Communities, Elsie, Features, Ovid

Wilcox Heritage Farm… An Organic Farm in Ovid

By Deb Price – Editor and Publisher

Wilcox Heritage Farm is an organic farm located on South Shepardsville Road in Ovid. Owner Kevin Wilcox farms 200 acres on the same land his parents Bob & Margie Wilcox established in April of 1953 as a dairy and crop farm.

Kevin graduated from Ovid-Elsie in 1996 and went on to Michigan State University where he earned his degree in Dairy Technology. His first year in organic farming was in 2014. Three years previously, he worked to transition the ground, readying it for the farm owner who grows organically,” explained Wilcox. Organic farming is an agricultural system the uses fertilizers of organic origin such as compost, manure and green manure crops. It places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation
and companion planting.

Kevin is pictured here with one of his Black Hog piglets.

The small family farm raises organic and transitional crops (corn, soybeans and wheat) pastured meat, fresh farm eggs and straw. The crops are raised from non-GMO and organic seeds and are never treated with any harmful chemicals. Kevin buys his seeds locally from Michigan Livestock in Ovid and Quality Ag Products in St Johns. Most of the crops are certified organic. The ones that are not are transitional, which means they are grown the same way as organic crops, but not yet certified. To grow organically, one must be passionate about the process.
According to Kevin, the hardest part of the process is weed control. He uses three types of equipment to control weeds, a cultivator, a rotary hoe and flame weeding system.

The meat products they raise are Large Black Hogs, a docile heritage breed of swine originating in England. They have a stellar reputation of mothering abilities which extends to the boars as well who often tend to the young. “ I had a boar named Boss, I compared him to that of a dog. He was very friendly and loved getting attention, he especially loved having his ears scratched. He was a great hog,” explained Wilcox. The average litter is between 9-12 piglets. Typically the black hog breed grows slower than other breeds. The outcome claims to be is a more robust, flavorful meat. Heritage Farm also raises pastured poultry. “Our animals are pastured and fed organic and or non-GMO feed. They have never been treated with hormones and we grind and mix our feed on site. I believe in giving our animals the best life possible before they are sent to be processed,” said Wilcox. Their meat is processed by USDA inspected processing plants. “We never sell anything that we wouldn’t eat ourselves. We cook and test our meat products before we sell to the public” explained Wilcox. They sell pork by the whole or half by special order. You can purchase pork by the piece or poultry directly from the farm with an appointment.

Heritage Farm also has a flour mill and sifter where he and his wife Ruth make their own wheat flour. Ruth also has a food wagon, she attends local events like the rodeo at Tom’s Western and other events where she sells homemade waffles, brats, syrups and jams. Catering is also offered for weddings and other special events. The couple share 6 children who also contribute to the family farm business. The farm is located at 2305 S. Shepardsville Road in Ovid. For more information or to make an appointment call 989-834-2387.

Cover Photo

Kevin Wilcox pictured here at the Heritage Farm sign.

Be sure to check out our Spring Farm Special Section in this week’s edition of The Meridian Weekly.