Branched Oak Farm Prospers Under USDA Auspices

Farming is easily Nebraska’s oldest profession. Frontiersmen and pioneers coaxed a livelihood out of the soil for years before the land they worked was even considered for statehood. And the USDA is doing its part to bring the venerable occupation into the 21st century by fostering relationships between consumers and local producers.

The Branched Oak Farm, a 230-acre enterprise sitting some 15 miles north of Lincoln, is one such beneficiary of the USDA’s Rural Development Program. Branched Oak recently received a pair of grants totaling $30,000, transforming the modest grass-fed beef and free-range chicken farmstead into a full-fledged, certified-organic dairy specializing in cheese production.

“We applied for these grants as Farmstead First, the dairy marketing and production partnership we operate with ShadowBrook Farm,” said Krista Dittman, Branched Oak co-owner. ”I think the cooperation effort between our individual farms has been remarkable and also essential to developing this part of our business.”

Branched Oak Farm

The two grants — one for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education and the other a Value-Added Producer* grant — allowed Krista and her husband Doug to do extensive product testing, purchase necessary equipment and even visit other farms to observe their methods, all in the name of producing the best cheese they possibly could.

“(The grants) really helped us get started on our goal, which was to take a holistic approach to farming,” Krista said. “Our objective is not to grow and grow and grow, but to become really good at what we do, and to get to a place where we can run our business comfortably.”

Thanks to the grants, the Dittmans have been able to cultivate Branched Oak into a vertically integrated milk-curdling epicenter. Branched Oak owns and oversees all aspects of its operation, from the cows and the land to the cheese processing and marketing.

“I like the challenge and the diversity of what we do — there’s variety in the work,” Krista said. “There are so many different parts to the business; it’s a balancing act. And the fact that we’re in direct market sales means we are directly responsible to our customers. That feedback loop is pretty short most of the time.”

And all throughout the multi-tiered process of making cheese, the Branched Oak farmers keep a pervasive sense of humility about their work, a humble throwback to the state of Nebraska’s demure, hardworking roots.

“We care about what we do and we care about our animals,” Krista said. “I think it’s important for organic farmers to talk about the environment, but to not point fingers either. I really try and take the middle road on things, and just focus on making the best product I can.”

*A grant that supports entrepreneurial planning, such as developing a a business plan, and helps farmers and ranchers receive a higher percentage of each retail dollar.