About
How Iron Wheel Farm Began
Iron Wheel Farm
Raising Animals Responsibly Educating the Future Correctly
Building of a lifestyle for the next generation with love, faith, and protein.
We are so excited to embark in our new adventure together. It is our calling to care for and educate children, both young and old. Over the coarse of our time being a foster family, God has opened our eyes to the reality of what animals and farm life can do for children both young and old. The compassion, responsibility, life skills, morals, and educational value that we’ve seen inspire these children to persevere and their desire and overwhelming thirst for learning more as well as watching them grow up strong and confident and seeing beyond the hardships of their past knowing there is a huge future for them, confirms our choice to officially begin and continue to grow Iron Wheel Farm.
Our Story
Local Family Farm
Justan and Stacy, both Sandpoint, Idaho natives grew up raising livestock, farming and showing animals in their local fairs and surrounding livestock shows. Both their families instilled a strong work ethic and an appreciation for the life they were blessed to live. As they grew into adults both shared the same desire to raise their children like they were raised.
Iron Wheel Farm is located on the south east end of Stacy's Family Ranch where she grew up. In 2003 her parents sold her the property with a small homestead on it. Stacy built a small schoolhouse on the property and together with her sisters began teaching preschool and Kindergarten. The school has since grown with additional buildings, teachers, and students up through 8th grade. This school, Selle Valley Carden School, has become a large contributor to the growth and passion for Iron Wheel Farm.
Justan and Stacy extended their farm property to include the school Agriculture Program. This program has been a huge success with the students and has raised so many opportunities for children who wouldn't other wise have the ability to raise their own animals, show them and then sell them for profit. Students learn more than just how to care for livestock. They participate in the veterinary work, the feed rationing, butchering, and maintenance. Farm work is only work if you don't love what your'e doing, and these children truly love it.
Students and families are a large consumer of Iron Wheel Farm's market animals. When animals are ready for market, students participate in the butchering process of the chickens and turkeys. They begin taking orders in February and raise the meat birds through the summer months. Students help butcher, clean and wrap the birds. Pigs and beef are processed on the family ranch at Wood's Meat Processing and are sold to the consumer with several options for their own personal preference in packaging and cuts.
All the profits from the meat sales goes directly back into the funds for purchasing another group of animals for students to help raise.
Justan and Stacy are also active in the Idaho foster care program. It is very common for them to have one or two extra children added to their family at any given time. These children love the experience they are offered while living with the Happell family. Iron Wheel Farm gives these children the opportunity to also raise their own animal, show them and sell them at the market sale. Each child that leaves the Happell family to go home, is set up with a bank account that goes with them and is available to them when turning 18. Children find it comforting and therapeutic working with the animals. It gives them a sense of worth, they feel valued and most of all they learn to love the animals as they bond with them. These animals depend on the children for survival. This responsibility is the first of many they learn to uphold.
