About FH Farms – Granville, Ohio

Steve Finlayson and Jeff Howell

How a 25 acre farm of unusable soil was turned into a sustainable grass fed cattle farm.

Steve Finlayson

Trained as a research chemist, Steve started farming while working for a major chemical company. He bought a plot of land in the early ‘80s, built a house on it, and moved his family of 6 children and wife to the farm. The topsoil was gone, it was mostly clay and not very suitable for farming. Through composting, careful management, no-till practices, and pasturing livestock on the land, it has become a rich black dirt farm that now produces a rich lush pasture – all done without the addition of chemical fertilizers.

The farm started with a small garden and some horses which progressed to pigs, chickens, and a goat as well.  Once Steve began cattle farming the game changed.  There was a need for growing his own cattle to help supplement feeding his family and soon it blossomed into a business of selling quality grass-fed beef to the local community and then the high school and college.  The herd grew from a few to nearly 100 head of cattle in 2018.  Steve harvests his own organically grown hay from fields nearby and allows his cattle to graze on the fertile land he has created for them.  The farm has grown over the years, as has the demand for quality grass-fed beef.

Feel free to email Steve at:  steve@fhfarms.com

Jeri Finlayson

Jeri is Steve's wife and the H in "FH" Farms.  HOME... the place Jeri has made before the farm was a farm.  She has raised 7 kids on this farm, and has earned her place in the name.  Jeri says, "It really should be SJH Farms or even JSH Farms, but it doesn't have the same ring" and as a Finlayson, she is part of the name as well.  

 

 

 

Jeff Howell

Jeff runs a contracting business usually and is a skilled mechanic, welder, and all-around handyman. If you need an unusual job done, Jeff will figure out how to do it economically but soundly. He also raises horses on his farm. Together with his longtime friend Steve, they embarked on growing the farm into the enterprise it has become today.  Jeff also harvests the hay to feed the cows (and his horses) in the cold winter months and works on the farm when he can.  When it is time to herd, sort and check the cows, he is hands-on. He is also the fixer for all the breakdowns Steve is skilled at creating. Jeff’s construction talents have been invaluable in creating the farming enterprise and helping build the barns, fences, roads, and alleys. He has also helped with the installation of solar panels as well as modifying and building custom equipment to more efficiently work the farm operation.  This is not a picture of Jeff, however, it is an AI-generated picture from the words (Large, Caucasian, Cowboy, Beard, Rugged).

Feel free to email Jeff at:jlhbuilder@gmail.com

 

 

Brady Campbell

Brady is Steve's second son and Webmaster.  He designed and created the site to help his Dad out with his business.  He has been creating websites since the late 1990s   He has been helping his father around the farm off and on for years and sees the benefit of grass-fed beef and believes in it.  He should, he's a Registered Nurse by trade.   When Brady isn't Travel Nursing around the country, or at his home in Tennessee, he is traveling around the world and writing about it in his blog  The Indefinite Journey.

Feel free to email Brady at:  brady@fhfarms.com

Our Mission

FH Farms was established in 1985 by Steve Finlayson on their family farm of 25 acres in Granville, Ohio. Our mission is simple: We product the highest quality grass fed beef, without antibiotics, hormones, or grain finishing.  We want our customer to not only taste the difference, but feel the difference in health benefits.

Change In Modality

30 years ago we operated a strictly conventional farm raising a few cattle and an acre garden for personal use. However, as a result of a the growing need to feed our family quality products, we realized a need to provide the rest of the community with grass fed beef and began scaling our production of beef. We have come to the believe that how we manage our soil, plants and animals will directly affect the health of those who consume the products of our farming choices.

The New Vision

In the late 1980s we began scaling the production of our grass fed beef to sell to local institutions and our community. Due to the continued support of our community, our vision was eventually realized when the local school system and college began serving our beef to their students.  Providing a high quality, healthy product to those students and our community has created a viable  business based in sustainability.  From our cattle to the soil and from our solar grid to our organic hay, we provide a product to the community that is healthy and sustainable.   Our farm is small and efficient.  We have solar panels on the barn that provide power in a sustainable and in renewable manner which adds to the sustainability of the farm on a whole.  Our New Vision includes providing our customers with the best quality cuts of beef while protecting our family farm and the environment.