Local Spotlight: Stryker Farm

Stryker Farm is a piece of sun-dappled woods in the middle of Saylorsburg, PA. Nolan Thevenet, Stryker's head farmer and owner, began farming in 2010 and people have been raving about the superb quality of his meats ever since.

Nolan is also known for the excellent living conditions he provides for his animals. On the family's forty-seven acres pigs, goats, and chickens have wide berth to roam, giving them the ability to eat almost exactly as they would in the wild. This offers one explanation as to why the meat he sells is so darn good.

Upon arriving at Stryker Farm, you will initially approach Nolan's farm store. Quaint yet modern, it is kept well stocked with a wide assortment of meats and raw milk. Nolan says he tries to provide his customers with the best of the best by gleaning information from his loose network of local farmers. The space is also used to showcase a few other local products, as well, such as soaps from Summer Kitchen.

Since the farm is still small they have very little staff. Currently, it's just Nolan and his mom, as well as a few delivery drivers who sometimes help out. He prides himself on the fact his farm is clean, without many of the usual smells that would normally be emitted from a pig farm. With such high standards one must assume Nolan works day and night to maintain his farm.

Unlike many farmers Nolan didn't grow up on a farm, nor did he come from a farming family. The farm was actually a result of something he dreamt up while attending Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. While living there he tried his best to fit in, but in his mind he was always wondering how he could spend more time outside. Since he enjoyed working with animals, he felt the profession of farmer was a logical choice for him.

His family had unused land in the Pocono Mountains, so the first thing he had to do was convince his mom he wasn't crazy. After some cajoling, she granted him permission to purchase a few goats and pigs to put on the property. This gave him some actual hands-on experience working with animals, and in 2010, he felt ready to dive into full-time farming, purchasing twenty more pigs and forty more goats.

Stryker Farm became a reality.

Currently, Stryker Farm hosts goats, chickens, and different types of heritage breed pigs. The goats and chickens graze in verdant fields, with the wooded part of the farm set aside for the pigs to forage. His pigs are an older breed much closer in instinct to a wild boar than the modern-day animal we're familiar with.

While most modern-day pigs are bred only to live in crates, these pigs are bred with maternal instincts still intact, they possess a superior ability to regulate temperature, and an instinctual intelligence that allows them to forage for their food. Although one would assume this would make the pigs more difficult to handle, Nolan said this actually makes his work easier since there's no need to babysit them.

When asked if he was happy with the decision he made while at Drexel, he laughingly replied, “Most days.” While there are certainly perks, like control over his schedule and the flexibility of being his own boss, there are also many stressors. Being a farmer is hard work, and the concerns he has now weren't the things he dreamed about while he was still living in Philadelphia.

Despite this, this man has stayed true to his vision and achieved his goal of maintaining the very highest standards. The pay-off is the final product: his meat, which is sought after throughout the Poconos for it's flavor and quality.