Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebeka Halbert.
Hi Rebeka, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I am originally from Hawaii and ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of living on a farm. In 2013 that dream became a reality when my dad moved to Texas and we purchased 10 acres together. My dad grew up on the original Halbert Farm in upstate New York. He had always wanted to retire back to a farm because it was where his fondest childhood memories were. It was a dream come true for both of us. We worked very hard fencing and building shelters for my horse and chickens. We boarded horses in be beginning and tried to raise goats. We quickly found that goats were too much work and we got Kunekune pigs. I just thought they were cute but never realized how we would fall in love with them. In 2016 I met Josh and he started helping out on the farm. In 2020 my dad was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer and he slowly was no longer able to help on the farm. Josh quit his job at Lockheed Martin to run the farm full-time. We have 22 pigs in our herd and have 5 – 8 litters of piglets a year. We do farm tours through Airbnb Animal experiences 6 days a week. I still have my horse and we raise mini cows and a rare breed of chicken called the Salmon Faverolle. My dad recently lost his battle with cancer and he lives on through Halbert Farm.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Farming is always challenging, just when you think you have the hang of something, another problem arises. This year we had such a severe drought and rising feed costs really had us worried that we might not make it. Thankfully, we finally got some rain and it fill out ponds back up, the pastures are green again. The animals are super happy!
We’ve also had unfortunate loses. In 2019 the oak trees dropped an enormous amount of acorns. Our very expensive and fancy boar we had got earlier that year made a hole in the fence to get to all the acorns. He wandered farther and farther into a neighborhood every day but was always back home for dinner. So, we never knew he was missing. He was eating acorns in a neighbor’s front yard and he shot and killed him. I was devastated and it put our breeding program back a whole year.
With every obstacle and challenge we learn something and we always manage to get through it. Earlier this year we had that snowpocolypse. Josh and I were outside heating water, carrying water, checking on animals, etc for 2 weeks straight. We got almost no sleep. However, we did not lose a single animal, not even a chicken and after living through, no power, extreme cold, pipes bursting, we now know we can get through anything.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We focus on rare heritage breeds for sustainable farming and homesteading. We focus on Kunekune pigs and are one of the first breeders in Texas. We might not be the largest but we focus on producing quality friendly pigs with amazing personalities. We believe in socializing our animals and being mentors to our customers. We also breed mini zebu cows, they are the only naturally occurring miniature cow and also have A2 Beta Casein milk that does not have the A1 mutation that store milk contains. People who are lactose intolerant can normally tolerate A2 milk. Then our last breed we focus on are Salmon Faverolle chickens. They are on the threatened list, originated in France, they are a dual purpose bird (egg and meat). They were also bred to be winter layers! It is really nice to have eggs year-round. We sell our pigs via a waiting list and then chickens and cows as available. For people who want to visit, please look us up on Airbnb Experiences.
What matters most to you? Why?
Animal welfare and educating the public. Most people think of pigs as being dirty, wallowing in mud. Pigs actually love being clean! They would prefer nice clean water over dirty water. They do not have a smell and are extremely smart. We actually have a pig who lives in the house, Her name is Ripley and she is way better than having a pet dog. We couldn’t imagine life without her!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.halbertfarm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halbertfarm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/halbertfarm
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/halbertfarm
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBzhEHwdrYPqKj56ncwSuww
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/halbert-farm-kunekune-pigs-burleson
- Other: https://www.twitch.tv/halbertfarm
Image Credits
Rebeka Halbert
