Dickenson Farms

10/07/2026

Hello all, we've had so many new followers from our new home that I feel like I should reintroduce ourselves, along with a bit of backstory. When I started this page, it was just me, a full time beef farmer between Brigden and Oil Springs with a full time off farm job too. I'd grown up on a dairy farm in Sarnia, absolutely loved the cows, but didn't like the forced routine of milking, so beef it was. I did my best to build and grow the farm, and most of our sales were at auction. Then, Covid hit. I'd built a small beef delivery business, and, as shutdowns were hitting, I called and booked every spot I could at 2 local abattoirs. Delivery took off, to the point that we ended up selling all of my cattle, as well as all of my dad's through the freezer for the next 4 years. My household grew too - I met, and ultimately married my lovely wife Sonya in 2020 and 2022. We welcomed our adorable baby girl Odette (Odie) in July of 2023 and moved to a better house than the one on the farm, thanks to Sonya selling her house.
By 2024 I was tired, and we made the difficult decision to move. Ultimately, we were either going to move to cheaper land, or downsize and I'd find a full time job. We decided if we downsized, we could stay closer to family, and a guaranteed cheque is a nice thing at the end of the day. So, I sold most of the herd, the feed, the straw and the farm, and we bought our current home in South Buxton.
I kept 5 cows of my own, and a few stockers so that we could continue, albeit on a smaller scale. Converting this farm to cattle took most of our first year, and the herd came to its new home in September of 2025 along with our bouncing baby boy Clayton. I'd hoped to bring in cattle to fatten over the summer and sell in the fall so that we could maximize the use of our land as we build up the herd. However, with prices being what they are, we elected to do that on an extremely limited scale this year. We do have a small amount of meat in freezers for packages, but probably won't be able to do any quarters until next fall, and that will be on a limited basis.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out, but also, please understand that I don't always have to time to check this, so at times, I may take a couple days to get back to you.
Joe

06/21/2026

Know your rights when it comes to rural trespass and property access.

Join OFA’s upcoming webinar on Thursday June 25 to learn more about trespassing laws, property access issues, and practical steps to help protect your farm and property.

Register today: ofa.on.ca/event/webinar-rural-trespass-and-property-access

Looking for additional tools to help protect your property? OFA’s highly visible "Private Property / No Trespassing" signs are available through the OFA Store.

Order yours: store.ofa.on.ca/products/no-trespassing-sign-1

06/20/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Jessie Canonaco for your wonderful review! We are truly grateful for your support and thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed our grass-fed, grass-finished beef.

There is nothing more rewarding than knowing our commitment to raising quality cattle and producing exceptional beef is appreciated by our customers.

If you've been curious about the difference that locally raised, grass-fed, grass-finished beef can make, we'd love the opportunity to share it with you. Reach out to us today and experience the quality, flavour and care that go into every cut.

Thank you for supporting local agriculture and family-farming it means the world to us!

06/13/2026

Huge thanks to the good people at the Merlin Volunteer Fire Department today. Clayton and I were setting up a water tank for the cows so that they don't have to go so far to water. I took Big Red because the AC works incredibly well, and she's a very comfortable tractor to drive in short bursts. Clayton was hanging out in the cab while I unrolled hose, and we moved along 100 ft at a time. I noticed a burning smell as I went to move the tractor, and I pulled Clayton and his carrier out. As I did, I noticed flames poking out around the ignition. Clayton and I backed up until we were close to the cows and I called 911 from there. We were met at the gate, not just by a fire engine going to contain the blaze, but also by firefighters happy to cuddle Clayton and make sure we were both ok mentally. Then, just before our new friends left, they asked if Clayton could take a picture in the firetruck. Absolutely! Luckily I have no hay cut, and I'm giving the field a bit longer before I do, so we don't have to replace Red immediately, but the search will start soon.

05/27/2026

Welcome our newest grass fed beef customer. Dickenson Farms loves seeing the new generation enjoying local beef

05/19/2026

05/14/2026

Important Update: Our freezers are restocked with our grass fed beef. Although individual cut prices are not immediately available, our BBQ packs are now offered at $200 for a bundle consisting of 5lbs of ground beef and 6lbs of assorted steaks, available for pickup at the South Buxton farm.

04/16/2026

Edit: Quarters are pending SOLD: Hi all! We only have 3 quarters left for spring. I also promised more details for people interested in playing the beef market. I'm still working out the final daily price, but here we go:
We would buy a calf for you this spring, and upon payment of the animal, it is yours. You then pay us a daily rate (monthly billing) based on growth over the summer and into October. Upon removal of that animal from the pasture, it is yours. You can either have us take it to the abattoir for processing, or if you'd rather, we can sell it at auction for you. It's yours. Our minimum daily price will be $1.75/animal/day. If the animal gains at 2lbs/day or more, the pricing will go up. Those prices are the ones I'm researching right now.

04/04/2026

Happy Easter a day early! Also, we have 1 full animal available for cuts going in April 21. If you're interested, message me and let me know if you want a quarter, a half or the whole thing. We will also have a limited number of packages available for the summer. That will be all we have available until fall (likely late Sept or October). Price is $8.75/lb cut and wrap included