Mike Trent’s family has been farming on the Oregon coast since his Austrian-immigrant great-grandparents settled in Neskowin in 1889. In 1928, Mike’s grandparents James and Emma moved to Cloverdale and established a dairy farm on the very site that Mike still farms today. The family eventually sold off the dairy operation, but Mike and his mother held on to 65 acres, home today to over one goat, four dogs, a handful of donkeys, several heads of cattles, 100 head of sheep and over a dozen breeds of hen.
Without a cage or warehouse in sight, then hens run freely and feast on grass and insects, supplemented with a bit of soy- and corn-free feed. Among the Plymouth Barred Rock, Australorp, Leghorn, Buff Orpington, Black Star, Red Star, Rhode Island Red, Sussex, and Wyandotte hens are a number of so-called Easter Eggers, hens that don’t conform to any breed standards known chiefly for their friendliness and the blue and green eggs they lay.
Mike’s eggs are served at Portland’s very best restaurants, and once you’ve tasted them, it’s easy to understand why. Big, colorful, and absolutely delicious, they are truly farm-fresh and make every frittata, omelet, scramble, aioli and sandwich taste better. Likewise Trent Farm’s frozen chickens, which are raised the same way as his egg laying hens and never once see the inside of a cage. The ground beef comes from retired Jersey dairy cows, which, thanks to their grass-based diet, are extremely well-marbled and deeply flavorful. The tradition of slaughtering dairy cows for meat has its origins in Spain’s Basque Region, where the meat is highly prized for its distinctive rich flavor, and Mike’s beef offers Oregonians a chance to taste this special product without hopping on a plane.
Working with small, independent producers like Mike is truly one of the highlights of running Wellspent Market. His life-long dedication to his craft shines through in the end product, and the care and consideration he gives his animals is evident in the high quality of the eggs, chickens and beef he sells.
Photo credit goes to @trentfamilyfarms trentfamilyfarmsllc.com