About Us

My name is Thomas Hepler. Pictured with me is my wife Angela and our baby Anita.

We started Keystone Farm in 2021. We are located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia about 10 minutes from the town of Front Royal and 1 1/2 hours west of Washington DC.

Our hope, in a nutshell, is to produce simple, clean, nutrient dense meat and vegetables that lead to the healing and flourishing of our land, animals and community. We grow food that we want to eat; nutrient dense food free from chemicals, GMOs, and hormones and grown in a way that builds soil and heals our farmland and our bodies! 

We are currently running a small operation with plans to grow! This past year we raised pastured chickens. We added pasture raised eggs this year and hope to provide Thanksgiving Turkeys as well.

I was born and raised in northwest Pennsylvania. I did not grow up on a farm but was exposed to many of its aspects as our family always had a large garden and animals. Our family is also in the lumber business, and so from an early age I grew an appreciation for nature and our calling to be stewards of earth. I have many fond and character building memories walking, often miles, through the woods with my dad cultivating, marking and harvesting trees from the forests.

After high school I had the opportunity to study the Liberal Arts at Christendom College in Front Royal, VA. It was another very formative chapter of my life.

It was also during my time in college. that I met, my now wife, Angela. A year after graduation we began dating and ended up getting married in 2020.

After my college graduation, I worked for a year and a half in wine making. I worked a harvest in Germany and a full year at Rappahannock Cellars in VA. It was during this time that I knew I wanted to be in agriculture. I fell in love with the lifestyle; of working where you live and living where you work; of a family truly making a living and life together.

I didn’t realize that I wanted to start a regenerative animal and produce farm until 2020. It all came together after a conversation with a friend. He told about “these” small, regenerative farms that can support a family with small acreage and minimal financial input. Growing up, I had only been exposed to more conventional agriculture and the amount of capital it would take to start a similar enterprise had prevented me from being interested.

I read book after book. I learned about regenerative agriculture and how it is a way to farm that does not ravage the land like conventional practices but rather improves it and makes it a more fertile place. I learned about soil fertility and the billions of micro-organism and fungal networks beneath and their crucial part to play in plant and animal growth. I learned about market gardening and how you can feed 200 families vegetables off 1 1/2 acres. I learned about pasture raising animals and how animals can and should play an integral part in the farm. I also learned that farming on a small scale can be done in a profitable, wholesome way that could support the family that Angela and I were beginning.

Needless to say, I knew that this is how I wanted to live and support our family. Angela was 100% on board and was excited to delve into this journey with me. That September we bought some broiler chicks, raised them out on pasture and sold them to our friends and neighbors. We haven’t stopped since haha!

We are excited to be able to provide a local, independent food source to our family, friends and community and in a way that truly benefits everyone and everything involved! We hope to continue to produce flourishing food to nourish our community for years to come. We are truly grateful for the support you will or have given us!

Best regards,

Thomas, Angela, and baby Anita