About Us
Healing the land.
Nourishing the community.
Wild Type Ranch was born from a belief that healing the land and nourishing our community are the same act — and that the next generation of farmers deserves a place to make it their life's work.
Our Mission
Superb food.
Healed land.
Strong community.
Our mission is to produce superb quality, highly nutritious food for your family, in a way that creates community and improves the land for future generations.
We ethically raise all our animals on regenerative pastures, producing incredibly tasty and nutritious lamb, pork, chicken and eggs.
Purchasing products from our farm supports your own health and well-being. It supports soil health and biodiversity. It supports the local community and foodshed. And it helps our young farmers build their life legacy in the business of farming.
Healthy Soil
Regenerative practices that rebuild the living biology beneath our feet — the foundation of everything we do.
Nutritious Food
Animals raised on healthy pastures produce food that is measurably more nutrient-dense and genuinely better tasting.
Balanced Living
Farming in harmony with nature's rhythms, respecting seasons and the well-being of our animals, our land, and our family.
Community Engagement
A community-rich, multi-operator farm built to bring next-generation farmers into lifelong regenerative work.
"Sometimes, passion and purpose become so clear and compelling that you're willing to put it all on the line, uproot your life and give it a go. And if you're lucky, you find kindred spirits to give it a go with you."
— Wild Type Ranch
What You Eat Matters
Our food system is in trouble. Our production practices, heavily reliant on synthetic fertilizers and chemicals designed to kill biology, have degraded the soil from which our food originates. The biological life of the soil is depleted across much of our agricultural land.
Without that microbiology, soils are compacted and rain doesn't soak in, creating erosion. Without the complex natural biological interactions, food becomes less nutritious and less flavorful, even as yields rise. And many farms are effectively biodiversity deserts, thanks to monoculture and biocides. Our highly industrialized large-scale farming leads to a food system divorced from the local community.
Purchasing products from our farm supports your own health and well-being. It supports soil health and biodiversity. It supports the local community and foodshed. And it helps our young farmers build their life legacy in the business of farming.
How It's Raised Matters
We ethically raise all our animals on regenerative pastures. Our founding principles “healthy soil, nutritious food, balanced living, and engaged community” guide every decision we make about how our animals live and how our land is managed.
Partners Sara Faivre, Brian Dougherty, and Justin Backstrom formed the farm in 2025 with the shared vision of a community-rich multi-operator farm. One of the farm's main purposes is to bring in next-generation farmers to become lifelong regenerative producers.
We are on a mission to provide Southern Wisconsin with the finest pasture-raised eggs, poultry, pork, and lamb — food that is as good for the land as it is for your family.
Who Raises It Matters
Sometimes, passion and purpose become so clear and compelling that you’re willing to put it all on the line, uproot your life and give it a go. And if you’re lucky, you find kindred spirits to give it a go with you.
Meet the Farmers
Sara Faivre
After nearly 20 years of raising grass-fed beef in Texas, Sara sold her ranch, uprooted and purchased 177 acres in Southern Dane County, moving back to her Midwest farm roots. She's a former Animal Science professor, ag biotech founder and investor, and executive coach. Sara feels that farming regeneratively while supporting next-generation farmers is the single most effective thing she can do to benefit the well-being of humanity and our world.
Brian Dougherty
Brian grew up with his hands in the soil — literally. A former Iowa dairy farmer turned regenerative agriculture consultant, Brian chases one big question: what does a farm look like when it works with nature instead of against it? With degrees in ecological and agricultural engineering, Brian has developed a reputation as a bona fide soil nerd. As a partner at Understanding Ag, he helps farmers across the country rebuild soil health, reduce inputs, and produce food that nourishes the body and heals the soil. Wild Type Ranch is where those principles come home.
Justin Backstrom
Justin is the farm's first beginning farmer partner. Growing up visiting and working on his grandfather's farm sparked a love of nature and agriculture. He's studied and applied the principles of permaculture on an urban farm in Chicago and on a ranch in Texas. Having worked as a chiropractor, inner-city high school science teacher, and college anatomy instructor, he brings health awareness and a zest for helping others learn the benefits of regenerative ag.
Dylan Ruger
Dylan's career goal is to ecologically produce food that genuinely improves people's health. During his time at Wild Type, Dylan learned production practices, business acumen, marketing skills and was immersed in our philosophical framework. He is returning to Iowa, where he will be attending college and continuing to help his father convert his grandfather's farm to regenerative production. Dylan is the farm's first intern. He will was with us through spring and summer 2026.
Together, we're building Wild Type Ranch not just as a farm, but as a model — a living demonstration that regenerative agriculture, local food systems, and next-generation farming are a path of hope in our ever-challenging environment.
