McCabe Family Farms: Growing Food, Family and Building a Legacy

For Joe and Amanda McCabe, farming is more than a livelihood – it’s a lifestyle centered on family, stewardship, and sustainable raised products. At McCabe Family Farms near Pilot Mound, they are raising not only livestock but also the next generation of farmers.

Today, the couple, along with their children – Trayton, Addison, Jaxon and Hazel – play active roles in the daily operation of the farm with each child learning firsthand the importance of responsibility, teamwork, and respect for animals and the land.

“My grandpa George bought the original farm near Chatfield in 1965,” Joe explained. “That’s where my dad, Tom, was raised.”

George raised sheep, pigs, dairy cows, beef cattle, and crops including oats, corn, and hay.

Joe smiles when he remembers one of his father’s stories about the family’s early soybean fields. “Dad said they grew soybeans one year and then they spent the whole summer picking button weeds.”

Today, the McCabe’s operate two farms. The original Chatfield farm consists of 560 acres and the 336-acre Pilot Mound farm. Tom purchased the second farm in 1990 when he was about 26 or 27 years old. Joe was raised on this farm where he now lives with his wife and children. Tom lives next door.

George passed away in 1995. Tom transitioned to farming full-time around age 30 after working part-time off the farm, delivering furniture for Drury’s in Fountain. Joe worked construction for about a year and a half after high school before realizing his future was in agriculture.

“I knew I wanted to farm,” Joe said. “Growing up, I’ve always liked animals. It’s a lifestyle.”

The couple always knew they wanted to raise their kids in the country. Amanda said, “Slower lifestyle.”

Joe added, “That is how we grew up. It’s the small things like the garden and the animals being born. Real-world experiences that I wanted the kids to grow up around, like I did.”

Hazel enjoys “playing with the animals,” while Addison appreciates the quiet countryside. Jaxon says his favorite part is “waking up in the morning and helping my dad with chores.”

After the couple married and started a family, Amanda continued working off the farm until 2011, when she decided to stay home, raise their kids, and help on the farm.

In 2016, they started the farm to table business.

You will find Amanda at the Lanesboro Farmer’s Market, where she sells their farm products. In 2020, they launched an online store, mccabefamilyfarms.com, making it easy to order a variety of meat cuts, which they deliver to customers in the area.

The farm currently grows 120 acres of food-grade oats. In the past, they shipped their oats to St. Ansgar, Iowa. More recently, they partnered with a new oatmeal mill in Albert Lea which is currently under construction. The mill purchased this year’s crop.

Adding oats to the crop rotation provides several benefits explained the men. “It’s good for rotation. Instead of just corn, soybeans, corn and soybeans, you get a third crop in the rotation. It helps break some pest cycles and weed cycles.”

Growing oats also helps reduce fertilizer needs, providing both economic and environmental benefits. Tom added that the farm practices no-till farming, meaning that they do not work the soil before planting. This approach helps reduce soil erosion, conserve moisture, and improve overall soil health.

The McCabes have embraced regenerative farming practices that improve soil health and protect natural resources. Through rotational grazing, cover crops, and diversified livestock, they work to leave their farm better than they found it.