Meet Cassie Overholt, a young farmer from the Matheson area

By Emily Potter, Beef North Project Assistant

Tell me about your background.

I'm currently in grade 11 and agriculture has always been a passion of mine. I've been living on a farm with my family my whole life. We started in Charlton (in the Temiskaming District) and then moved to Matheson a little over 5 years ago, but we've always had beef cattle. Beef farming has been a big part of growing up for me. I've also been involved with our local 4-H clubs since I was old enough.

Together as a family we run ou r cow-calf and sheep farm, KoverRidge Farms. Right now on our farm we have 30-40 head of commercial cattle, as well as around 50 head of sheep, with a total of 320 acres.

Are you involved with the Matheson community?

Yes. Besides being a part of 4-H, I also competed in the Matheson Fall Fair Pageant in 2016. I won Miss Talent for lassoeing a goat. Being involved with the pageant allowed me to get into a lot of volunteering around town. It's allowed me to meet a lot of really great people in our community.

What do you plan on doing after high school?

I'm planning to attend Ridgetwon College for the 2-year program, specializing in beef production. I couldn't imagine not farming as it's always been my passion. Someday I hope to help my family expand our current operation so that we have a couple hundred head of commercial cattle.

In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge someone faces if they want to start a farm up here?

It would have to be getting access to start-up funding. There's programs out there, it's just a matter of knowing what your goals are and then finding a program that would work for you. Also determining which area of the north you want to be in. Make sure you have a solid plan for what you want to do.

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