Shadow Brook Farm and Dutch Girl Creamery

For those of you who do not know us, my name is Kevin Loth, and along with my wife Charuth Van Beuzekom, my parents, and growing partner Ian Richmond, run a 34 acre diversified farming operation on the southwest edge of Lincoln within the three-mile city limit. Charuth heads up Dutch Girl Creamery making our award-winning goat cheeses, and Ian manages the vegetable production.

We are committed to sustainable farming practices and are devoted to being good stewards of our land. We have been raising vegetables and selling from the farm at our Shadowbrook Country Market, and at farmers' markets, retail stores, and restaurants in Lincoln and Omaha since 1996. In 1997 we became 'certified organic', and maintained continuous certification for 16 years. In 2006, we started milking goats and making cheese. To create better use of our resources, we also raise a few hogs and laying hens, supplementing their feed with whey (a byproduct from the cheese-making process). We also grow some cut-flowers and plant cover crops on about one-third of our vegetable ground annually.

Though we are not currently certified organic, our practices have not changed much - we still do not use GMO-seed, nor use chemical fertilizer pesticides or herbicides not approved for use in organic standards.
Our dairy goats are an integral part of our operation, providing milk for our Dutch Girl Creamery artisan cheese production and compostable material as a rich bi-product. We are currently using hoop-houses to extend our growing season. Using this system we are able to produce vegetables for nearly ten months a year.

Being in the urban fringe has allowed us to establish a good market for our products. We sell at four farmers' markets in Lincoln and Omaha, at our farm, and to local grocery stores and restaurants. We also offer our Flex-style Farm-share that enables customers to pre-pay seasonally for our vegetables, cheese, pork, and flowers which they select throughout the season (May thru December).

We strive to produce the highest quality and freshest vegetables available. By purchasing locally, you are not only getting the finest foods for your family, but are also supporting your local family farm, your local economy, and a regional food system that is better for you and the environment.

- The Loth Family