STAPLES FARM

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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

When we launched our pork operation in 2024, our goal was to assure customers that they were purchasing Berkshire pigs raised humanely on pasture. For transparency, we include those details on our meat package labels. In Oklahoma, if your processor is a State-inspected facility, the Food Safety Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry must approve the label. In our case, the Director of Meat and Poultry Inspection contacted us for documentation verifying that our pigs are indeed Berkshire and pasture-raised, as stated on our label. All the pigs on our farm are registered Berkshire, so we submitted registration papers for several animals. To substantiate our pasture-raised and Animal Welfare Approved claims, we submitted our Staples Farm Pig Operating & Health Plan, which details how our pigs are raised, including our rotational grazing system. This plan and our operations are audited annually by the A Greener World organization during a site audit. With this evidence, the State approved our label without any changes. Now, the USDA imposes even more rigorous labeling requirements. We were required to submit a certificate from the American Berkshire Association (ABA), photos of our pigs to confirm the Berkshire breed phenotype, ABA registration papers demonstrating traceability of the pigs' lineage through parents and grandparents, and a traceability affidavit supporting our Berkshire breed claim. Our processor also submitted a traceability affidavit for our pork from its arrival at their facility through distribution. Once approved, our USDA label will closely resemble our Oklahoma label. The State of Oklahoma, and, to an even greater extent, the USDA, take truth in labeling very seriously, as they should. Consumers should seek out farms with third-party certifications that validate claims about livestock breed, animal welfare, antibiotic-free status, diet, and living conditions. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission's Truth in Advertising standards apply to anything on our website, social media, and print materials. We are committed to transparency, not just in our labeling, but in every aspect of communication with our customers and the public. -Leo