Page 30 Stories of the Heartland • Sunday, September 21, 2025 hometownsource. com / heartland /
Farming, family and feathered friends at Feathered Acres
Blending tradition, innovation and family life on the farm in Belgrade.
BY JOSEPH STANICHAR STORIES OF THE HEARTLAND
Unsurprisingly, there are many animals at the Feathered Acres Learning Farm & Inn in Belgrade: sheep, pigs, chickens, cats and dogs. One of those dogs, Stout, a large St. Bernard, bounces and trots happily around the farm’ s guests.
Stout of course gets them, but also finds another treat on the farm: a pig carcass. Although repulsive to most humans, dead pigs are a fact of life on most farms that have them, and Stout is more than happy to gently pick up the carcass and take it away, his tail wagging excitedly as he prepares to dine on some raw pork.
This circle of life is often visible at the Feathered Acres Learning Farm & Inn, where visitors are encouraged to see how the animals that become their food are raised and prepared in a humane, sustainable way. This is a part of the blend of farming, education and hospitality that has made the farm such a success.
The Feathered Acres Learning Farm & Inn is owned and operated by married couple Trisha and Nolan Zachman, who also raise their two young children, 5-year-old Esther and 2-year-old Burke, on the farm. A third little one is on the way, being due in November.
In 2020, the Zachmans bought the farm from Nolan’ s side of the family and moved in. They started by listing the farm as a unique type of Airbnb for guests to stay at, which quickly grew in popularity. Noticing the community interest in the farm, the Zachmans expanded into offering farm tours and eventually classes and other special events such as weddings, baby showers and other celebrations.
At the same time, the family farm began to transform from a traditional farming method into a diversified, regenerative operation. For Feathered Acres, regenerative agriculture means a focus on cover crops, no-till farming, biodiversity and water retention improvements.
“ We’ re on the regenerative route,” Trisha said.“ We really make that the foundation of our farm and we’ re slowly trying to eliminate our inputs.”
Photos: Feathered Acre Farm
Visitors to the Feathered Acres Learning Farm & Inn are able to stay for the night. At the O’ Halloran House, there are two bedrooms and a full kitchen able to house five to six guests.