The four chickens have multiplied to become about 140 chickens, with 100 more coming yet this spring as the Carlsons work toward growing the flock to 500 birds.

Now known as Esther’s Acres, the farm produces lamb, chicken and eggs for a direct-to-consumer market and is expanding into garden produce.

“We brought the farm out of retirement is what we like to say,” Desiree Carlson said.

The decision to add livestock to the operation came about while sitting at home during an April 2022 blizzard. The Carlsons discussed the land and facilities that had been going unused on the farm.

Jill Schramm/MDN Desiree Carlson entices a few of her kunekune hogs with a pail of feed.

“We felt like it’s wasteful almost,” Desiree Carlson said. “We just felt like we have all these resources. Why don’t we do something with it?”

The result was they bought two bottle calves. One later died when struck by lightning, and Forrest and Desiree determined that cattle might not be the way to go for them. Instead, considering their limited space and pasture, they acquired sheep. Donald Carlson, whose father also had raised sheep at one time, invested in sheep as well and has been a valuable partner in the operation.

The Carlsons raise Dorper and Katahdin breeds, primarily for lamb meat. They don’t have the type of wool suitable for shearing, so they don’t have the lanolin in their wool that affects the meat’s taste. The result is a more mild-flavored lamb, Desiree Carlson said.

Esther’s Acres will deliver lambs for buyers to processors that have capacity to butcher for an animal’s owner.

Along with the sheep, Esther’s Acres is home to a sheep-guarding llama named Rosie.

Chickens entered their summer housing at Esther’s Acres this month. The housing can be moved from pasture to pasture, following behind the grazing rotation of the farm’s sheep.

“She eats grass and hay,” Desiree Carlson said. “So it’s not as expensive as dog food and she does a really great job. She’s pretty intimidating.”

Esther’s Acres has a few ducks and has sold duck eggs. It also has some registered kunekune hogs, a heritage breed originating in Asia and New Zealand. The hogs grow more slowly than traditional pigs but do well grazing on grass, Carlson said.

“They’re very friendly,” she said. “They’re just very gentle.”

Esther’s Acres participates in Community Supported Agriculture, in which consumers pay an upfront cost and receive products throughout the summer.

Carlson said she is passionate about enlarging her garden to add produce to the farm’s offerings. She plans to grow staples such as tomatoes and cucumbers but also wants to try less common items.

Rosie the llama stands guard over the sheep at Esther’s Acres. The farm raises Dorper and Katahdin breeds for meat.

“I’m really excited for that. And we have such awesome members that we signed up,” she said.

She also is looking to join a Minot farmers market to sell products through that venue.

The Carlsons are equally passionate about regenerative agriculture, using farming and grazing practices that rebuild the soil and improve biodiversity and the water cycle. Rotational grazing, no-till, indigenous practices and grass-fed livestock are among regenerative practices.

Desiree Carlson said Esther’s Acres has a mission to educate the community about where their food comes from and give them a better understanding of agriculture.

Esther’s Acres is launching a program in which families can “rent” three chicks. Esther’s Acres will provide the brooder, feed and bedding and the renters will have the opportunity to watch them grow. At the end of two weeks, Esther’s Acres reclaims the chicks and each participant gets a dozen eggs.

Carlson said there is potential to expand the program to schools and daycares if enough chicks are available.

In addition, Carlson created a video for classroom use to teach younger children about farm life. She designed a 20-page coloring packet featuring farm animals.

“We would love to get to the point where we can have farm tours,” Carlson said. “It’s a lot, especially when it’s a working farm, but I know there’s interest.”

A list of Esther’s Acres’ events and resources can be found on its website at esthersacresnd.com.

Esther’s Acres has been working with Strengthen ND, an organization that works with rural entities to increase their ability to thrive, along with other mentors who have helped with the development of a business model.

“We’re very much in the baby steps,” Carlson said. “We’re really just kind of getting ramped up and we’ve had an overwhelming support system. Everybody has been super supportive.”

Carlson, a Minnesota native, has agriculture in her background. Her grandparents operated a farm, and she had worked on a dairy farm. Forrest Carlson, who grew up on his family’s farm, teaches during the school year but devotes summers to playing an active role with Esther’s Acres.

The Carlsons named Esther’s Acres for Forrest’s great-grandmother, who came to the area from Wisconsin in the early 1900s. They wanted to recognize her determination and hard work as the first woman on the Carlson farm.

“There’s been a lot of other people out on the farm that have done great things,” Desiree Carlson said. “But she was the first.”