In 2020, several YouTube searches for help with a fussy IH Farmall A tractor started us on a path. As it goes, one video led to another…and another. More and more content from small farms near and far opened our eyes to possibilities we had never considered.
Beef on small acreage in the east? No way. Chickens on pasture? No way. Rotational grazing with an electric fence? No way. Nevertheless, the wheels were turning, and when it was finally all tied together with a simple term–regenerative agriculture–we knew it made perfect sense.
The months passed, filled with more research–web searches, YouTube marathons, books, seminars, and good old fashioned conversation with fellow farm owners. At the same time, we noticed the decline in grocery store quality and a surge in prices.
As they say, knowledge is power, and our confidence grew. We knew it was possible. We can do this: we can provide high quality, sustainable protein for the residents and visitors of Atlantic County and we can put the farm back to work, providing a stable income for our family.
We started our beef herd in 2022 with four Dexter cattle, and we hope to have high quality local beef in the summer of '25. We've begun poultry production this spring (2024). Brown eggs are expected by mid/late summer and fresh and frozen chicken will be available by Memorial Day weekend.
We are auditioning for the job of being YOUR farmer. We hope to win that job and look forward to growing with you
Surf and Turf Farms was started in the early 80s by two brothers who saw potential in an old farmhouse on a large plot of land at the corner of Odessa Avenue and Duerrer Street, in the area of Galloway Township known familiarly as Pomona.
The early years put the “surf” in “Surf and Turf” as raising clams and catching crabs were primary farm activities, as well as growing strawberries, sweet corn and an array of popular Jersey produce
As their families grew, so did the farm. The next generation, along with their friends, was employed to run a popular roadside stand on Duerrer Street in Galloway Township. An additional 25 acres of land was purchased from the retiring Grunow Brothers, a well-known farming family in the area. The farm expanded to grow and sell feed corn, rye, and straw on leased ground around the area.
In the early 2010s, the stand closed for various reasons. While we continued raising rye and field corn in the interim, changes were slowly coming. We watched the area change and the markets change. We wondered–how can we better serve today’s consumer, who is becoming more educated and thoughtful about the quality of their food and where it comes from?
