ABOUT RIPLEY COVE FARMS

Ripley Cove Farms has been in the family since 1973. Chad and Christine Meinders, along with their three children, are the latest generation to join in the fun. The whole crew pitches in to raise abundant pastures and healthy cattle while producing the highest-quality nutrient-dense beef for the Meinders family and their customers. 

Farming is a long-held endeavor in the Meinders family. Chad is a 5th generation farmer who grew up farming with his family all before branching off on his own to manage a small herd of cattle in 2003. Christine had horses and spent her childhood and early adult years barrel racing. She joined forces with Chad in 2012, taking care of the herd and, with time, caring for their little farmhands, Chase, Blake, and Kylee. Their end goal, however, was always to get back to the family farm.

Ripley Cove Farms was established by Chad's grandparents, Bob and Marilynn Weil. Bob owned and practiced at the New Burlington Animal Hospital near Mt. Healthy before getting into farming full-time. 

From the very beginning, Bob and Marilyn implemented regenerative practices, using green manure and prescribed no-till, as well as promoting vigorous pasture production with plenty of quality legumes. They also developed various natural water sources on the farm and incorporated rotational grazing in a 15-paddock per group cycle. 

As a well-respected veterinarian, Successful Farming magazine asked Bob to share his knowledge of rotational grazing in February of 1999. In this article, Bob said, “our biggest concern is to keep a fresh supply of vitamins in front of them.” Twenty-odd years later and we are still recognizing how foundational this statement is.

Chad grew up helping his grandparents on the farm and always dreamt of being able to expand upon his grandfather’s vision and pass on generations of wisdom to his own children. In 2020, Chad and Christine began managing Ripley Cove Farms, intent on raising better quality beef through better attention to the enduring, natural production system. Starting from the ground up, literally. Focusing on soil health by implementing regenerative agriculture practices helps us do just that.