Let’s face it- there’s nothing more American than a big pile of well-cooked, juicy and succulent meat. But more often than not, the meat most people are buying isn’t of the best quality. It might not be very fresh or ethically raised, and it’s usually fatty and laden with hormones and other harmful substances.
That’s just not American!
But when it comes to TRUE American meat, raised and prepared the right way and shipped straight to your doorstep to ensure maximum freshness, only one purveyor will do- the fine folks at Freedom Farms, located upon 270-acres of lush pastures and ponds in nearby Greene, New York.
Owned by Long Island residents Dana Cavalea – former strength coach for the New York Yankees – and his wife, Lauren, who previously worked for ABC News, Freedom Farms was founded in 2020 to provide healthy, grass-fed, hormone-free meats directly to consumers, shipping beef, pork, and chicken – as well as numerous other products – nationwide.
But given their respective backgrounds in athletics and journalism, the idea of the couple pivoting to the farm life might seem a bit jarring to the outside observer; however, Dana said that, upon their retirement, the couple – who were living part-time in Florida at the time – were looking to purchase a home in their native New York to escape the summer heat.
“We came across this real estate listing and I said, ‘Ah, let's go take a look at this farm upstate, and we were just going to use it as a large-acre parcel to escape Florida heat,” he said. “And we ended up buying it from an older woman that was about 85 years old, just looking to pass the torch.”
“And our first summer up there, we looked around, and I said, you know, it's kind of a shame to have a farm and no animals on it,” Dana added. “And that's when the farm kind of kicked off. We bought 13 head of cattle off of Craigslist, because that was the only place you could really buy livestock.”
Starting off producing beef, Freedom Farms eventually expanded into eggs, poultry and pork as well, forming partnerships with other local farmers and increasing their output. Soon, word got out about the farm’s fine wares, and Dana found himself purchasing two Walmart freezers that he would load up with meat to transport via truck to Long Island, where it would sell out quickly.
Soon a van was purchased to keep up with the shipping volume, and approximately two years ago Freedom Farms began shipping nationwide, while purchasing more of the surrounding land to grow their operations.
One thing that stands out about Freedom Farms is the name, and Dana said that American pride isn’t just some catchy marketing gimmick- it’s how he and his wife proudly live their lives, each and every day. In addition, he noted that the name also reflects the hardships many people experienced during the period of time that they founded the farm- during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My wife and I are freedom-loving people, and we started the farm during a time where you didn't have many of the freedoms you would normally have,” he said. “You were told you had to wear a mask, you were told you had to be six feet apart from people, you were told where you could shop…we were losing our freedom.”
“So, when we bought the farm, it was like a symbol. A symbol of freedom,” Dana proclaimed. “People having the choice to buy right off of a farm, from a farmer. It gives them freedom of choice as it relates to their food supply as well.”
And when it comes to that food supply, Freedom Farms is all about doing things the right way; the animals are humanely treated, grass-fed, and pasture-raised without any hormones or other harmful additives.
“We try to keep things as clean and pure as possible,” Dana said. “Point of focus is always doing what's right for the animals’ welfare and health, and in-turn that produces good quality products for our customers. We also use a small family-owned USDA slaughterhouse as well that does things very humanely. So, as a result, we produce a much higher-quality product than what you buy at a grocery store.”
Currently, Dana and Lauren split their time between their Long Island home in Mount Sinai and the farm upstate – they have a farmhand couple that live on the property to oversee things, as well as a team for packing orders – while occasionally visiting Florida when time permits. However, with a busy and growing business, time is currently in short supply.
However, it is indeed time well-spent, Dana said, noting that he and his wife love their new lives as farmers, and are proud of how much they have achieved after launching new careers in fields radically different from their old professions.
“We started from zero, so it's a totally first-generation farm, which is very, very rare today,” he said. “When you leave professional sports, you're looking for something to do, right? And there's nothing more different than agriculture. But there's also nothing more American than agriculture as well.”
“I think every person is, in a way, looking for purpose, and what their next thing is going to be,” Dana concluded. “And for us, we just found that in working with the animals. It's a very logistics-intensive business, a very hands-on business. It’s kept us very mentally and physically active, and we love every second of it.”
To find out more about Freedom Farms and to place an order, please call 607-444-1396 or visit their website at https://wearefreedomfarms.com. You can also connect with Freedom Farms on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, and seasonal farm tours are available by appointment only.