Steve & Kris in the greenhouse at Mud Lake Farm
So what's with the name?
On occasion, I have been accused of being mischievous. I generally profess my innocence and would tell my beloved that I am St. Steve. To this, she would scoff, “St. Steve, my foot!” It was this name we chose for our cordials and sodas. Unfortunately, the phrase “my foot” was too long to fit on the label so we compromised...
Now, occasionally I might get called out on this, "You're a saint?" Well, yes... Yes I am... but that doesn't mean that I'm perfect or better than anyone else. The word "saint" simply means "people of God" and that is the only sainthood we profess.
We pour our experience, playfulness, and creativity into all of our products, and hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Want a fun, outdoor, socially-distanced activity for your small family or friend group? Sign up for a farm tour & tasting by clicking the "Book Now" button on any of our website pages! You can some see the farm up-close and stay in our AirBnB apartment called "The Bird's Nest". You can also watch this video which was part of the 2017 Great Lakes Great Tastes PBS show. We were honored to be part of it!
Now, occasionally I might get called out on this, "You're a saint?" Well, yes... Yes I am... but that doesn't mean that I'm perfect or better than anyone else. The word "saint" simply means "people of God" and that is the only sainthood we profess.
We pour our experience, playfulness, and creativity into all of our products, and hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Want a fun, outdoor, socially-distanced activity for your small family or friend group? Sign up for a farm tour & tasting by clicking the "Book Now" button on any of our website pages! You can some see the farm up-close and stay in our AirBnB apartment called "The Bird's Nest". You can also watch this video which was part of the 2017 Great Lakes Great Tastes PBS show. We were honored to be part of it!
Welcome to our farm.
Mud Lake Farm is located in southern Ottawa County, Michigan with four biomass-heated hydroponic greenhouses. We are firm believers in sustainable agriculture, and enjoy exploring new ideas to make our farm more sustainable. We do not use any pesticides on our farm, but prefer to work with nature using beneficial insects to manage pests.
Why this way?
We'd like to explain why we do the things we do at Mud Lake Farm and with St. Steve’s Farm-Crafted Beverages. Let’s be honest, we’re weird or at least a bit odd and that accounts for some of it. There are a lot easier ways to make things that are more profitable than the way we do them.
Just the fact that we grow and make our products from whole ingredients is pretty unique. Most, if not all commercial sodas are made from flavors. Pour a little of this and a little of that and woh-la! A soda. So why take the time, energy and money to juice and slice real carrots, beets and ginger when we could just pour a bottle of something already to go? Why grow our own elderflowers when we could use a pre-made concentrate and nobody would know the difference?
At the core of this whole thing; the farm, the sodas, everything is the concept of Creation Stewardship. To some this may sound like religious or mystical mumbo-jumbo but it is really pretty simple. Our land has been in my family for 116 years. It was here long before us and will be here long after we’re gone from this earth. But we were placed here and now as caretakers and our job is to care for creation to the best of our abilities. Caring not just this farm, but to care for this country and our world as well. This job is not just caring about the environment although that is important but caring for people as well because they too are part of creation.
To love our neighbor as ourselves, is not just a verse in the bible, but one of the great commands. It is a primary lens through which we are to view the rest of the bible and all of life. We take this command seriously and we try to live out this command in every aspect of our company from how we grow to how and what we sell.
Just the fact that we grow and make our products from whole ingredients is pretty unique. Most, if not all commercial sodas are made from flavors. Pour a little of this and a little of that and woh-la! A soda. So why take the time, energy and money to juice and slice real carrots, beets and ginger when we could just pour a bottle of something already to go? Why grow our own elderflowers when we could use a pre-made concentrate and nobody would know the difference?
At the core of this whole thing; the farm, the sodas, everything is the concept of Creation Stewardship. To some this may sound like religious or mystical mumbo-jumbo but it is really pretty simple. Our land has been in my family for 116 years. It was here long before us and will be here long after we’re gone from this earth. But we were placed here and now as caretakers and our job is to care for creation to the best of our abilities. Caring not just this farm, but to care for this country and our world as well. This job is not just caring about the environment although that is important but caring for people as well because they too are part of creation.
To love our neighbor as ourselves, is not just a verse in the bible, but one of the great commands. It is a primary lens through which we are to view the rest of the bible and all of life. We take this command seriously and we try to live out this command in every aspect of our company from how we grow to how and what we sell.
Come VIsit!
Looking for a fun outdoor activity for your family or friend group? Come visit the farm! Our tours take visitors through our whole property and finish with a cordial and tea tasting in our very own tasting room (60-90 mins). You can book a tour using the link on any page of our website - join a public tour or book a private tour for your group (10 people or less)!
Mud Lake Farm is located at 3411 Ottogan St, Hudsonville, MI 49426
You can contact us on social media using the icons below,
call us at 616-890-7867,
or email us using the link in the page footer.
You can contact us on social media using the icons below,
call us at 616-890-7867,
or email us using the link in the page footer.