Our Story and Philosophy

Purchased by John Dawes in 1970 with his brother Donald Dawes and Professor Herman R. Purdy, Penn State University, the farm evolved into a national and international source of Angus genetics. The first beef farm within Pennsylvania to use embryo transplant, Huntingdon Farm utilized this practice to produce nationally recognized pedigrees that showcased calving ease and better dispositions. Under the guidance of Professor Purdy, a show string of purebred cattle were assembled which produced multiple championships at the American Angus Futurity, The North American Livestock Exposition in Louisville Kentucky, and the National Western in Denver Colorado. It is interesting to note that one cow from our farm, HF Dixie, a Penn State Powerplay daughter was the mother of three herd sires which were shown to championship levels and exported to Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. John’s wife Katie and he traveled to Argentina to watch “HF Trendsetter” show in Palermo, their national show.

In addition to premier Angus genetics, at Huntingdon Farm, the environment is the primary consideration. Founder, John Dawes Sr. and acting Farm Manager, Bill Shoemaker have established the operation as a model for sustainability, grass-fed Angus beef that is light on the landscape and harmonized with our natural world. Huntingdon Farm is managed for maximum conservation, not maximum production. We sell our beef direct to consumers and aim to set a new standard where we re-invest assets directly into management practices that benefit our operation’s land, water and air. From the extensive best management practices (BMPs) utilized to the care given to our cattle, sustainability is our operation’s core value.

There are no less than 30 BMPs demonstrated and deployed on the farm. Most have utilized professional implementation expertise and cost-share programs to promote the farm’s core values. Huntingdon Farm is primarily grazing lands consisting of alternating crops of Red Clover, Crimson Clover, Annual Rye Grass, Sudan Grass, and soil rejuvenation plots of turnips and alfalfa. Vegetation is fed to the cows, reducing the need for costly and carbon footprint-intensive feed supplementation. Forested land within the farm’s boundaries is managed for habitat and farm income.

Farm Manager, Bill Shoemaker has single handedly pioneered Huntingdon Farm’s rotational grazing and innovative Sudan Grass practices. By establishing timely and routine movement of our herd between paddocks, our operation has increased soil health, maintained balanced soil nutrient levels, and greatly increased the quality of life of our Angus herd. Complementary to this practice, Bill has instituted progressive grazing of Sudan Grass in Huntingdon Farm’s Winter Pasture. This innovative cover crop reduces soil erosion and yields the highest quality round bales to keep our herd well-fed during the winter months.

Redefining Sustainable Agriculture Across Two Generations

Second generation farmers John Dawes Jr. and Katie Sabri Dawes are working to carry on the legacy of Huntingdon Farm. With a background in environmental policy and software development, John Jr. is responsible for overseeing and pursuing modern programs that seek to usher in generation 2.0 of sustainable agriculture where farmers build profitable business models around environmental restoration. Having seen many of Huntingdon Farm’s management practices implemented from start to finish, John is working to develop repeatable on-farm methods and software to validate Huntingdon Farm’s water quality benefits to Emma’s Creek and the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River.

Recognition

The Environmental Stewardship Award

In 2016 Huntingdon Farm was recognized for outstanding environmental achievement by the National Cattleman’s Beef Association by being inducted into the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP). Now in its 30th year, the Environmental Stewardship Award has annually recognized the outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of U.S. cattle producers from across the nation.

The Governors Award for Environmental Excellence

In 2007, Huntingdon Farm was recognized by Governor Rendell’s Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff with the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. The Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence is open to any Pennsylvania business, farm, government agency, educational institution, non-profit organization and individual that has created, or participated in, the development of a project that promotes environmental stewardship in Pennsylvania. This award represents one of the highest levels of environmental achievement in the state of Pennsylvania.