From City Girl to Farm Entrepreneur: Lindsay Graham’s Journey

2024-10-08

“What is so understood to you is not understood to the average person. And I know that sounds really silly as especially multiple generations. Like it's just. It's so ingrained in everything, that outside perspective, like you're missing it. And that's one of the things that I will say as coming in from a total outside perspective, what I didn't know, I realized somebody else didn't know too. So I had to figure out how to communicate it.” As a farmer myself, I love sharing stories of other folks who are making waves in agri...

As a farmer myself, I love sharing stories of other folks who are making waves in agriculture. Today, I want to introduce you to Lindsay Graham, a first-generation farmer who's built a thriving business from scratch. Her story is all about family, hard work, and thinking outside the box.

Starting from Scratch

Lindsay and her husband Dustin didn't grow up on farms. They were city folks who dreamed of owning land. One day, they decided to just go for it. They bought a small property and jumped right in.

"We always talked about owning land, but like everybody says that," Lindsay told me. "We got married young and just continued to buy a little home and fix it up and move to the next home."

Their farm journey started simply: they got some pigs, then sheep, then cows, and chickens. They learned as they went, making plenty of mistakes along the way.

Building a Business

What started as a hobby grew into something much bigger. Today, Graham Acres supplies over eight stores and restaurants and does weekly doorstep deliveries across Northeast Oklahoma. They raise chickens, pigs, and sheep, offering high-quality meat to their community.

Lindsay didn't set out to create a big business. It happened naturally as demand grew. "The numbers made us get to that," she explained. "With meat chickens, we raised the very first time, like 25 for ourselves. And then it was like 50. And then it was 100."

As they scaled up, they had to keep improving their setup. What started as a small brooder for 20 chicks turned into a system that can handle over 1,000 birds on pasture at a time.

Family First

One thing that struck me about Lindsay's story is how she and Dustin put their family first. When everyone told them they had to do farmers markets to sell their products, Lindsay said no.

"It's just not fair for our family," she told me. "Monday through Friday, Dustin and I work nonstop. The kids go to school. And then Saturday we do a bunch of chores. And then Sunday we like try to talk to God and talk to each other at least a little bit."

Instead of markets, Lindsay focused on social media marketing and deliveries. This approach let her build the business while still having time for her family.

The Challenge of Working with Your Spouse

Lindsay was honest about the challenges of running a farm business with your spouse. "If somebody started a business on marriage counseling, where instead of sitting on a couch, you would take the people and put them in some type of high-stress animal operation and just observe, you would be able to highlight all of their communication problems," she said.

Her advice? Don't grow so fast that you forget to take care of your marriage. It's easy to get caught up in the business and forget about the most important partnership of all.

Making Farm Products Convenient

One of the keys to Graham Acres' success is how they've made buying from them easy. Lindsay realized they weren't competing with big store prices – they were competing with big store convenience.

"If you can figure out how to be convenient, you will win the game," she told me. This means having a clear website, clear instructions, and reliable delivery.

Looking to the Future

Graham Acres isn't slowing down. They're expanding to new land, bringing in beef through partnerships, and even thinking about opening a storefront. Lindsay's passion is clear when she talks about building a network of local producers.

"We have siloed too much. We've overcomplicated too much," she said. "It is not that hard for all of us that are doing stuff. There are people growing vegetables all the time that have no avenue to sale. It's not enough for a farmer's market. They have no interest in Facebook. Why aren't they selling through a co-op type of thing?"

Lessons for Other Farmers

Lindsay's story has some great lessons for anyone thinking about starting or growing a farm business:

Start small and learn as you go
Put your family first
Find ways to make buying from you convenient
Use social media to connect with customers
Be open to partnerships
Keep a close eye on your numbers
Don't be afraid to do things differently

If you want to follow Lindsay's journey, you can find Graham Acres on Facebook and Instagram. Her story shows that with hard work, creativity, and a focus on family, you can build a successful farm business from the ground up.