STAPLES FARM

Last fall, a potential customer visited the farm, eager to learn about purchasing a whole butcher pig. After a tour and some conversation, he decided to order a pig and paid a $400 deposit. As the processing date drew near, he contacted me to ask what size freezer he should buy. Because I have a Pro account at Lowe's and often help friends and family get appliances at better prices, I offered to order a freezer for him. He ended up saving about $100 on the freezer and $20 on delivery, which thrilled him. A few weeks ago, he picked up his fresh pork and called the next day, expressing his amazement at the quantity of meat. Then, just last Thursday, he phoned to see if we were home. Moments later, he arrived with a freshly baked pecan pie as a thank-you gift. Our family enjoyed the pie together at dinner this evening. Thank you, Jeff! March 2026 saw Oklahoma set several daily high-temperature records and was the hottest March on record. As a result, drought conditions continue to worsen, with the entire state at the moderate to extreme level. The National Weather Service predicts we will get 4 inches of rain in April, but even that won't end our drought. If we don't get rain this week, we will lose our spring hay crop. Even if it rains, the drought will still negatively impact hay quality. If that wasn't enough, the USDA reports that hay producers are operating at near break-even levels. The sudden rise in fuel costs only makes the situation worse. Each year, we get calls and texts in November from folks who need to buy hay. Regardless of who you buy from, we encourage you to buy hay early and only buy tested hay. It's often said that farmers are the original gamblers due to the unpredictable nature of agriculture. Most of us are driven by our love for the land, livestock, and family legacy. While grocery prices continue to rise, the farmer's share of every dollar Americans spend on food has continued to decline, and according to the USDA, it is now at 5.8 cents. The rest goes to processing, packaging, transportation, retail stores, and marketing. It is self-serving to say this, but the only way to fix the problem is for consumers to buy directly from local farmers and ranchers. -Leo

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A few weeks ago, I set out to find a better way to connect our gates and hang polywire reels on a t-post without risking shorts on the electric fence. I found a ready-made solution at Premier 1 (photo 1) for $3.60 each. With a bit more research, I found the pin-lock t-post insulators (photo 2) for just $0.52 apiece. I sketched a rough design for a custom piece to attach an insulated gate handle and handed it off to Andrea. Andrea translated my sketch into a detailed model using Autodesk Fusion and brought it to life with the 3D printer. The materials for each gate connector cost only $0.07, so paired with the pin-lock insulator, our total cost is $0.59. Together, Andrea and I brainstormed ideas for a polywire reel holder. She designed and tested a prototype, then finalized the version shown in the last photo. Each polywire reel holder uses $0.71 of filament. These prices do not include the cost of the 3D printer or Andrea’s time. We’ve used these new pieces for several weeks now, and they work remarkably well. Andrea’s creative vision and design expertise are a blessing to our operation. -Leo

After two years of experimentation, we've developed an efficient and reliable system for raising pigs on pasture. Our setup now features six runs divided into 10–12 paddocks. Today, we accomplished the following in under three hours: * Dismantled the first run. * Set up a new run, relocated both boars, and transferred their equipment. * Moved the remaining pigs and their equipment into fresh paddocks. Back in 2024, setting up a single run would take most of the day. We're optimistic that this new system will also minimize the tillage needed to replant the pig pasture. Since arriving from a confinement swine operation last December, Woodie and Buzz have encountered many firsts. Today, they enjoyed another milestone—access to high-quality forage. In the photo, our big boar, Woodie, stands beside our new Golden Fox livestock shelter. The shelter, mounted on pipe skids and constructed from 22-gauge galvanized steel fastened with 5/16” bolts, was remarkably easy to move into the new paddock. From the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, my dad served as a distributor for GMLS Industries, a company renowned for manufacturing high-quality grain storage units, bulk tanks, steel buildings, and livestock shelters. With manufacturing facilities in Peabody, Kansas, and Clarence, Missouri, the company is well-positioned to meet your grain/feed storage and building needs. Our own farm shop is a GMLS Series 2200 Golden Fox Building. These buildings are built to last, and in fact, the one at our old house in Choctaw, Oklahoma, survived a direct hit from an F3 tornado that destroyed the houses on both sides of the building. Dad and his crew installed Golden Fox Buildings and Golden Grain bins across Oklahoma. Today, we're proud to announce that Staples Farm is now an official distributor for GMLS Industries. If you'd like more information about Golden Grain or Golden Fox products, contact us at [email protected]. We’re also working with GMLS to develop portable livestock shelters tailored for pasture-raised pigs, sheep, and goats. -Leo

This is what we mean when we say our pigs are pasture-raised. They are not just simply allowed to be outside. Our soil is tested, seeds carefully selected, planted, and watered. We rotate the pigs though a system of paddocks that ensures as much grazing as Oklahoma weather allows. All of this hard work not only enriches the quality of the meat but also the quality of life for our pigs. -Andi