“I told him we were never going to get egg chickens. And then he talked me into some egg chickens,” Brittany laughed. This marked the start of the Frudzinski’s adventure in agriculture.
Ben and Brittany Frudzinski originally started their adventure together as automotive engineers. Within the past few years while raising their three children, the Frudzinski’ s realized they wanted to experience growing and raising their own food.
With the egg laying chickens giving them a running start, they dove into learning more about our food system. Brittany noted, “We found the importance of quality food, and what it could mean to grow it into a business.”
Eventually, the family started raising meat chickens and meat ducks. After two years of successfully raising poultry, they now have added seven pigs!
The Frudzinski’s are in the process of building their forever farm where they will continue to expand their operation. The couple found their land and are in the process of a DIY home construction through GreenStone. In the meantime, Ben and Brittany are educating themselves on homesteading and what that could look like on their new farm.
“At first, I kind of brushed it off, I didn’t think I would be eligible. So, I started poking around, and realized I did meet the criteria!” Brittany shared her experience about GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth Grant.
To qualify for the grant, you must meet one of these three options. GreenStone members can qualify for up to $1,000 and non-members can qualify for up to $500.
1. Young - 35 years old and younger.
2. Beginning – Have less than 10 years of farming experience.
3. Small – Make less than $350,000 annually on agricultural products.
With the help of the grant, Brittany was able to register for the online suite of courses called Foundation in Farming and Homesteading. The online course offers education on laying hens, broilers, pigs, cattle, and so much more! “They break the course into small nuggets, which is nice because I can watch as many or as few as I want without feeling like I’m stopping in the middle,” Brittany noted.
The Frudzinski’s were able to jump right into learning more about their land and agriculture as they began their operation. Brittany shared how the course she took aligned with their values, “The course is very into having a solid layout and focusing on regeneration. That’s our target and our goal.”
Between working full-time, farming, and having a family, it is hard to find extra free time, but the couple has found ways to make it all work. Instead of opening and closing their chicken coop each morning and evening, Brittany used her engineering skills to program the door to do it automatically. She stated, “And that’s what engineering does to you, you’re always asking questions. How can I do it faster? How can we make it cheaper?”
GreenStone aims to empower the next generation of agriculturalists, like Ben and Brittany. To learn more about our CultivateGrowth program for young, beginning, or small farmers click here.
