Our Family

We are Eric and Steph Haakonson, and together with our two daughters, we are the faces behind Red Pine Pastures.

Our Farm History

The original farmstead was established in 1890 by Nels Waage, a Norwegian immigrant whom raised prized Red Poll cattle. Despite numerous renovations and over 130 years of time, the original home and barn still stand. With time comes wear, and since purchasing the farm in 2018, we have been continuously rebuilding and updating. Although it’s a work in progress, with sweat and ambition we are working towards breathing life back into this old farm.

Since 2018, we have turned all row crop fields into grazing pasture. We have thinned our red pine stand to encourage and promote new, natural growth. We have planted thousands of trees and are doing our best to leave this farm a thriving homestead for the next generation.

Pictured below is the farm in the 1950s, generously sent from the individual who grew up here at that time.

Our Philosophy

We believe real foods are found in our gardens, our forests, and our communities, but most importantly, our pastures.

We believe you will not find the very best food down a grocery store aisle as food like this simply cannot be bought. We started our venture with the intention of producing the very best food for our family and have grown into producing food on a small scale for those who seek the taste and appreciate the value of real food as well.

We are not certified organic, but do practice and adhere to most organic (or better) standards.