Building Community Through Local Food: A Conversation with Julie Schrader of Open Road Ranch

Spring is inching closer across the Midwest, even if the weather cannot quite make up its mind. In Wisconsin, the sun is shining and early signs of spring are popping up. In Nebraska and Minnesota, it feels unnervingly mild for this time of year. As we juggle graduation plans, farmers market prep, and the usual busyness of the season, one thing feels clear: time is moving quickly.

And so is a quiet but powerful movement back toward local food.

In this episode of Grit and Grace in the Heartland, we had the joy of visiting with Julie Schrader of Open Road Ranch in Greenbush, Wisconsin. What she is building in her community is inspiring, practical, and deeply rooted in connection.

A First Generation Farmer with a Big Vision

Julie is a first generation farmer. Her closest childhood experience with animals was a family dog. Today, she rotationally grazes sheep and hogs, raises chickens and laying hens, and creates value added products from her pastured pork.

Her mission is simple but profound: use as much of the animal as possible.

That means not just pork chops and bacon, but lard based soaps, dish soaps, laundry soaps, and what she calls “lard bombs.” It is about honoring the whole animal and teaching customers that fat, organs, and hides are gifts, not waste.

Education is central to everything she does. Julie welcomes customers to the farm to pick up their meat, see the animals, and understand where their food comes from. For many people, that connection has been lost. She is helping rebuild it one conversation at a time.

What Is a REKO Ring?

Julie also founded local REKO Rings in her area, a concept that began in Finland in 2013. REKO stands for sincere or fair consumption. The model is beautifully simple.

A REKO Ring operates primarily through a Facebook group. Farmers post what they have available. Customers place orders and prepay online. At a designated time and location, everyone gathers for a short pickup window, usually about 30 minutes. There are no on site sales. It is strictly preorder and pickup.

This structure makes it incredibly farmer friendly:

• Farmers bring only what has already been sold.
• Everything is prepaid.
• The pickup window is short and efficient.
• There is no risk of sitting at a market for hours with unpredictable sales.

Julie started the Sheboygan County REKO Ring in September. Within a month, it grew to 1,000 members. Today it has around 1,700 members. She recently launched another in Fond du Lac County, which has already reached about 500 members.

That kind of growth tells us something important. People are hungry for connection. They want to know their farmers. They want local food. Sometimes they just need a system that makes it easy.

Why This Model Works

The REKO model fills a gap, especially in the winter months.

Farmers markets slow down. Roadside stands close. Customers lose easy access to local produce, meats, dairy, and baked goods. Meanwhile, farmers are still producing and still need income.

With REKO:

• Orders are placed online.
• Payments are completed before pickup.
• Farmers park in a designated lot.
• Customers drive through, collect their items, and head home.

In Julie’s case, the gatherings take place in a Fleet Farm parking lot. The consistency matters. Same place. Same time. Every time.

It is efficient, predictable, and sustainable for busy farm families who wear many hats.

The Return to Local

One of the most encouraging parts of our conversation was hearing about the response from the community.

We often wonder whether the lessons of recent years will stick. During supply chain disruptions, many people realized how fragile long food chains can be. The question is whether that awareness leads to lasting change.

Julie sees signs of hope.

Customers are asking questions. They are curious about tallow and lard. They are open to learning about traditional uses of animal fats for skincare and household products. They are excited to meet the people raising their food.

In many cases, they simply did not know how to find local farmers before.

This is not about eliminating grocery stores. It is about rebuilding resilience and choice. Knowing who produces food within ten miles of your home matters. Having relationships with those producers matters even more.

From Farm Dinners to Facebook Groups

Julie’s passion for connection extends beyond REKO Rings.

Before she began farming, she organized farm to table dinners. Each table featured a different farmer. Guests shared a meal with the person who raised or grew the food on their plate. Farmers stood up and told their stories.

Now she is continuing that tradition through partnerships with local venues like Farm 1849, where she hosts farm dinners featuring local meats and produce.

It is not just about eating. It is about education, gratitude, and shared experience.

When people break bread with a farmer, something shifts. The food becomes personal. The work becomes visible. The respect deepens.

Profitability, Passion, and Possibility

There is always a practical question hovering over conversations about small scale agriculture.

Can this work financially?

Julie is building her farm carefully and intentionally. She started with manageable numbers. She leans on help from family. She grows at a pace that allows her to learn.

Profitability looks different for different people. Sustainability means balancing passion with practicality. What stories like Julie’s show us is that there is still room in American agriculture for creativity, courage, and community driven models.

There is still space for small farms.

There is still demand for local food.

And there are still people willing to do the work.

How to Connect

If you are near Greenbush, Wisconsin, you can learn more about Julie and her work at Open Road Ranch. She welcomes visitors, participates in farmers markets, hosts pop ups, and continues to grow both her farm and her REKO communities.

You can also find us at gritandgraceandtheheartland.com and on Facebook at Grit and Grace and the Heartland Women in Agriculture.

Stories like Julie’s remind us why we do this.

Sharing these voices matters. Rebuilding connection matters. Supporting one another matters.

In the meantime, have some grit and grace.