Verhaeghe Family Starts New Venture
Published: Friday, January 9, 2026
The newest farmstand in St. Joseph County is located north of Walkerton, just off Tyler Road. There, at 69515 Sweetbriar Rd., you can find locally grown meats, baked goods, jams and jellies, pizza dough, eggs and even lip balm and essential oils.
The Verhaeghe family held a ribbon cutting last month to initiate their new direct-to-consumer marketing venture. Customers who stop by the farm can enter the shed and select the products they want to purchase. There is a money box for customers to deposit their check or cash, but members of the Verhaeghe family take turns monitoring a camera to make sure the riff-raff don't take advantage of the honor system.
"There are three of us on this camera system, and we talk to you," Dawn Verhaeghe said. "They go out and ring the little doorbell if they have a question."
Dawn and her husband Jason own the farm and raise lambs, hogs and beef steers for local 4-H'ers. They also market some of their beef, pork and lamb meat through the farmstand, which had a soft open last June. In the fall, the Verhaeghes sold mums, pumpkins, gourds, vegetables and fall decorations.
Dawn comes from a six-generation farm family that knows how to work hard. She operates her own cleaning service and helps out with the livestock operation. Jason works full-time in sales at Keystone Cooperative.
Together, Jason and Dawn raise hundreds of acres of crops and have 125 ewes, 40 sows and 40 beef cows. Right now, they are caring for newborn lambs and pigs.
"That's what we're doing right now is having lots of babies for the sales," she said.
The farmstand supports three families. In addition to Jason and Dawn, other members include son Seth and his wife Claire and son Hunter and his wife Raelyne.
Jason and Dawn also have two daughters, Haley and Taylor, who both live in southern Indiana.
The idea for the farmstand came from Raelyne, who lives in Crumstown with Hunter and their son. She was pregnant and looking for a way to sell baked goods out of her home. Her plan was to place the farmstand in front of her house, but eventually Dawn and her two daughters-in-law, Raelyne and Claire, decided to work together.
Claire makes her own lotions, lip balm, face wash and a natural skincare product known as whipped tallow moisturizer—made from beef fat.
To set up their farmstand, the Verhaeghes found a shed, hooked it up to electricity and equipped it with a freezer and a country-themed décor.
"It's worked," Dawn said. "It's very nice, at the end of the day, for everybody. It works for the girls, and it works for our family."
Raelyne and her mother, Cindy Summeier, create the baked goods in a place they call the "Barn." It's actually a second-floor kitchen with a play area for Raelyne's son, Huntlee. They bake two to three days a week. The most popular item from their kitchen is cinnamon rolls.
In the six months the farmstand has been open, the Verhaeghes have sold the meat from four or five hogs and about the same number of lambs. Beef sales have been so good that their entire inventory was wiped out.
"People come in here and say, 'Where's the beef?'" Dawn said. "Well, it's all sold for next year (2026), but I can put you on the list."
All the meat sold from the farmstand is state inspected, according to Dawn. The product list includes various pork sausages, pork burgers, lamb chops, lamb ribs and ground lamb.
One woman recently purchased all the ingredients for biscuits and gravy. Customers can also find homemade pizza crust. Farm fresh eggs have been a good seller.
Dawn said she advertises through social media and yard signs, but a lot of people know about her products through word-of-mouth.
"If you want to make sure you get something, pre-order," she said.
After six months, the family has been pleased with the results.
"To keep it right here at the house and the farm, we're able to stay on top of it," Dawn said. "It works with the girls. It gives them a little extra money when they're home with the babies. It helps our farm, because it gets our name out more. People know what they're eating."
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