ABOUT THE FARM
Me, The Witty Farmer, Owner/Creator: Jenny Sauer-Schmidgall has been farming all of her life, but full-time for approximately 8 years, in Winchester, IL
The Farmer
In May 2023, she lost her father, Hunter Sauer, during planting season, and has since taken on the position of the farmer/operator/manager of Sauer Farms. Now Jenny and her husband, Mark Schmidgall, farm corn, soybeans, pumpkins, cut flowers, berries, sweet corn, and Black Angus cattle. Mark and Jenny also have a 5 year-old daughter, Hunter Olivia. They most recently added Wangus cattle (they partnered with Peanut Coleman, from the state of Virginia, to cross black Angus w/ Wagyu). Sauer Farms has raised black Angus cattle for over 50 years. They are some of the most spoiled cattle getting treats that consist of old donuts, bread, pop tarts, etc. They also receive song and dance, of which we are sure they may or may not really enjoy.
We hope you enjoy the food we have to offer, and we are very proud to share what people in our community grow and prepare with all of you. Thank you for supporting small farmers, small business, and small food entrepreneurs.
Our Cattle
Their cattle contains no hormones, no steroids, no drugs or antibiotics, no animal by-products, and no mRNA vaccines. All cattle are open pasture raised on their pastures. Antibiotics are only used when necessary, and the cows CANNOT be processed if there are any antibiotics detected. They are grass and grain fed finished. Grain consists of oats and ground corn that is non-GMO and GMO, depending upon what is available. The same goes for the Wangus, and they are finished on Sauer Farms. All beef is processed at a local facility in Jacksonville, IL, Jones’s Meat & Locker. The Sauer Family have used Jones’s for decades.
Grab ‘N’ Grow Greenhouse
In spring 2022, Jenny opened up a patented self-serve, self-checkout greenhouse, and due to it’s success, opened up a mini farmer’s market, based off of the same business method, in November of the same year. Jenny’s husband, Mark, is a contractor, and built both the greenhouse and store.
The store “Grab’N’Grow Greenhouse by The Witty Farmer” has become it’s own animal. Jenny’s mom has been integral in helping to make the store a success, Theresa Sauer. They sell all different types of food products from local producers year-round. The store will start expanding into other towns/states in the coming years. Please enjoy all of their special offerings from their store today! All products are guaranteed fresh and produced by small farms and small business entrepreneurs.
The store has also been able to hire a few girls from the 4-H program to help, and now a few more people from the community. One step at a time…
Other Vendors We Work With
Loree Herring, “For Goodness Baked,” our bread lady:
Born and raised right in Winchester, Scott County. Loree was raised in her mom’s kitchen where she learned her cooking skills. She was the BEST BAKER. Loree uses her mom’s recipes, which are completely homemade with NO preservatives. She says working with yeast is more of a technique than anything. It is not something you pick up quickly but something that comes with much time and failures. She has created some of her own recipes and they are not something you will find anywhere else. Loree works full-time in the Winchester school district but always finds the time to bake and create. We hope you enjoy her products and she always says, “Warm Them Up, They Will Melt in Your Mouth.”
Sutter Produce (jams, jellies, pie filling, pickles, salsa, beans):
Julie and Ron Knoche married in 2004 and moved their blended family into their newly acquired historic c.1865 farmhouse. Julie, having been raised on a small family farm, and Ron, a life long farmer/farmworker, both enjoyed living in an historic old farmstead. The following year the first small garden was planted to help with family grocery bills. Ron said “that garden is awfully big”, however he soon declared that it wasn’t nearly big enough. Following the success of that first garden, Sutter Produce Co was founded in 2006 and grew steadily to where it is today. Today they are proud to offer their high quality, locally made jams & jellies to you, our valued customers
Spencer Pork:
Spencer’s Pork started in 2020. “We have always sold locker hogs to individuals, but with rising prices and shortages in the stores, we had people inquire about smaller amounts, rather than a whole hog…so we started Spencer’s Pork.” Jeff is a graduate of Spoon River College and a 3rd generation farmer. James is a graduate of John Wood College and the 4th generation of their family farm. James got his start with an FFA project and in 4H. “We raise our pigs outdoors on dirt with lots of room to run around.” They receive no growth hormones and no antibiotics. Antibiotics are only used when necessary, and the pigs are not allowed to be processed if there are any antibiotics present.
The Caramel King:
Mark Schmidgall decided to try his best friend’s caramel recipe, a five-star chef, and it turned into magic. From there, he started to make new varieties of turtles, then Oreos, and onto s’mores on a stick. Everything is all handmade, and best eaten cold.
Three Twigs (cookies and pop tarts):
Scratch made bakery & brunch restaurant. Locally sourced and handmade ingredients. The name “Three Twigs” is based on the owners, Tim + Emily Lewis’, favorite bible story inspired by the bible verse Ecclesiastes 4:12. The “Three Twigs” represent the relationship between a husband + wife and God.
One twig can be easily broken. Together (two twigs), as husband + wife, they’re a bit stronger. However, with God being the third twig that stands with them, they’re unbreakable. As long as the three twigs stay together, they’ll always succeed.
This business is built on a strong foundation of faith and love. God + the love for each other + the love for the community + the love for customers has always been the main focus, which is why Three Twigs is what it is today.
Elm City Roastery:
Hand crafted in small batches. Single origin, small batch coffee, locally roasted in Jacksonville, IL.
Wellthy Juice Co.:
A mother daughter team (Clark girls) from Winchester, IL started their own business of creating healthy juices. They are on a path to help others to obtain the most healthy of ingredients.
Hamilton Homestead:
Faith Hamilton, owner of Hamilton Homestead, lives in Frederick, Illinois with her husband Josh and two daughters, Brooklyn and Sadie. Their homestead started as just a few laying chickens because fresh eggs taste so much better than store bought eggs. After having children, they were looking for ways to feed their family high quality, local meat without all of the bad stuff. That’s where the meat birds came into play. They bought a small batch of Cornish cross, they pasture raised right in their backyard and processed themselves, the taste was so much better they knew they had to do more. They now raise 100’s of Cornish cross at a time. The birds live a good life and are spoiled rotten. It’s a family affair, and the kids are 100% involved in the raising and spoiling of the chickens. The chickens are fed a locally grown, high quality feed, and moved to fresh grass multiple times, daily.
How Delivery Works
We believe in making it easy and convenient for you to enjoy our premium, sustainably-raised meats. We offer several options to get our products from our farm to your table. Contact us when you plan to come so we can prepare your order for you.
Farm Pickup
For those who prefer a more hands-on experience, you’re welcome to visit at 1237 Old Rt. 36, Riggston, IL and pick up your order directly from the farm.
No Steroids and Hormones
No matter where you are in the country, you can enjoy the taste of Heritage Homestead’s premium meats with our nationwide shipping service. *Shipping cost will vary depending on state.