About E2W Farm
At East to West Farm, we raise cattle, hogs, and a variety of poultry for both eggs and meat, all with a focus on responsible farming and a deep connection to the land we call home.
Elyssa grew up just east of Columbus Junction on her family’s homestead, where a love of farming and a strong sense of community were part of daily life. For more than a decade, she has managed the farm, focusing on high-quality, locally raised meat and building lasting relationships with the families who enjoy it.
As the farm grew, so did the vision. Elyssa’s husband, Dan, joined the farm and the family, bringing his own passion to the work, especially in developing the poultry side of the farm. Together, they’ve been expanding East to West Farm into something more: a place where stewardship of the land, care for the animals, and a commitment to local food systems come together.
With new opportunities on the horizon, they look forward to offering even more ways for the community to access fresh, locally grown meat, grains, and other crops … and to stay connected to the land that sustains them all.
History of East to West
The roots of East to West Farm stretch back to the early 1900s, when Mary Evelyn West was raised on a small homestead where her family lived off the land—hunting, fishing, and farming with grit and resourcefulness. To the west of her homeplace stood the Newell farm, where a young man named Lewis Hugh Newell worked the fields. Lewis often joked that he was “heading East to see West,” a humorous quip that marked the beginning of a lifelong love story.
Mary Evelyn and Lewis married and raised five daughters on the Newell Farm. Their youngest, Christine, chose to stay and continue the family tradition. She and her husband, Tom McFarland, raised three children here, filling the farm with hard work, laughter, and plenty of 1970s rock. Tom grew the farm through his excellent business management. A skill he learned growing up working in the many businesses that his parents owned in town.
Today, Tom and Christine’s youngest daughter, Elyssa, continues the legacy of strong farm women and good-hearted men who keep the work light with humor. When it came time to choose a name for our farm, we knew we wanted something that honored our history. “East to West” is a tribute to Lewis’s simple joke, Mary Evelyn’s resilience, and the generations of family who have poured their hearts into this land.
