Dalton Farms of Wakeman, Ohio is a century farm that encompasses 2,000 acres of cropland where Edward and Rebecca Dalton grow corn, wheat, soybeans and spelt. The 2026 Top Producer of the Year award finalists also have a feeder to finish operation consisting of 400 head of Holstein steers they fatten out from about 300 lb. until finish.
For its success in the business of agriculture, Dalton Farms is a finalist for Top Producer of the Year, which is sponsored by BASF and Fendt. The awards banquet will take place, Feb. 9 as part of the 2026 Top Producer Summit.
From Tragedy to Triumph
Edward is the seventh-generation on this farm that split in 1990. He says it was a hard recovery requiring big sacrifices to keep the farm operating, but it allowed him to farm with his father until 2012.
“We farmed together for about seven years after college, so unfortunately my dad passed away of a heart attack,” Edward says. “And so at 27, Rebecca and I kind of took full responsibility of the farm.”
For eight years Rebecca juggled the farm, her career in nursing and family before pivoting.
“When we had our twin boys, I realized I wanted to be home more and be more involved in the farm,” she explains.
Family Centered Beef Business Emerges
That’s when the Daltons started selling their beef direct to consumers through their on-the-farm store called the Meat Barn.
“We started selling more freezer beef in halves and quarters, and that transitioned into smaller bundles for customers because they didn’t all want to buy in bulk,” Rebecca says. “That then turned into, can we get pork from you this way? Can we get chicken from you this way? And we started stocking more of those items.”
The Meat Barn sells products at 15 local gas stations and grocery stores. Plus, Rebecca is partnering with 30 other local farmers to provide the community with a variety of products sold at the Meat Barn and through farmers markets.
“We started just working with more local vendors to sell honey and maple syrup and popcorn and sauces and all of those things as well,” she says.
This has made the Meat Barn, and their farm, an agritourism outlet that focuses on direct-to-consumer goods, and they currently have a four month waitlist for halves and quarters.
“And we’ve added on multiple times already to help with that production, but the demand is there,” she says.
Rebecca says their customers like to know the farmer that produces their food, and Edward agrees that since COVID-19 the pendulum has swung back to consumers wanting to know more about their food supply.
“I think through this movement, people do care where their food comes from again,” he says. “They want to know the farmer and wanna know the story.”
Cattle Production Focused on Health and Efficiency
While the Daltons’ family-centered beef business focuses on consumers, Edward says they’re still pushing to reach their production goals in their cattle operation.
“We’re always trying to be as efficient as we can with feed rate of gain,” he says. “We’re not trying to always reinvent the wheel but making sure we’re not missing something. To just make sure our cattle are as healthy and as efficient as they can be because I truly believe the healthier they are from Day 1 until ending, the better product you end up with.”
The Daltons’ Laser Focus on Finances
From their beef and cattle business to grain farming, the Daltons track every aspect of their finances.
“We pay attention to everything is what we really try to do and try to be efficient with our money,” Edward says. “We don’t always have the latest and greatest of everything, but we try to be productive with everything we have.”
Transition From Organic to Commercial Grain Production
For the past several years, the Daltons grew organic grain, which helped them grow financially. However, Edward says last spring they made the difficult decision to switch those acres back to commercial grain production.
“We just couldn’t dedicate the time,” he says. “We were losing too much with our kids and with life experience and time we just could get back, and we chose the time with our family over being in the field.”
According to Edward, when it comes to grain production, efficiency is still their goal.
“Well, I’d always like to be more profitable per acre in our grain side, no matter what,” he says. “I think that’s probably a typical grain farmer, never satisfied no matter what.”
Building for the Future
The Daltons are proud of the financial progress they’ve made the past several years, such as adding employees to the team. Edward says he’s excited Rebecca can now be full time on the farm.
“Certainly, a milestone was being able to have my wife leave the hospital and come join us at the farm full time and have no off-the-farm income,” he says.
Rebecca says it’s a way to help preserve the legacy of Edward’s father and have it carry on through their sons.
“I definitely see our kids on this farm,” she says. “Whether it’s working the meat barn, I can’t tell you that, but I know that they will be a part of this farm, whether it’s row crop farming or raising cattle. I think that they would definitely have a part of the farm.”
