Spring Hope Farm: Building on Tradition to Serve Chester County Community Through PA Beef to PA Schools Program

Jacob and Becky Yohe operate Spring Hope Farm in Chester County Pennsylvania together with Becky’s parents Dennis and Dottie Byrne, who successfully managed the Angus cattle farm for the Herr Corporation. The Yohes take pride in raising registered Black Angus cattle. “Becky’s family was in the cattle business for almost 50 years. At Herr’s they were dedicated to raising high quality cattle and fostering strong genetics. As we set out to begin farming alongside them on our operation, that was a tradition we wanted to continue,” says Yohe. 

Contributing to the local community and acting as stewards of the beef industry are also traditions the Yohes wanted to build upon. The PA Beef to PA Schools program, administered through the PA Beef Council, allows the Yohes to supply close to 250 pounds of beef per month to two local school districts. The aim of the program is to provide Pennsylvania school students with more beef, more often. It also allows schools to procure beef at a more affordable rate, opening the possibility of working directly with local farmers. 

The Yohes say the program is a win-win for farmers who care deeply about serving their local communities and school districts for whom acquiring fresh, local food is often out of reach.

For more than ten years, the Yohes have worked to build a herd of high-quality cattle with strong genetics. In 2014, the couple bought their first herd from a dispersal sale and purchased land in Nottingham, PA. “We built the farm from scratch,” says Yohe. Following the program built by Becky’s parents, the Yohes recognize the importance of strong genetics in producing great beef. “Genetics is a big deal to us. It creates the quality of the beef and is what we’ve focused on from the beginning to improve the overall quality of our herd,” Yohe says. 

Like many farmers, agriculture and raising cattle is a passion for the Yohe’s, but it’s not their only full-time job. Both Jacob and Becky have jobs off the farm. Becky is a nurse practitioner and Jacob works in construction. “Farming and raising beef is a passion for us,” he shares. “We love when people come to the farm and their eyes light up—that’s the part that’s rewarding.” 

Yohe shares, “Many of our customers are concerned about where their food products come from, whether it be tomatoes, cucumbers, or beef. For our community and customers, it means a lot that they can come to the farm, see the cattle, and ask us questions. They can see what we’re feeding and how the cows are cared for—that’s huge for people—especially in today’s global economy when cattle are being imported from other countries. Whether it’s our customers who purchase beef at the farm or the students in our schools—they can see how hard we work to be stewards of our animals and give them the same respect they give us.” 

At Spring Hope Farm the Yohes focus much of their business on both bull sales and finishing out cattle that they then market directly through their farm to local consumers. “Our goal is always to turn out a consistent, quality product,” says Yohe. “We sell bulk beef packages of quarters, halves and wholes and recently expanded into selling smaller packages and individual cuts when we have the availability. We always have a lot of ground beef on hand. When we were introduced to the PA Beef to PA Schools program, it was a great fit because it gave us an outlet for the ground beef and filled a need for the two districts we serve—Unionville Chadds Ford and Avon Grove.” 

For small farmers like the Yohes who are balancing their passion for agriculture with full-time jobs off the farm, programs like PA Beef to PA Schools are doubly rewarding. “The logistics of running a small farm and selling a product can be challenging. At the end of the day, we want to serve as good stewards to our community and strong partners to other farmers in our area. We want to be stewards of the agriculture industry and provide quality products that people enjoy and which offer excellent nutrition,” says Yohe. 

### 

The Pennsylvania Beef Council is a producer-controlled and funded organization, which administers the Beef Checkoff Program in Pennsylvania. The Beef Checkoff Program assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.