Growing up in this small community it was common for people to know who the Steckler family was. It didn’t matter if we knew them or not, they at least knew someone with the Steckler name. This has been because of the life our grandparents built upon moving to Dubois County. Farming has been in our family's history which traced back to 1848 when our ancestors immigrated from Nieder-Liebersbach, Germany. 110 years later in 1958 our grandparents (Gilbert and Mary Steckler) purchased the land we farm on today. Before grandma and grandpa knew it they were raising 17 children, and creating a legacy that will be carried on for years to come.
Our father instilled the same work ethic and passion in us that his parents taught him. Our dad (Paul) is the 8th child of 17. He has spent his entire life farming and continues to grow the family farm every single day. In 2001 he started what we know today as Hunley Creek Heifer Farm. Throughout his years farming our dad has been extremely diversified, but animals have always been at the core. Because he grew up on a dairy farm, Dad started his business raising dairy replacement heifers for a local dairy and later transitioned to beef cattle. Today we manage beef cattle, dairy replacement heifers, a custom silage operation, and a grain and hay operation.
Olivia, Tabby, Gina, and Kendra's passions and work ethic started at a very young age. Growing up dad would pile all four of us in the feed truck or the tractor cab and take us with him. We watched him work tirelessly everyday for what he created. Once junior high and high school rolled around we started to grow passionate about different things and followed separate paths. All four of us went off to higher education and got different degrees. Olivia has a bachelor's degree in agriculture education with a minor in horticulture and plant science and is now teaching at Forest Park as an eighth grade science teacher and junior high FFA advisor. Tabby obtained a bachelors in Science in Animal Sciences then continued on to get her master’s degree at Purdue in Animal Sciences and now works at home on the farm. Gina got her nursing degree with a minor in health science management and is now a registered nurse at Deaconess Hospital. Lastly Kendra received two bachelors of Science degrees in Marketing and Sales and currently works at Scenic Hills at the Monastery.
We may have grown in different directions, but the love for our family and helping others is something we will always have in common. Farming is one of those occupations that is all hands on deck. Whether that is running equipment, feeding the cattle, cooking the food, cleaning the house, or watching all the little ones. We all work together to ensure everything runs smoothly. Even though all this, us girls still had an itch to create something of our own. That is where the idea of Steckler Family Meat Co. started. Everything started out slow as we were putting together exactly what we wanted the business to be and what we wanted the business to stand for. We are proud of the food we produce and want to share our corner of the world with our local community and we want to give everyone the opportunity to have quality meat at an affordable price right from their local farmer. So, tag along with us on our website, blogs, youtube, and social media to see the in and outs of our farming operation. We want our community to know exactly how we raise your food!
How does this all work? Our website will be the landing page for everything you need to know about Steckler Family Meat Co. : visit www.stecklerfamilymeatco.com
All of our meat products will be listed on the website and you will decide what cuts you want, how much of everything you want, and then you will purchase it. We will then package your order and deliver it to your house or to a predetermined drop off location. We will be doing deliveries every other week. All we ask is you have some sort of cooler outside your door for us to put the meat inside. We will also have a pick up location once a week if you want to order your meat in less quantities, but more frequently. We know that lives are hectic and busy these days which is why we are offering a pick up location and deliveries. All of our blog posts, social media accounts and youtube links will be available on the website for you to learn about all the farming topics we will cover.
Knowing where your food comes from and how it is raised gives you a sense of satisfaction that you never knew you needed. Follow along and join us in our families journey!
Thank you!
Olivia, Tabby, Gina & Kendra
