Nieder Farms in Krakow, Missouri, has been operated by the Nieder family since it was founded in the 1870s, raising livestock and poultry throughout its 140-year history. When fifth-generation owners Trisha Nieder and Daniel Gonzalez returned to the family farm with their two sons, the whole family realized they needed innovative ideas to tackle the challenges the farm faced. In 2023, they started shifting to regenerative farming practices.
Supported by a $14,874 NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher grant, their primary goal was to develop a farming model that was both profitable and easily replicable. They also aimed to address the challenge of passing the farm on to the next generation and strengthen their ties with local community members and markets.
Trisha Neider explained their vision: "We want to stay a local, working farm that is efficient, can support itself, is good for the land, and makes money. We want to sell responsibly raised food to our neighbors, while also showing smaller or new farmers that they can build a successful business without going against their values or overusing their land. For us, success means being strongly connected to our farm and helping others do the same."
The Nieder family focused on three main goals to become more resilient for the future:
- Better Profits and Production: Neider Farms had a 65+ herd of purebred Black Angus cattle. By changing how they moved their cattle (rotational grazing) and managed their grass, they improved their bottom line. Over two years, they cut diesel fuel costs by over 50% and feed costs by 16%. They also welcomed new income sources by adding pasture poultry and planting a fruit orchard.
- Improved Environment: Adopting management-intensive grazing (MIG) significantly improved the farm's pasture resilience, herd health, and forage utilization. By monitoring forage and moving the herd daily, they optimized grazing efficiency, reduced external costs, and increased their herd size.
- Stronger Community: They built partnerships with local groups and markets, including hosting hands-on learning workshops with 4-H.
Drawing from her practical experience, Trisha Neider created a free guide titled "Groundwork: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Pasture, Poultry & Orchards in Missouri." This manual supplies farmers with straightforward, step-by-step advice based on the Nieder family's farm realities. It serves as a roadmap for producers aiming to shift towards more diverse, sustainable, and community-focused systems.
What the Guide Teaches
The guide is structured to assist farmers in:
- starting small and building strategically
- enhancing soil and livestock health
- diversifying income sources
- strengthening ties to local markets and communities
Neider shares not just technical tips but also honest stories about her mistakes and what she learned. "Groundwork: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Pasture, Poultry & Orchards in Missouri" offers actionable, experience-based steps.
The guide directly supports other farmers seeking to adopt regenerative systems, effectively translating farm-level learning into regional educational impact.
URL: https://www.niederfarms.com/groundwork
Want more information? See the related SARE grant:
- Regenerate a Fifth Generation Farm for Sustainability and Profitability While Revitalizing an Aging Farming Community (FNC23-1386)
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.