ShangriLa Farms - Our Earthly Paradise

 

— Watch the video below to learn more about our farm —

 
 

ShangriLa (via Wikipedia) is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes ShangriLa as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. ShangriLa has become synonymous with any earthly paradise, and particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia – a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. In the novel Lost Horizon, the people who live at ShangriLa are almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance.

 
 
 
 

ShangriLa may be a fictional place in the mind of James Hilton in his 1933 Novel “Lost Horizon” but for those that know me best – I have used this term for years to represent a state of perfection in various aspects of work and play.  For me, our ShangriLa became a reality in 2006 when my wife and I found our piece of paradise on Gravel Lake in Lawton Michigan.  It may have started as a small cottage on the lake, but with the love and happiness shared here with family and friends, the awesome memories it brought to our family, including a love for the area, our new friends, and all the Southwest Michigan lifestyle offered, we were compelled to expand our property lines to what now encompasses nearly 200 acres of peace & tranquility, including, along with our Lake House,  a Farm, and a Nature Reserve, all now known by us as ShangriLa.

Thomas A. Zwartz — Founder

 

Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program

ShangriLa Farms is proud to be a State of Michigan Environmentally verified farm in the areas of Livestock, Cropping, and Farmstead. Through our sound agricultural practices in place, we provide reduced risks to environmental and public health & promote conservation of all natural resources.

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All natural, free range farming.

Our Mission

 

ShangriLa Farms was established in 2016 to serve our family, friends, and southwest Michigan. Our mission from the beginning has been to respect nature, our environment, and our livestock, and to bring the best Farm-To-Table Experience we can to our customers. At any time, we will have various numbers of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs that are free range grazing, grass and/or corn fed, supplemented ONLY with vitamins and minerals of the highest quality. We use only locally grown corn and we grind our own custom blend feed on-site. Our feed and supplements will NEVER include genetically modified hormones or anything other than natural additives. In addition, as our operation is monitored, and MAEAP verified, we will strive to maintain the soil’s utmost health and nutrition year after year, whether through crop rotation, soil supplements, natural or chemical fertilization. We have held and will continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards to continue our mission.

Thomas & Kathleen Zwartz — Founders