Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryce Blosser.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m Bryce Blosser, my wife (Melanie) and I, and our three children run our family farm in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. I took over the farm from my grandfather in 2014, I am the 4th generation to run cattle on the farm and currently teaching the 5th to do the same! When I took over the farm, we were mainly just back grounding cattle in the commercial market. Selling our steers to feed lots out west and to local cattle brokers. We had a small bulk beef share (freezer beef) program my grandfather started in 1970, with just some local neighbors, family, and church friends. I continued thy program and the commercial backgrounding for several years with the goal being to grow our direct to consumer side of the farm and shrink the commercial farming side. Once Covid hit in 2020 a lot of things changed, not just with society, culture, worldwide, but on the farm. Due to two main factors, 1) supply chain issues for large food production and 2) people started to take a second look at the foods they were eating and what was the positive or negative outcomes of consuming said food, There was a larger demand for local food directly from the producer. We greatly increased our bulk beef shares program going from 20 steers a year to 100 steers a year. We also opened up a small farm store on our farm where we provided individual beef and pork cuts of meat. Since then we have started to expand our offerings to other proteins and products. We now have chicken, lamb, and local cheese at our shop in the farm and added a laying hen flock to our pastures that we rotate around with the cattle to have fresh farm eggs (Non-GMO and Soy Free). Around 2023 we made the leap to where 100% of our farm is direct to consumer and we no longer are in the commercial market. At that same time we started a “sister business” which we named Hallowed Homestead. We take the suet from the cattle we raise here in the farm and turn it into Tallow Skincare. Lotions, Balms, Soap, and Deodorants.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some of the biggest struggles have been making the shift from commercial to direct to consumer. It’s a whole new side of marketing, selling, and managing that you don’t have to think about when you are only selling live cattle on the commercial market.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a farmer whose business is direct to consumer, I love the relational aspect of what I do. I’m not just raising healthy animals and managing the land the Lord has blessed me with, I’m also stewarding relationships. We get to know our customers and their families. And likewise, they know us! They see our kids helping, we ask about personal things and care when the answers are downtrodden.
I get to spend my life in the midsts of creation, seeing, breathing, touching, fixing, caring for Gods creation. At the end of the of each day I’m rewarded with satisfaction and contentment. What a beautiful life to raise a family in!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We are happy to bring locals onto the farm and share our practices and more about our farm and history. Follow us on Facebook and get in contact with us we’d love to chat!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Glendorfarm.com
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/GlenDorFarm/
- Other: https://hallowedhomestead.shop/
