Meet The Team

Donnie is the ring-leader of all things Foister Farm.  Several years ago, he had a vision for raising cows on his farm as a focus of retirement.   Growing up, Donnie worked with, and for, his father – Norward Foister, who was a well-known carpenter and builder in the area.  In 1975, he made a decision that would greatly affect the course of his life.  He applied for a job at company that many of you know – Flint River Mills (FRM) – a premium livestock feed manufacturer located in Bainbridge, Georgia.  It was there he would work for the next 45 years, progressing through the ranks as driver, dispatcher, and eventually fleet manager.  Working there allowed him to keep his finger on the pulse of the farming industry.  In 2018, he planned his retirement for the Spring of 2020.  This entailed buying his first small herd of Black Angus cows.  Since then, he has indeed retired.  He has also grown the herd quite a bit.  In 2019, he and his son, Ron Foister, attended a virtual meeting with the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association where they learned the concept of freezer beef.   That sounded like the best idea for their operation so Donnie began seeking out business contacts in the cattle industry.  Little did he know that these same people would become what he considers today to be some of his closest friends.  He is continually amazed at how helpful the cattle farming community is to each other.  Now that he has a firm grasp (and a good bit of experience) in the freezer beef industry, he hopes that he has been able to give back to this community that has helped him so much.  His primary focus is on raising freezer beef that has the highest genetics in America.  This involves being a “student of the game”.  He is constantly researching ways to make the herd better whether that be through concepts such as rotational grazing, the latest in irrigation techniques, or the correct feed ratio for their herd.  He also still enjoys a round of game every now and again.

Favorite saying:  Time will tell…

Ron heads up the graphic design, marketing, and customer service portion of the business.  Specifically, with regard to customer service, he educates the consumer on the freezer beef process.  He also pairs the customer with the next available portion of beef they desire and makes sure they are comfortable with the meat cut selection process before he forwards their wishes on to the processor.  Ron is a 1989 graduate of Bainbridge High School as well as a 1993 graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology.  He currently holds a General Contractors license and Real Estate license in the state of North Carolina.  Similar to Donnie, he is always researching ways to make the customer experience with the Foister Farm better – whether that is researching issues such as low-birth-weight-calving or locating new processors in the area.  The goal is to continue to elevate the reputation of their farm as one of the highest quality suppliers of freezer beef in the Southeast. Ron loves investing time into his family.  He has a wife (Dee) and five incredible children – Faith, Jesse, Lily Grace, Katie, and Sophia.  He will also play a round of golf (if his arm is twisted hard enough) but would much rather be sitting in a deer stand or turkey blind.

Favorite saying:  Could be good, could be bad, too soon to tell…

Not to take any hard work claims from Donnie or Ron, but Jesse is essentially the strong back of the operation.  He certainly doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty.  Jesse will do anything that involves cattle farming – moving hay, weighing newborn calves, helping with shots, or fixing a tractor every now and then.  He definitely has an unusual propensity to be able to fix things, which surely helps out on a farm.  Jesse is not only Donnie’s grandson but in 2021, he was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of his – to move to the farm and live with his Papa.  He actually occupies the very room that Ron did when he was growing up there on the farm.  Jesse has an unusual sense of “family” not common to folks in his generation.  He is a 2019 graduate of Cornerstone Christian Academy.   If Jesse were asked, he would likely say that he is learning much more of a hands-on education on the farm than he did when he was actually in school.  He soaks it up like a sponge.  As he has matured into his role on the farm, he can be found negotiating hay prices for a hundred rolls of hay or installing new attachments to the existing equipment to make it more ergonomically correct.

Favorite saying:  Alright, let me know how it turns out…