Rettland Farm is a small, family-run operation on the Baltimore Pike between Littlestown and Gettysburg. Beau Ramsburg; his wife, Cat; and their three children raise pastured poultry and heritage pigs. Beau grew up on a dairy farm in Adams County, and after studying dairy science at Penn State, he planned to continue in the dairy business. In 2007 he raised five heritage pigs as a side project, and sold them to a local chef. This connection rapidly lead to other restaurant and retail business. By 2012 wholesale, pasture-raised meat had become Rettland farm's main product.

Rettland's animals are raised on pasture with access to the outdoors. Chickens are not raised through the winter, when temperatures get too low for them to safely remain outside. Beau's pigs come into the spacious barn when temperatures drop, ensuring their comfort and safety year round.

The Ramsburgs purchased their current property in 2013, in part because of buildings that could serve for meat processing and a retail location. In 2017, they opened The Farmstead Butcher, an on-site USDA inspected processing facility. Pigs are sent off-farm to a nearby abattoir for slaughter, then brought back to the on-farm USDA inspected butcher shop for processing into cuts and sausages. Chickens are slaughtered and processed on-farm. Recently they added a smokehouse, which will allow them to expand their offerings.

The Farmstead Butcher is also a retail outlet akin to a mini-R&R -- customers can buy a wonderful selection of Rettland/Farmstead Butcher meats, as well as other local meat, dairy, and preserved products.

Sustainability, animal welfare, and growing the local food community are at the center of Rettland Farm's vision and practices. In a video series highlighting Adams County businesses, Beau says, "I think all farmers have a responsibility to the land that they steward and know that they're only borrowing it for a while."

Rettland Farm is a small, family-run operation on the Baltimore Pike between Littlestown and Gettysburg. Beau Ramsburg; his wife, Cat; and their three children raise pastured poultry and heritage pigs. Beau grew up on a dairy farm in Adams County, and after studying dairy science at Penn State, he planned to continue in the dairy business. In 2007 he raised five heritage pigs as a side project, and sold them to a local chef. This connection rapidly lead to other restaurant and retail business. By 2012 wholesale, pasture-raised meat had become Rettland farm's main product.

Rettland's animals are raised on pasture with access to the outdoors. Chickens are not raised through the winter, when temperatures get too low for them to safely remain outside. Beau's pigs come into the spacious barn when temperatures drop, ensuring their comfort and safety year round.

The Ramsburgs purchased their current property in 2013, in part because of buildings that could serve for meat processing and a retail location. In 2017, they opened The Farmstead Butcher, an on-site USDA inspected processing facility. Pigs are sent off-farm to a nearby abattoir for slaughter, then brought back to the on-farm USDA inspected butcher shop for processing into cuts and sausages. Chickens are slaughtered and processed on-farm. Recently they added a smokehouse, which will allow them to expand their offerings.

The Farmstead Butcher is also a retail outlet akin to a mini-R&R -- customers can buy a wonderful selection of Rettland/Farmstead Butcher meats, as well as other local meat, dairy, and preserved products.

Sustainability, animal welfare, and growing the local food community are at the center of Rettland Farm's vision and practices. In a video series highlighting Adams County businesses, Beau says, "I think all farmers have a responsibility to the land that they steward and know that they're only borrowing it for a while."