Shorts Family Farm © All Rights Reserved
The Short family purchased the current home place in 1945. Pop and Dad operated the small dairy for about 12 years till Dad took over. .Norris and Laura (Dad and Mom) raised 9 children, all of whom graduated from Chimacum High School, and went on to get advanced degrees in several different fields. Needless to say, finances were always a struggle. Chores were a given, a necessity to survive.
In 1970 Roger purchased the 88 cows in the dairy herd and rented half of the Valley View Farm. Dad and Mom continued farming the remaining half raising replacement dairy heifers and starting a small topsoil business. Mom and Dad were always very active in the community. They were known for their church and 4-H work as well as Letters to the Editor.
Roger increased the size of Valley View Dairy to over 600 Holsteins and grownig forage on 500 owned and leased acres until 2003. Cash flow is always a problem on modem farms and ours was no exception. But the real killer is the moving target of new regulations from all levels of government (local, state, and federal) and those imposed by our marketing co-op.
With the milking herd sold in 2003, the farm turned to raising beef, producing compost and topsoil (Magical Soil), doing custom farm work for other farms. We tried for awhile to go organic and produce farmstead cheese. Roger just about died from the stress of the dairy cows and government regulation.
We have now changed our farm name to SHORTS FAMILY FARM. Roger is overall manager. Sandy is the farm bookkeeper between volunteering as an EMT at the local fire department. Bill works full time mainly with the Magical Soil business. Kevin handles the USDA BEEF sales. Lisa, Steve, Abbey, and Holly have jobs away from the farm.
Currently the farm operation consists of 400 acres used for pasture, silage and hay production for the 100 Angus beef cows and 100 calves and yearlings. We sell 100% natural grass fed beef by whole, half, and individual USDA inspected cuts. We also have grass hay and haylage for sale. We have a composting topsoil business known as Shorts Magical Soil which is sold locally. We also do custom farm work for several neighbors and clean up feedlots for additional manure for composting.
In 1970 Roger purchased the 88 cows in the dairy herd and rented half of the Valley View Farm. Dad and Mom continued farming the remaining half raising replacement dairy heifers and starting a small topsoil business. Mom and Dad were always very active in the community. They were known for their church and 4-H work as well as Letters to the Editor.
Roger increased the size of Valley View Dairy to over 600 Holsteins and grownig forage on 500 owned and leased acres until 2003. Cash flow is always a problem on modem farms and ours was no exception. But the real killer is the moving target of new regulations from all levels of government (local, state, and federal) and those imposed by our marketing co-op.
With the milking herd sold in 2003, the farm turned to raising beef, producing compost and topsoil (Magical Soil), doing custom farm work for other farms. We tried for awhile to go organic and produce farmstead cheese. Roger just about died from the stress of the dairy cows and government regulation.
We have now changed our farm name to SHORTS FAMILY FARM. Roger is overall manager. Sandy is the farm bookkeeper between volunteering as an EMT at the local fire department. Bill works full time mainly with the Magical Soil business. Kevin handles the USDA BEEF sales. Lisa, Steve, Abbey, and Holly have jobs away from the farm.
Currently the farm operation consists of 400 acres used for pasture, silage and hay production for the 100 Angus beef cows and 100 calves and yearlings. We sell 100% natural grass fed beef by whole, half, and individual USDA inspected cuts. We also have grass hay and haylage for sale. We have a composting topsoil business known as Shorts Magical Soil which is sold locally. We also do custom farm work for several neighbors and clean up feedlots for additional manure for composting.
HISTORY OF SHORTS FAMILY FARM
The Short’s Family