Up in Independence, about 85 miles northwest of Houston, Glen Boudreaux and his wife Honi of Jolie Vue Farms chop up apples and lettuce and head out to feed the pigs. Chicory, a young black lab, lopes along next to the golf cart in that happy goofy way that labs do everything. She’s a city dog and needs the exercise, explains Honi.

The Boudreauxs live in Houston, and with the help of their ranch manager, handle the 107-acre farm in Independence plus 100 acres of leased land at Mayfair Ranch in Brenham. Glen and Honi Boudreaux acquired the Jolie Vue in 1989, and today they specialize in producing pasture-raised organic beef and pork.

In addition to supplying meat to area restaurants, what makes this family-owned ranch unique is its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation. For $269 a month, customers receive a 25-quart cooler filled with Jolie Vue beef and pork, as well as chicken from Jolly Farms in Alvin and eggs from Coyote Creek Farm in Elgin.

How long has your family been in business together?
Glen: The farm was acquired in fall of 1989, and we have been in business in some sense or another since then. But we began selling at farmers’ markets and to our CSA members in 2002.

What is a benefit of working with family?
Glen: We all bring different talents to the farm business and that is a great benefit. For any given solution needed, we always know the one, two or three family members to look to.
Honi: Not only do we build stronger family bonds and have such fun together, but we learn to problem solve, share information, recognize individual talents, bring prosperity to the farm, eat healthily together and just spend more time together. I am positive that the farm and the chores helped mold my children (and their friends) into solid citizens. Animals, gardens and crops don’t wait; chores must be done. Life happens, death happens, and we pull together and deal with it.

Someone wants to go into business with his or her family. What advice do you have?
Honi: Make sure you have definite ideas as to what your purpose is, what you expect of each other and to take breaks to keep your enthusiasm growing.

What legacy do you and your family want to leave behind?
Glen: The overriding mission of the farm is to raise animals with dignity and respect while providing clean, healthy and tasty food to the Houston metro community, all the while enhancing our soil, water and air.

What would you tell a young person who wanted to become a rancher or farmer?
Glen: It’s a wonderful life. Your pasture, your field or your tractor is your office, and you live in the natural world.
Honi: You’ll be your own boss, but there are no days off. You must be self-motivated and you must love the outdoors and hard work. But it is so worth it. Your family can be with you, your children can learn by your side. You don’t have to join a gym.

What would outsiders be surprised to learn about ranching in the 21st century?
Honi: How precariously close we are to not having enough clean water and food. We must keep family farms in the hands of individual families, not corporations. Read Silent Spring again. And I think folks will be surprised to know two things: 1) How much record-keeping farming entails: email, Excel charts, animal husbandry, rain and water records, types of grasses and use of land, and 2) How important the care of the land is so that future generations will have plenty of food. And that we still use horses. Many things don’t change.

Do your children show an interest in carrying on the family business?
Honi: My children and their spouses love this farm, and now our grandchildren are loving it, too. Right now, the kids are pursuing other professions. Yet they come for harvest days, farm field days, work days and events when they can. We also have family hunts each year, and we spend holidays together here. I think one of my grandsons will likely be the next serious farmer in charge.

What ambition do you still have?
Honi: I’d like to travel more and see other farms and land use.

“Every day I read …”
Glen: History and biographies, the newspapers and sports.
Honi: The Houston Chronicle. I like holding my newspaper. And I read lots of books – historical events, novels and a fun novel to fall asleep to.

What keeps you awake at night?
Honi: Nothing keeps me awake, literally. But I do worry about our food chain and how the government continues to interfere with natural food-raising methods.

What’s the best thing about your job?
Honi: Best thing about my job is that I get to watch the sun rise and set in a quiet, gorgeous setting. I can hear the natural world around me, watch the flowers grow and fade and get closer to our Creator. In this frantic world, it’s good to know there’s calm and quiet and peace.

The feature Families That Ranch Together appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of My Table magazine, now on newsstands or available digitally.