About Us

 Natasha and Claire Wilson are sisters farming with their parents, Brian and Nancy Wilson, outside West Chester, Iowa, about 40 minutes south of Iowa City.

 

Claire, Natasha, Nancy, and Brian Wilson 

Brian and Nancy have farmed together on Nancy’s home place since 1982. They started their careers in office jobs before they were laid off and decided office life was not for them. Both having grown up on Iowa farms, they returned to farming and have spent the last 40+ years building a wealth of knowledge about how to care for animals and land and how to produce great food. Nancy and Brian have five children, twelve grandchildren, and two very good dogs.

 

Brian and Nancy Wilson

 

Natasha studied International Studies at The University of Iowa and had a diverse career before she started farming. She spent 17 years studying and working around Iowa and in Chile, St. Louis, Tanzania, Arkansas, and Washington, DC, before moving back to the farm in 2019. She loves reading, cooking local food, and learning the millions of things required to run a diversified farm. She receives encouragement and food reviews from her husband and two young children.

 

Natasha making deliveries

 

Claire is a social worker with an aptitude for mechanical jobs and a passion for all things animals and outdoors. She returned to the farm in 2023 and is excited about learning to care for the animals and assisting Brian with creative farm projects. She loves plants, foraging, hiking, reading, biking, and scheming up ways she could live by the farm pond.

 

Claire holding a laying hen

 

 We love combining our different skills to pursue our dream at West Fork Farmstead: building a sustainable, pasture-based farm to provide nourishing, high-quality food for our community and to care for our animals and land well.

 

Claire, Natasha, Brian, and Nancy Wilson with their pastured laying hens

More about us:

Feb. 15, 2024: Des Moines Register - New ag census highlights challenges for mid-size Iowa farmers

Nov. 24, 2023 - Southeast Iowa Union - Winter prep looks different on pasture-based farms

Nov. 21, 2023 - The News - West Fork Farmstead: Your friendly neighborhood egg delivery

Aug. 20, 2023 - The Gazette - Converting a Traditional Family Farm

July 26, 2023 - The News - Having a Field Day

Dec. 14, 2022 - Practical Farmers of Iowa - Clever Contraptions: Portable Chicken Shed Made from Salvage

July 5, 2020 - Southeast Iowa Union - All in the Family

March 27, 2020 - WFF blog - Introducing West Fork Farmstead