the ortman family

Will & Sherilyn met in college and were married in 1998. Having grown up on farms more than 400 miles apart, they soon discovered they had also both run strawberry u-picks and sweet corn patches in their youth. Before they even started dating, Sherilyn asked what Will saw himself doing in ten years. He replied that he would like to be married and doing something that allowed him to work beside his wife "from sunup to sundown." Little did either of them know his dream would come true, and with each other!

Innovation seems to be in the Ortman genes. Will's grandfather was the first in this area to plant soybeans. Father Arlan also experimented with different crops and animals, and was ahead of his time in harnessing wind energy, as the iconic farm "tower" testifies. As for us, we've dabbled through the years in hydroponics, an indoor winter garden program, and a peach orchard, to name a few. Each one of these ventures, and our eventual pursuit of organic certification, has had two aims: improving food quality and accessibility creating opportunities for our sons to stay on the farm, should they choose to.

Our three sons are also involved in various aspects of the farm. Christian, the youngest, is a budding orchardist and entrepreneur. In recent summers, he has been our righthand man at ice cream events and farmers markets. Middle son Solomon gravitates toward field work—especially anything that requires driving—and enjoys livestock. Liam, a ‘24 graduate, is also interested in orcharding, permaculture, and other innovative sustainable ag techniques.

Besides farming, we enjoy music and theater, traveling, board games and spending time with family and friends.