Seeds of Success: Ashley Tabbert

Ashley Tabbert and her family own and operate Tabbert Farms, a local beef farm here in the upper parts of the Ottawa Valley. Ashley says her husband grew up on the farm and after his dad passed, they decided to take over back in 2010.  Over the years, Ashley says they’ve downsized quite a bit to make things more manageable – especially with a young family. Tabbert says beef farming is much more easy-going than dairy farms and they look forward to the spring and summer months once new calves arrive.  Sometimes, the mothers won’t show interest in their newborns and Ashley says that’s when her own children get involved.  She says her kids like to help with bottle feeding when needed and the overall care of the animals.  Since moving to the farm, Ashley says it was a great opportunity to raise a family with a growing knowledge of the hands-on farm life.  The Tabberts have started to sell their own beef privately for the time being and are looking to get more experience before they start expanding on that aspect of farming.