Life on a Pasture-Based Farm: Bane Family Meats
By Leslie Cooperband, farmer & storyteller
Life moves at a different pace at Bane Family meats near Sidney. Chickens wander curiously, prairie grasses sway, and conversations naturally drift toward food and family. David and Susan Bane have built their farm around a simple philosophy: raise animals thoughtfully, care for the land responsibly, and provide food they feel proud to share.
Farm History
David and Susan Bane both grew up in central Illinois before settling on their farm outside Sidney in the mid-1980s. At the time, the property was little more than a small cabin situated beside five acres of native forest, originally used as a hunting retreat. The hilly, wooded landscape felt different from much of Champaign County, and the Banes saw it as the perfect place to raise a family, plant a garden, and build a quieter life in the country.
Over time, both the family and the farm grew. David, a veterinarian with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, and Susan, an occupational therapist, expanded the property and eventually purchased nearby cropland. Rather than continue traditional row cropping, they transformed the land into permanent pastures with prairie grasses, tree windbreaks, and rotational grazing areas for livestock.
Today, Bane Family Meats raises beef cattle, chickens, turkeys, and woodland-raised hogs, all with a focus on pasture-based farming and animal welfare.
Built Around Better Food
Ask David and Susan what motivates them, and the answer comes quickly: quality food.
Long before farm-to-table became a trend, the Banes were thinking carefully about the meat and poultry they were feeding their own family. Combining David’s veterinary expertise with his farming background, they began raising their own food. Eventually, what started as food for their household mushroomed into a direct-to-consumer meat, poultry, and eggs business.
For several years, they supplied meats to the original Black Dog Smoke & Ale House in Urbana before launching their own meat and poultry CSA program. David especially enjoys his home delivery route, visiting with customers and hearing the stories behind why quality food matters to them. At heart, though, he simply loves caring for animals and believes deeply in the connection between healthy livestock, healthy land, and healthy people.
A Closer Look at Pasture-Based Farming
For the Banes, farm visits are a chance to help people reconnect with where their food comes from. They’re passionate about sharing how David’s husbandry practices allow the animals to express natural behaviors. David was also a longtime certifier for “Animal Welfare Approved,” a pasture-based, high animal-welfare certification program for livestock farmers, following the practices for his own livestock.
The Banes are also refreshingly open and honest about the realities of raising animals for food. As David’s dad, also a farmer, used to say, “We take care of them, and then they take care of us.” They believe transparency matters, and visitors leave with a deeper understanding of how pasture-based farming differs from large-scale industrial agriculture.
Unique Experiences
Before the pandemic, the farm hosted spring yoga classes for kids, blending outdoor play with fresh air and farm life. Today, they focus on offering small-group tours and custom farm experiences by appointment, especially for CSA members, families, and preschool groups. Every experience is designed to feel personal, relaxed, and educational rather than overly polished or commercialized.
Depending on the visit, guests may help collect eggs, feed livestock, or walk through the farm’s prairie and woodland areas.
Kids especially love interacting with the chickens, often feeding them scraps while hens happily trail behind. The farm’s slower pace and peaceful setting also give visitors a chance to unplug for a while and experience rural life up close. That authenticity is exactly what keeps people coming back.
Future Plans
Although the Banes are unsure about bringing yoga for kids back just yet, they do plan to continue offering custom tours, as well as walks in their prairie and woodland.
More than a farm tour, a visit to Bane Family Meats offers a chance to experience the care and purpose behind pasture-raised farming.
CU on the Farm!
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