Rooted in five generations of history, we provide food that’s good for you, good for the land, good for our world.

About

A man wearing a plaid shirt, jeans, gloves, sunglasses, and headphones is riding a vintage red tractor on a farm field. The sky is partly cloudy, and there are green trees in the background.
A person wearing sunglasses and blue overalls sitting on a red tractor outdoors with a blue sky and clouds overhead.

Glacier Ridge Farm is five generations of hard work, perseverance, and vision. We believe in a farm that promotes a healthy ecosystem, and a place that’s welcoming to everyone. We use regenerative agriculture and work with nature, not against it to produce food that’s good for you, the land, and our world.

What is regenerative agriculture? Regenerative ag uses practices that promote healthy ecosystems from the water and soil, to the food produced. We plant different crops each year on a multi-year rotation to replenish soil nutrition. We move animals through paddocks so that grass has time to regrow, maximizing animal and pasture health. We integrate warm season grasses and wildflowers to diversify the ecosystem, encourage deep roots that are drought-tolerant, and sequester more carbon. This gives wild animals forage and cover, promotes a healthy ecosystem, and combats climate change. Regenerative agriculture requires patience. It isn’t the most efficient way to farm, but we know it’s worth it.

How do you raise your animals? Bison are a cornerstone of our operation, and they are a keystone species in the prairie environment we call home. Our bison are on pasture from the day they are born until they day they die. We do not finish bison on grain to fatten them for harvest, and we don’t ship them to a facility for slaughter. At Glacier Ridge, we field harvest bison to ensure there is no stress and no pain for the animal, and it ensures the highest quality product for our consumers.

Who are your farmers?

Nate is the fifth generation from a farm family. He was inspired by the summers and harvests spent on the farm when he was a youngster. After decades of success in corporate sales and leadership, Nate left the 9-5 office grind to steward the farm legacy for another generation, and to shepherd it into regenerative practices. Nate manages the bison herd, organic crops, and our equipment.

Amanda is a first-generation farmer and is the Georgia peach on the prairie. She manages the small animals, visitors and website, and writes grants for the farm. She teaches full-time at Mount Marty University in Yankton, SD.

In recognition of our commitment to regenerative values, we are the proud recipients of a 2024 grant from American Farmland Trust’s Brighter Future Fund.

Logo for Brighter Future Fund by American Farmland Trust with a sun, hills, and blue sky illustration.

History

The farm we now know as Glacier Ridge Farm began in the late 1890s when the Preheim family fled persecution in Russia (present day Ukraine). Beneficiaries of the Homestead Act, federal legislation that forcibly took Indigenous lands by encouraging settlement throughout the ‘frontiers’ of the United States, the family settled in southeastern South Dakota. They lived first in sod homes while building the permanent home - a home that still stands and houses the family today. The history of this place is fraught - built by immigrants fleeing persecution, seeking and finding safety and religious freedom, this place is also a representation and lasting legacy of settler colonialism, Indigenous removal and ethnocide. We honor the family who had the courage and strength to move across the globe to make a new beginning, while we acknowledge the generational harms to others.

As the fifth generation on this land, we continue to steward the legacy, while we innovate and look towards the future generations who rely on our work today. We are transitioning crop production to organic certified, which is a three year long process. We are upgrading fencing, looking into renewable energy options, and planting diverse mixtures of native warm season grasses and prairie flowers. While you’ll find us running antique tractors to accomplish our work here on the farm, we look at the cutting edge science and longstanding wisdom that enables us to produce food that’s good for you, good for the land, and good for our world.

A rural farm scene at dusk with a clear sky, farm buildings, a silo, and an oil well pumpjack, surrounded by green trees and grass.
A bison and a calf grazing on a grassy field under a partly cloudy sky with trees and a fence in the background.

Hours and Location

Freeman, SD 57029

We are a working farm and open to the public by appointment or designated event only. Please join us for a scheduled tour or check out our other events. If you are a photographer or videographer and would like to discuss working with us, please send us an email.

gr-farm@outlook.com

A woman standing in a grassy field under a bright blue sky, wearing blue overalls, a blue cap, sunglasses, and a watch, smiling with hands on hips.
Close-up of gloved hand holding three eggs outdoors in winter, with snow-covered ground, trees, and fencing in the background.
Two people in winter clothing standing outdoors in a snowy landscape, with a fenced field and overcast sky in the background.
Two young foals standing close together on green grass, with their heads touching in a peaceful outdoor setting.

All images on this website are courtesy of Amanda Reinke and Nate Preheim. They are not available for use.