We're so glad you've found our site and warmly welcome you to our farm and Crane Dance Farm community!
Crane Dance Farm is nestled among the rolling hills, woods, and wetlands of Middleville in Barry County, Michigan. We are a sustainable, regenerative, chemical-free, pasture-based, multi-livestock farm and have been working humanely with our animals and in harmony with our land for over 20 years.
We've got an amazing team here! If you'd like to learn more about us, our farm, and why we feel farming regeneratively is a path toward healing for people, animals, and planet alike, please read our BLOG and sign up to receive OUR NEWSLETTER!
A good place to start is by reading: Our Agreement with the Cranes.
~ Your personal farmers, Jill and Mary
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JillFounding-Farmer · Chief Farming Officer · Owner
JillFounding-Farmer · Chief Farming Officer · Owner
MaryFarmer · Chief Financial Officer · Owner
MaryFarmer · Chief Financial Officer · OwnerAfter retiring from 22 years of teaching high school English and Vocal Music, Mary joined Jill in growing Crane Dance Farm to what it is today. She is also a beloved mom and grandmom, inspiring in them the value of hard work and the love for this farm. Mary finds great joy in connecting with both new and long-time customers at the market, many of whom have supported Crane Dance since its very beginning!
DaniDirector of Marketing and Communications
DaniDirector of Marketing and CommunicationsI am Mary's daughter, Danielle. My family and I live in BC, Canada. I am a teacher, a Holistic Wellness Practitioner (RHN), a piano teacher, and an educator and advocate for Regenerative Farming. I love Crane Dance Farm and happen to love the farmers too ☺︎ (who have always been she-roes in my mind in their efforts toward making our world a better place!) I spend a lot of time at the farm so am helping with the marketing side of things while they focus on the farming. I am writing the newsletters too, based on the values of Crane Dance and the guidance of Jill and Mary. I feel absolutely honored to be a part of such a beautiful and integral farm and our skilled, passionate, and FUN farm team!
TeriFarmer · Field Operations Manager
TeriFarmer · Field Operations ManagerWorking with the Chief Farming Officer (Jill), Teri carries out and directs the daily humane livestock care, land management, supply inventory, building maintenance, and general farm management.
Teri is an incredibly strong and integral asset to our regenerative farming team. She creatively faces head-on the daily task of problem solving in all situations and weather. We often agree that she's got the determined mindset and energy of an early "pioneering woman"! On top of that, she is an intuitive farmer and a compassionate human! We love having Teri a part of our team. Hopefully you will get to meet her at some point!
PaulaMarket and All-Around Support Staff
PaulaMarket and All-Around Support StaffFor those at Fulton and more recently at the Holland market, you undoubtedly know Paula: our effervescent, engaging, and much loved member of our CDF team!
Paula is an integral part of our sales and marketing element here at Crane Dance. She is the behind-the-scenes do-er of anything that needs to be done: sorting and inventorying of products, helping to stock freezers, getting us ready for market days, making fun and artistic signs and marketing materials, and so much more.
When she is not behind the scenes, Paula is a gem of expressive humor and warm engagement with customers at the market. You can hear her lively laughter far down the market isle!
Paula wears many hats (not just her visors!) When not at the farm, she works as a Volunteer Coordinator for the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota! As busy as that role keeps her, we feel privileged she has chosen for years now to be apart of our farming operation.
We appreciate her charisma, smarts, creativity, and friendship. It's never a dull moment when Paula is around!
CamilleFarmer · Market Staff
CamilleFarmer · Market StaffCamille is another incredibly valued member of our farming team with a fun personality and keen regenerative agricultural mindset.
Camille puts her livestock farming skills to work at Crane Dance when she is not on the road speaking at conferences and to farmers about Ensoil Algae™, a powerful and natural soil-amending bio-stimulant used in place of synthetic fertilizers on pastures and cropland. She is the Director of Education and Grower Support of this growing company. If anyone drives by our farm and sees a big yellow tank behind a tractor, have no fear! It's Camille spraying life-enhancing algae on our regenerating pastures ☺︎.
Camille is also a talented and published poet! You may find some of her poems in our newsletters!
SallyMarket Staff
SallyMarket StaffSally is one of our fun-loving, witty, organized, and brilliant Market Staff team members at Fulton Street. Outside the market and her daily job, she serves the greater community as a volunteer leader and coordinator for the Michigan Search and Rescue. On top of all this, Sally enjoys cooking clean healthy meals, especially using Crane Dance meats ☺︎! She is married to our IT Hero.
StaceyMarket Staff
StaceyMarket StaffStacey is very kind hearted and loves working with kids. She is a Community School Coordinator in the Kentwood Public School system. Stacey has lived in Equador and speaks fluent Spanish. Gardening and fishing are her go-to's. Stacey has been connected to our farm for many years, first as a customer, then as a volunteer, and now as a member of our Market Staff. Yay! We enjoy Stacey greatly and can always count on her cheerful disposition.
Mary Murphy (aka" Murph")Market and Support Staff
Mary Murphy (aka" Murph")Market and Support StaffWe call Mary "Murph" to distinguish between the two Marys here at Crane Dance! She is one of our Market Staff team members at Fulton Street and works part-time at the farm. Murph aspires to one day own her own farm. Currently, she owns goats and rents them out to eat other people's brush and poison ivy. She works for the Barry Conservation District and also lifeguards on the side. We love having Murph a part of our team!
JohnOur Beloved Beekeeper 🐝
JohnOur Beloved Beekeeper 🐝John, our beloved beekeeper, tends the hives on our farm. Talking with John, a person may catch a glimpse inside the fascinating universe of the beehive. Even a glimpse is utterly mind-blowing and John seems to be privy to it all! We're so grateful to John for his work with the bees, his beekeeper role at our farm, AND the highly nutritious, health supportive, and out-of-this-world HONEY byproduct that his work here offers us all!
CraigOur IT Hero - Volunteer
CraigOur IT Hero - Volunteer
We acknowledge that it has taken and continues to take a village to create and maintain a complex farm like ours. The list of farmers, friends, and family members who have supported us on this journey is way too long to list.
We are reminded daily of all your skill, generosity, and work as we walk around our farm. And we are endlessly thankful for you.
