Heaven’s Hollow Farm: A Soil for Water Case Study

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Heaven’s Hollow Farm is a fourth-generation family farm that has been in operation since 1951. Jacob and his wife Jennifer and children operate the farm in Orange, Virginia. Jacob is a first-generation farmer. Jacob is thankful for the support of his parents and credits his involvement in 4-H showing cattle as a teenager for his career in farming and conservation. Jacob continues to learn and study through reading and visiting with other farmers. Heaven’s Hollow Farm is a commercial Black Angus cow-calf operation that also includes pastured poultry and pork. Most of their beef, poultry, pork, and eggs are marketed directly to consumers and local restaurants. Jacob and Jennifer take a holistic approach to managing their farm and seek to improve soil health, water quality, bird and wildlife habitat, and pollinator diversity as much as possible. Jacob describes their thinking about these processes and their rotations. Soil health, profitability, and quality of life must be balanced and should not be too complex. Being flexible and adaptable is important for Jacob and Jennifer, particularly with grazing, raising a family, and managing the farm holistically.