Walden Family Farmers: Steven Winkler

Keeping diversified farming alive on the East Coast

Up in the rolling pastures of Rodman, NY—where dairy used to reign supreme—you’ll find Steven Winkler doing things differently. With his wife Lisa and son Peter, he runs Lucki 7 Livestock Co., a diversified, regenerative farm where hogs, cattle, and lambs live the way nature intended: on pasture, with room to roam and purpose to serve.

Steven raises animals with intention and discipline—feeding the land, the local community, and a future beyond commodity farming. “I was sick of being dictated what we were going to get paid,” he says. “I watched generations before me suffer through unpredictability and commodity-based agriculture. I wanted to be a market maker, not a market taker.”

A regenerative ecosystem that’s carving a new path

The Winklers manage a rare ecosystem in the Northeast: rotationally grazed hogs and cattle, grass-fed lambs, plus barley, wheat, soybeans, alfalfa, and high-quality hay—all working in harmony. “In this region, we’re heavy dairy. To see diversified livestock like this—especially hogs—it’s just not typical in New York State.”

But it’s not just the animals or crops that motivate him. It’s the impact. “We live every day with these animals. We care for them. We love them. But we also love feeding people,” Steven says, pausing with emotion. “We’ve had over 40 youth come through this farm—some from split homes, some who struggled in school—and what we teach them is a lifestyle, but also discipline and how to be a good citizen.”

It takes all of us to create a thriving food system

For Steven, the collaboration with Walden Local is more than a sales channel—it’s a path to a healthier food system. “It takes all of us,” he says. “Farmers like me. Walden in the middle. And the educated, high-quality customer at the end. Without companies like Walden taking our food to the right people, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”

And what he does is something special. He builds soil. He nurtures animals. He feeds communities. And he’s doing it all with his grandson riding shotgun—because, as Steven says with a smile, “That’s my favorite chore of all.”