F2F: Bart VerEllen & Adam Ledvina – 2021 Virtual Annual Conference

Sheep! Goats! These small ruminants are a great way to get started for beginning livestock farmers. Southeast Iowa sheep farmer Bart VerEllen and north-central Iowa goat farmer Adam Ledvina wander through a conversation that touches on the benefits of each when starting to farm and corresponding management and market considerations.

• Bart VerEllen raises sheep on 188 acres of rented farmland near Blakesburg, Iowa. As the operation hits its next stage of growth, Bart hopes to begin farming full-time and add stocker cattle for diversity. For now, Bart and his wife Trish live in Centerville, Iowa, and have off-farm jobs.
• Adam Ledvina started raising goats six years ago and has since started two businesses, Iowa Kiko Goats and Blue Collar Goatscaping. Adam also works for Red Earth Gardens, the Meskwaki Nation farm located in Tama, Iowa.