OUR STORY

2nd Generation run farm

The farm started in the late 1920's; the barn and farmhouse are an old Sears & Roebuck kit. A young woman from Chicago decided she was finished with the city life and moved up north. She used the farm as a dairy farm (20 dairy cows and 500 head of sheep). Bruce's father (Ed Balcom) was hired as a farm hand and maintained the farm for her, while his wife worked as the housekeeper. After she passed away, he (Ed) inherited the farm from her because there were no relatives to pass it on to.

Mr. Balcom continued to work the farm and Bruce (his son and the current owner) worked with him. They farmed the fields into hay fields and eventually started Markey Machine (now known as Innovative Fabrication). Bruce and Janice moved into the farm in 2005 after his mother passed away.

Now the farm has chickens, cattle, Innovation Fabrication and the Ol'Barn Cooperative Garden (CSA).

ABOUT OL' BARN COOPERATIVE GARDEN

The CSA became a vision in 2013. The hope was to create a garden where people can come together, learn about agriculture, and fellowship. A garden that allows those involved to know how the food is grown. We are certified MAEAP. Michigan agriculture environmental assurance program. We currently have the 4-H program coming in to be "Veggie Investigators", and we have 8 families signed up.

Visit Us

We are using healthy methods to grow produce but are not "certified organic."

The MAEAP-verified farms keep their land, water and air as healthy as the food they produce. They represent the highest standards of environmental stewardship and responsible agriculture.