At Lighthouse Farm, John and Lisa Mesko’s main objectives are to: 
- Raise the best quality, local food available for our community
- Do our best to ensure that our farm is ecologically and economically sustainable
- Be good stewards of all that is in our care
With this as a backdrop, we aim to create an agriculture and food production business that incorporates our whole family.
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Since John was a little tyke “farming” his boyhood farm with toy tractors, with the “real deal” as soon as he was old enough and beyond, he has been involved with agriculture. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy, and a Master
of Science degree in Agricultural Economics with a Farm Management specialty from Purdue University. He is a former county extension agent and seed industry agronomist with over 20 years of experience in advising farmers and is currently the executive director of Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.
John has consulted with farmers in the US and in Russia regarding 
sustainable agriculture practices. He has also had many speaking opportunities to advance the cause of sustainable farming practices (including Twin Cities Public Television and the University of MN). He is well versed on the nuts and bolts of how to produce healthy food from the soil to the table and is also very well aware of the economic issues that challenge the sustainability of farms. His extensive experience and expertise provide a well-rounded perspective of the many aspects of agriculture.
Lisa has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Purdue University, is a Registered Nurse (with experience 
in pediatrics, neo-natal intensive care, childbirth education and pharmaceutical research) and grew up on a hobby farm. In 1986, a student at Purdue named John Mesko swept her off her feet and they’ve been having a ball ever since 
Her interest in health care took a different turn when John and Lisa became parents (of a couple of completely awesome kids ). Her awareness of what she was feeding her family birthed an interest in preventive healthcare and its relationship to sustainable food. John and Lisa’s interests in sustainability met simultaneously and complimentarily and fueled one another which is at the core of Lighthouse Farm.
Raising healthy animals that do not need antibiotics is our contribution toward decreasing the risk for antibiotic resistance. In addition, grass-fed meats have many health benefits. Michael Pollan addresses an issue that deserves attention and that is unless we change the way we eat, healthcare reform will fail. Hippocrates, the father of medicine words it so simply,”Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Of course, the first step that must be addressed in this is how the food is raised.
Our daughters love the farm! They each have projects on the farm 
that they enjoy. Haying time, lambing, calving and kidding (no joke) are some their favorite times. They also have responsibilities with school, 4H and other extracurricular activities to balance their lives out. Together, we make quite a team!
Our historic farm was homesteaded in the late 1800′s and is one of the last remaining, undivided homesteaded farms left in our township. With over 100 acres of pasture, we not only understand 
but are able to meet the needs and requirements for authentic, grass-based meat production. Our pasture and stored grasses (hay) for the winter consist of timothy, bromegrass, orchard grass, quack grass, clover and small amounts of various forbs.