Fluit Family Farm

Mike Fluit, wife Joanie, and daughters Ryya and Lexi run this family farm located in Joseph, Oregon.  Their third daughter Demi lives off the farm.  Joseph is in Wallowa “Land of the Winding Waters” County, situated in the far northeast corner of Oregon near the Idaho and Washington borders.  You won’t find a single stoplight in this county, population 7,000. 

The valley the Fluits call home is surrounded by rugged mountain landscape that is full of spectacular beauty and history.  Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians lived in this part of Oregon up until the late 1800's.  His unwillingness to cooperate with the government's relocation efforts led the military to evict his people from this land, and they retreated north, hoping to make it to Canada.

They were attacked just 16 miles from their home, and for the next three months, Chief Joseph led them on a highly successful strategic retreat, that amazed the American military leaders.  800 Nez Perce eventually traveled 1,700 miles throughout the northwest, while being pursued by 2,000 soldiers.  Finally, after a 5-day battle in freezing weather, while lacking blankets and food, Chief Joseph admitted defeat, swearing he would fight no more, for the rest of his life. 

A quarter of his people had died during those three difficult months.  Those who survived were taken to eastern Kansas.  Eight years later, the Nez Perce were allowed to move to a reservation in Washington State.  Chief Joseph died there in 1904, and was originally buried there.  His remains were moved back to his homeland, and placed in their current location, in 1926.

The Nez-Perce Indians are noted for creating the Appaloosa horse.  If you are an early American history buff you can learn more at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Joseph.

Mike grew up with cattle in Iowa.  He and is family used to have a custom haying operation in the Columbia Basin for several years but were looking for a slower more family oriented lifestyle and ended up in Joseph, Oregon in 1998.  He likes the grass that grows in this high mountain valley.

“We started here just growing hay selling mainly to feed stores in the Portland area. Got to thinking we were selling our soil fertility in the form of hay that was leaving the farm”, says Mike.  “I had been learning about the health benefits of grass-fed beef and reading about intensive grazing and Gearld Fry’s articles.  We decided to change from hay to grass-fed beef and bought a small herd of 70 Red Angus,”
Gearld visited the farm in 2004 and helped the Fluits evaluate their herd.  In 2005 they started using AI to breed the cows using the great Rotokawa 688 semen and have been breeding to Rotokawa bulls ever since. 

They now direct market their grass-fed beef at farmers markets, local grocery stores, restaurants and schools through a coop they started with a group of ranchers that they met at a Gearld Fry school in Ontario. Oregon. 

The Fluit family farm got their organic certification in 2010 and do sell some organic hay in addition to pastured eggs and raw milk.  They plan to test their milk cows for the A2 gene and even breed for it in the beef herd.  They also want to incorporate pigs into the operation and plan to run Large Blacks behind the cows. 

Mike is considered a “Core Breeder” of American Herbataurus cattle.  His foundation genetics is Rotokawa Devon and he manages his herd using the Fry Herd Improvement Program protocols.  He used to calve in February/March but now does so in May/June, which has eliminated scours and the loss if income associated with it.  He lets the calves nurse for 10 months and is creating heifers that turn into cows that have adequate reserves to winter well and nurse their growing calves. 

“I’ve learned so much from Gearld Fry.  Reading his articles, hearing him speak, and our one-on-one conversations – it has all added up and the proof is in my animals.”

Mike admits marketing is the farm’s biggest challenge.  While the artisan segment of the Portland area’s population is growing and looking for healthy food many are vegans. 

Strip grazing has worked extremely well for doubling the organic matter in the farm’s soils and improving pasture quality and carrying capacity.  Mike has learned that poor quality cattle don’t make money and is pleased to say his herd is getting better and better.  He was invited to participate in the first ever American Herbataurus Cattle sale last September in Tampico, Illinois.  He brought and sold 5 nice cow/calf pairs. 
Farming in beautiful Joseph, Oregon is creating a great family living experience for the Fluits.  Mike and Joanie have high hopes that daughters Ryya and Lexi will someday carry on with the operation.  Their legacy is building top quality grass genetics for the benefit of this country we all call home. 

 

Visit their website at www.fluitfamilyfarms.com.

 

Some pictures of the Fluit Family Farm cattle: