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Dawn Refsell and Doug Pontious own Mud Creek Farm in rural Polk County near Runnells. They raise beef cattle, chickens and bees, and love upon a collection of "saves and rescues" that include cows, mini donkeys, a mini mule and a mini pony.

RUNNELLS — When Doug Pontious and Dawn Refsell first met, they realized they shared a common denominator — their love for agriculture.

Refsell grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Wallingford in northwest Iowa with many family members tilling the ground before her. She was active in 4-H growing up, raising sheep from age 9 until she graduated from high school and went on to attend Iowa State. She was active in the agronomy club and majored in agronomy, then went on to earn her master’s degree in crop production and physiology.

Pontious spent his younger years as the third generation of beekeepers on a u-pick blueberry, strawberry and red raspberry farm in east-central Illinois. They also raised vegetables and flowers.

After graduation, Refsell took a job working at the University of Illinois as an extension weed specialist, then for Valent USA. She completed her doctorate degree in agronomy from Kansas State University and currently works full-time off her farm for Corteva Agriscience, leading the field sciences team in trait development and discovery.

Pontious earned his degree in computer-aided drafting and design from Metropolitan Community College — Kansas City and works as an estimator for MidStates Precast Products.

When the couple decided to lay down roots in Iowa, they found 55 acres of farm ground in southeast Polk County outside Runnells and called their operation Mud Creek Farm.

“The proximity to work was a major driver, but also the layout of the existing farm and landscape. For me, the rolling hills and river are much like where I grew up,” Refsell said.

On their farm, visitors will find beef cattle, chickens and bees. They also have a herd of “saves and rescues” that include cows, mini donkeys, a mini mule and a mini pony.

“I got into beekeeping on my own after we moved to Missouri,” Pontious said. “My dad sent me home with the beekeeping equipment. My dad and his dad kept bees. I helped a little as a kid, but then my dad took a break in the early ’90s. Honey bees are essential to our ecosystem and pollinate many plants. Beekeeping, like many things on the farm, can have its ups and downs, good years and bad years, but can also be very rewarding when being able to supply your family, friends and neighbors with local honey.”

Their beef cattle herd consists predominantly of Charolais cross, with as many as 30 head out in the pasture.

“I loved my grandpa’s Charolais bull when I was little,” Refsell said. “They are docile, adaptable — an ease of breeding and their efficiency/rate of gain matches well to our production practices.”

The beef they raise is grass fed, grain finished and BQA (Beef Quality Assurance).

“For us, it’s a matter of the resources we have access to, pasture and corn, and utilization of them efficiently and profitably. Our customers like how we have been successfully and tastefully finishing the cattle, so we will continue operating this way,” Refsell said.

They chose to place their herd in the Beef Quality Assurance program, which is designed to guide and educate cattle producers on the best science-based practices for cattle well-being, beef quality and safety.

“Training is tailored to your operation and ranges from herdsmanship, record keeping, facility management to transportation. For us, it builds trust with our customers. We are committed to the best management practices and high standards for beef production regardless of operation size,” Refsell said.

The couple populates their herd both from within and buying externally.

“We balance buying from the same supplier and what we have as a capacity to manage ourselves with the operation limitations of time and space,” she said.

As beef producers, they sell their meat directly to consumers and use a local locker for processing. They also process their honey for sale and sell eggs from their hens. Most of their customers for direct sales are from central Iowa, but they also have customers in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Georgia.

Mud Creek Farm also has a presence at farmers markets and connects directly with customers through social media, but also by referrals from friends and neighbors. They’re also working on construction of an on-farm store where customers can come to them and see firsthand where the products they’re eating are grown.

Refsell shared several recipes they love using with the products they raise. Since she’s gluten and lactose intolerant, she modifies recipes to accommodate her dietary restrictions.

“We also can a lot of tomatoes and mixes to use in recipes. My mom thought I was going to starve going to college, so she wrote out many recipes and they’re still my go-to. I can make them all by heart,” Refsell said. “We eat most beef cuts with just a little heifer dust, a seasoning we pick up on our annual trip to Sturgis. Doug also likes to brush a little crystalized honey on steak right before taking it off the grill for a light, sweet flavoring instead of salt.”

RECIPES FOR BEEF LOVERS

Grilled Peppery Steak with Asparagus

1 beef round steak — 1 pound

1 pound asparagus (trimmed)

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Marinade:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons steak seasoning

1 tablespoon thyme

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Place marinade and steak in a plastic sealable bag for six hours. Remove steak. Toss asparagus with oil. Grill steak until medium done and asparagus is tender. Sprinkle cheese over the asparagus when done. Rice works well with this dish, too.

“This is what we eat every weekend right now. With asparagus in season, nothing beats a good steak, fresh cut asparagus, followed by a bowl of rhubarb crisp,” Dawn Refsell said.

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound sausage or 1 ½ pounds ground beef

1/4 cup fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons minced onions, chopped fine

Dash of salt and pepper

Mix together the ingredients and roll into balls. Roll in the flour and brown in the skillet with a small amount of Crisco oil in the bottom. For the gravy, take the meatballs out and add 1/2 cup of water, 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour and add to the oil and meat juice.

Doug’s Stuffed Peppers

6 green bell peppers

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce or 1 can Rotel

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried leaf basil

2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 egg lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 cup cheddar cheese

Cut off the top of the pepper, remove seeds and membranes. Place in a pot and boil in salt water for five minutes.

Saute olive oil and butter in skillet until hot. Saute leftover pepper, onion and celery for five minutes. Add tomato sauces, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

Gently stir to blend, add ground beef, cooked rice and 1 cup of tomato mix. Stuff peppers and bake for 55 to 65 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Top with cheese and bake for the last five minutes.

Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 large egg

Small sized chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

1/4 cup ketchup

Potatoes for baking

Mix together the first six ingredients and place in a meatloaf pan. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add ketchup to the top and bake 10 to 15 more minutes. Put baked potatoes in foil and bake with the meatloaf.

Taco Salad

1/2 pound browned, drained and cooled hamburger

1/2 head lettuce cut up

1 tomato, diced

Small amount of chopped onion

1/2 package grated yellow cheese

Optional: Add black olives or red beans

Mix altogether with 1 small bottle or 1/3 of a large bottle of Western Dressing.