Our Story

Russ and Julie Stickle purchased the farm in 1981. They built a beef

cattle and hay farm, planted a huge garden and orchard, and also

kept horses, chickens, pigs, cats, and dogs.

Today the farm is run by their son, Andrew, daughter-in-law, Heather,

and daughter, Sara, who are rebuilding and transforming the farm

to meet today's needs.

Russ Stickle

Russ grew up in Indiana and was the first in his family to go to college. He attended Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine while working in the steel mills during the summer. In 1981 he began his career as a veterinary professor at Michigan State University.

Russ always loved animals and the outdoors. He kept horses on his suburban lot from a very young age. After retiring you could always find Russ helping others. He was a long-time member of the Williamston Kiwanis Club and was Williamston's Citizen of the Year in 2007. He also served as docent at the Michigan History Center and was a founding board member of the Ingham East Habitat for Humanity (now Habitat for Humanity Capital Region). His favorite philanthropic work was as a volunteer with the Ingham County Sheriffs Mounted Division. Sadly, Russ passed away in 2017. Everything we do today is in honor of him and his philosophy of protecting the land and serving others.

Julie Stickle

Julie, like Russ, loved horses from a very early age and is a veterinary professor at Michigan State University. She has not retired yet, but in her spare time she is in charge of mowing, tractoring, and general support. She is also our main representative at the Williamston Farm & Artisan Market.

Andrew Stickle

Andrew is our farm manager and jack-of-all-trades. As busy as he is on the farm, Andrew is actually a full-time paramedic and fire fighter with NIESA. As a young adult he was a paramedic at Leslie, Mason, and Mercy Ambulance, before attending Montana State University and earning a degree in Sustainable Foods and Bio Energy Systems. He continued his education with an MBA from Washington State University and is a Certified Crop Advisor through the American Society of Agronomy. He then turned to growing hops in Zillah, Washington. In 2023, Andrew moved his family back to Michigan and took over the running of the farm.

Heather Stickle

Heather is our chicken wrangler, bee keeper, and assistant farm manager. Her day job is mother of 3, doctoral student, and urgent care nurse practitioner. She attended Columbia University for her Masters of Science in nursing and Masters of Public Health. Heather has focused her career on working with under-served and rural populations in the pacific northwest. Her work has taken her to Africa and she has worked with migrant farm workers from Mexico in Washington State. Heather and Andrew have three young children.