moved into the old farm house, sagging and creaking with the weight of its 150 years. They wanted to find a way to make the farm pay for itself. Lacking deep pockets they knew they first needed a business to generate cash flow to work with and pay the bills.
After due diligence they decided to produce fermented foods, one of the fastest growing food categories in health food stores and food co-ops (see our other website: HiddenPondLLC.com). As the demand for ferments grew, so had their business, and after five years they brought their first cattle onto the farm. The cattle were Western Scottish Highlands, the oldest registered cattle breed, with their characteristic shaggy coats and majestic horns. Then they added American Guinea Hogs and Kune Kune pigs - heritage breeds of smaller size, typically homesteader's hogs. In 2015, they switched to Irish Dexter cattle, another unique heritage breed and one that is making a comeback in popularity after getting quite scarce. Several of their Dexter cattle have A2A2 genetics for milk.
One of the foundational principles of their farming endeavor was to make this a place of opportunity for young people who share their vision. Their grandson, Daniel, and granddaughter, Carrie, started and ran a tomato ferments business. Rod, Beverly’s brother, makes and sells herbal tonics under the Hidden Pond Farm label. At the end of 2024 Beverly and Andy decided the farm needs new hands. They contacted Andy’s daughter, Barbra to see if she or any of her children were interested in taking over the farm. Barbra was interested but with her own business as a mid-wife in Terra Haute, IN and her own farmstead, she couldn’t leave. Barbra brought it up to her kids, everyone wanted the farm to stay in the family but many had lives of their own in other states or had just set down roots of their own. Only one was interested in taking the farm on and moving back out to Indiana, Tim.
Tim moved out in the spring of 2025 from Pennsylvania to Hidden Pond Farm. He started working on the farm, taking care of the animals and the land. Tim’s fiancé, Heaven, moved out from Pennsylvania to the farm in May 2025 after graduating from Delaware Valley University with her bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management. Barbra, Tim’s mom, is the owner of the farm but Tim is managing it for her and the two of them work for the betterment of the farm. Barbra was able to get a new house built onto the property for Heaven and Tim to live in since the old house is to be torn down whenever Beverly and Andy move out.