In the 1940s, when Adele Flynn’s grandfather bought the land now known as Gordon Farms in Wellington, the neighbors skeptically placed bets on how long the newcomer would last. Today, the farm is holding strong and evolving, with beef from Flynn Show Cattle that she owns that’s winning spots on high-profile menus, including Lorain County Community College’s (LCCC) Sage & Seed. 
“It’s pretty neat for us to be the third generation, and my kids are the fourth generation coming into farming,” says Adele Flynn, who grew up on the land that her father and two uncles continue to farm. 
Flynn and her husband, Eric, feel 
privileged to work the land and take care of their beef cattle. The couple met at the Lorain County Fair in 2003. Flynn was recently elected to Ohio Farm Bureau of Trustees, helps her husband with their beef cattle operation, Flynn Show Cattle, and works for Farm Credit Mid-America, an agricultural lender that also provides rural home loans. 
“To be a farmer, you have to have a passion for it — it’s not easy work,” 
relates Flynn, adding that the amount of farmland in Lorain County has decreased over the years with development. “The most rewarding part of my job at Farm Credit is being able to help farmers live out their dreams so they can continue on and keep improving.” 
This is exactly what’s happening at Gordon Farms with its crop and Flynn Show Cattle. 
“My family’s life revolves around farming and agriculture, and sometimes we take that for granted,” relates Flynn, who moved back to Lorain County with her husband after spending several years in South Dakota. He worked with beef cattle and she first broke into the agricultural lending industry at a bank. 
“We care for our land and our livestock not only because it is our livelihood, but because it’s important to us and the right thing to do,” she adds, explaining why it’s important to buy local as often as possible. 
The Flynns have three children: Addison, 9; Will, 7; and Liv, 3. The threesome is every bit a part of the future of Gordon Farms’ 1,100 acres, which includes a 
robust grain crop and the beef cattle, consisting of 40 momma cows and their calves — all Chianina-influenced cattle. “These cattle have a tenderness gene, so they produce high-quality beef,” Flynn explains. 
The Flynns sell individual pieces of beef at Wellington’s Lettuce Heads Farm CSA, and they distribute their product to Butcher and the Brewer in Cleveland. The farm offers farm-direct freezer beef to customers. And, you’ll find Flynn beef at the Lorain County Farm Bureau’s 
annual event in July, Pasture to Plate, which showcases local products. 
Flynn is proud to show off the family tradition — and looks forward to the next chapters of Gordon Farms and 
Flynn Show Cattle. She says, “It’s pretty special that I get to raise my kids on the same farm, and in the same house, that I grew up in and know that they will have many of the same experiences I did.” 

Try It 

LCCC Culinary Arts students will be able to showcase their talents at Sage and Seed starting in January, when 
a locally-sourced menu will be available to the public. Students will be responsible for running the restaurant, including the front of house, kitchen and managing the operations. It will be open Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, January through May during Spring Semester.