rootabaga farm

Troy. Idaho

By Terri Schmidt, Co-op volunteer writer

Jen and Will Root named their 40 acres Rootabaga Farm, as a play on their last name, but no, they do not raise rutabagas. They do raise chickens, sheep, and pigs. Co-op shoppers can purchase the beautiful eggs their hens lay.

Jen and Will met at college in the Adirondacks of New York. They moved to Idaho nine years ago and started the farm shortly after - beginning with chickens, then adding pigs and sheep. The sheep raised at Rootabaga farm are Katahdin hair sheep. They have hair that sheds instead of wool that needs to be sheered. Jen said the animals also have a milder flavor that appeals to some people who don’t typically like lamb.

It was always Will’s dream to have a farm and raise animals. Jen said she “came along for the ride” and has grown to love the farm and the animals. Will loves equipment, and having a farm is a good excuse to own a tractor and all the implements. Will also enjoys automating work on the farm as much as possible and coming up with creative solutions for making farm work easier. One example is that he has created water systems for all the animals that are automatic, hygienic and resistant to freezing. Their animals are raised on pasture and in the woods on their property. The pigs move from pasture to woods and keep the land cleaned up and fertile. The family cares about their animals and treats them well. “We take a lot of pride in what we do”, said Jen.

One of the biggest challenges for the Roots is restricting predators. They were raising their chickens on pasture, and while a fence protected them from larger predators, the chickens were attacked by hawks. They now have two very big and very friendly Anatolian Shepards, livestock guardian dogs, who protect the animals from predators.

The couple have full time jobs in Moscow. Jen works as a fund-raiser for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho, and Will works at Northwest River Supply. Because of that they keep farm production a manageable size, selling their pigs and lambs directly to friends and community members. They have a friend who drives all the way from Seattle to get their pork and lamb.

Through her work Jen meets all kinds of farmers and ranchers, and is grateful for their hard work raising products for others. Like them, Jen says, “It is great to play a part in feeding the community, even if it’s just a small part.”

Running the farm is hard work. Sometimes Jen asks Will, “Why are we doing this?” Will responds, “We want to leave the land better than we found it.” They also know it’s a great place to raise their 10-year-old son, Grayson, who does farm chores including collecting eggs and helping feed the animals.

In her limited spare time, Jen loves to garden, can, and cook food. The family loves cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and back packing. Will gets on the river anytime he can. This fall they are going on a 90 mile canoe race in the Adirondacks. Jen said, “Our family never grows weary of having access to the outdoors.”