Alumni Profile: Down on the farm

Like many farmers, Dan Kremer wakes long before the sun rises. But before heading outside to tend to his 140-acre farm in Yorkshire, Ohio, he takes advantage of that first hour to quietly reflect.

“It’s really precious time for me,” Kremer said. After that, however, the energetic father of six kids, who range in age from 8 to 23, harvests grain, milks cows, collects eggs and more. His farm, E.A.T. Food for Life, sells milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt and eggs as well as grass-fed beef and chicken, pizza crust, flour, bread and even cookies — all non-GMO and organic. Kremer delivers food directly to customers, but E.A.T. also operates a farmhouse site off Wayne Avenue in Dayton.  The small, intimate setting allows Kremer to connect personally with families picking up their order. 

“We just want to help families eat healthier,” Kremer said. “Food should be flavorful, locally grown and nourishing.”

He should know. Kremer is also a hemophiliac, meaning his blood doesn’t clot normally, so health has always been a priority. It’s part of the reason he ditched a successful corporate career and returned to his family’s farm in 1997.

“It was definitely a calling,” Kremer said. “But it’s where my roots are and where I spent many hours working with my father.”  Farm life meant Kremer also had to call on lessons he learned studying mechanical engineering at UD.

“It wasn’t a cakewalk for me, so I developed tremendous discipline and hard work studying for Dr. [Howard] Smith’s classes,” Kremer said.

Hard work indeed. With a herd of 75 cattle, 10 dairy cows and 500 layers, there’s no shortage of labor. It’s why when Sunday rolls around, Kremer takes a much-needed rest.

“God designed it that way,” Kremer said.