Beefing it up: Glovertown cattle farm set to expand
A family in Glovertown is putting all its eggs in a basket, every day.
That's along with other chores like milking cows, tending crops, and feeding horses, cattle — and a pygmy goat named Pepper.
Dianne Gordon, co-owner of Gordon's Farm with her husband, Robert, said the business started as a hobby but quickly grew to something bigger.
"We did have chickens and ducks and small livestock at our home," said Dianne Gordon.
"But we knew that when we moved to our farm we could have bigger animals, and figured it would be a good idea to start a cattle farm."
The family was living in a residential area of Glovertown when they purchased a 10-acre plot of land within the town limits. They built greenhouses, which were destroyed in 2010 during Hurricane Igor — but the seeds had already been planted, and Gordon knew farmer life was for her.
They sold their home in town and built a ranch-style house where the greenhouses had been.
Gordon gave up her home daycare business due to the farm's demand. This summer, she plans to hire help in the fields, barns, and their new on-site market.
They're also expanding outside town, purchasing 80 acres of land to become the largest cattle farm in Central.
"The plan right now is to get our extra land outside of town, clear the land and get more cows brought in from the mainland. We're looking at producing Angus beef, grass-fed."
It's been a long process for the couple, weaving their way through red tape.
"It takes two or three years just to acquire the land," she said, adding they hope to have the land by the end of the summer so they can start clearing it.
What started as a way to help her own family of five, Gordon said, tapped into a big demand for local food all over the region.
"I have people driving in from Norris Arm, Grand Falls, Twillingate, just for the products alone."
Plus she has the best co-workers.
"Being in the barn with the animals lowers your blood pressure. Hearing them chew. Hearing them moo. Neigh, whatever they do," she said. "It puts a smile on your face. And it does everybody else. It does the heart good."
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