Williams Valley Family Farm
Williams Valley Family Farm
Williams Valley Family Farm is nestled in the rolling farm hills of Clayton, WA. Local farmer and Williams Valley Family Farm owner, Dwayne and Susan Heatwole, are passionate about building the relationship between the farmer and consumer.
I took a drive out to their farm on a drizzly afternoon last week to meet Heatwole and take a walk around the farm. The lush farmland was highlighted by the overcast skies and made for a beautiful afternoon. Heatwole first showed me his fresh selection of a dozen beautiful eggs and a half-gallon and gallon cartons of milk. The quality of his eggs and milk looked unparalleled and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some of my own. We took a peek at the cows off in a pasture, and their chickens are just down the road. His children were out working and restocking the milk and eggs while we chatted. From my short visit it was clear that family is central to the farm operation.
Heatwole grew up on a commercial dairy farm but never developed a desire to be a “commercial” dairyman. With help from his family, their small family dairy, originally intended for small-scale distribution, has grown to 26 milk cows plus heifers and a pastured egg production.
Heatwole knows his cows like he knows a friend. “I get to see each individual cow on a daily basis and can tell by the look in her eyes how she is feeling,” writes Heatwole. All of his cows were purchased from a certified-organic farm in the region. They graze on grass, alfalfa/clover, hay and silage when the pasture isn’t available. When milked, his cows are given a small portion of barley and that’s all the grain they’re allowed in an effort to minimize consumption of corn and soy feed.
The Williams Valley Family Farm is a true family-owned and operated farm. The Heatwole family is the backbone of the farm and there’s no outside labor. Heatwole teaches his family about the direct connection between the quality of their product and their livelihood.
The connection between the farm to your table is central to the Williams Valley Family Farm. “You trust me to produce a safe and healthy product. I need to be transparent and do everything possible to maintain your trust,” writes Heatwole. The farm operates with accountability to the customer and their relationship. While the farm isn’t certified organic, Heatwole doesn’t purchase GMO grains or hay with the consumer’s interests in mind. With Williams Valley Family Farm, you know you’re getting quality. The high-quality products the farm produces demand a higher price point for the time and care invested by his family. This understanding and relationship between consumer and farmer is integral to the farm’s survival.
My time at the farm also made it apparent that the relationship between Heatwole and his customers is the driving force of the farm. He cares for his animals like he cares for his family and is committed to ethically producing the highest quality product for the greater Spokane area. At Share.Farm, we’re thrilled to feature their Grass-Fed Raw Milk in the ½ gallon and full gallon size, as well as 1 dozen eggs on our marketplace.
