The Story of the Derby's
What began as simple conversations in the spring of 2015 quickly grew into something deeper for Lars and Brenda Derby. Daily calls turned into late‑night video chats, and before long, the connection between them was undeniable.
Later that year, while on a pilot‑car run to Mobile, Alabama, Lars realized he was closer to Florida than he’d been in years. He asked Brenda if she’d finally be open to meeting in person. That night, the thought hit him hard: this is the woman I’m going to marry.
On September 25th, 2015, he made the long drive south—stopping to buy a ring along the way. The trip wasn’t easy. A blown heater core forced him to pull into parking lots through the night, refilling coolant just to keep the van moving. But he kept going.
They met for the first time in New Port Richey, grabbed lunch in Clearwater, and that same day, Lars took Brenda out to the sand dunes near a golf course and proposed. It was a bold leap of faith, and they took it together.
By October, Brenda had moved to Michigan, and the two began building a life side by side. They dreamed of a family, and soon they were expecting their first child. Those early years weren’t easy—losing their trailer, staying with family, navigating pregnancy and uncertainty—but they kept their kids first and pushed forward as a team.
Their family eventually grew to three wonderful children. After years of moving between Florida, Indiana, and Michigan, they finally put down roots in Muskegon in 2017, building the stability they had long worked toward.
On August 28th, 2023, after years of commitment, hard work, and raising their children together, Lars and Brenda made it official with their wedding—a celebration of everything they had already built.
Then came Derby Farms, sparked by one of Lars’s classic late‑night ideas. One morning he told Brenda, “We’re starting a hog farm. We’ve got to meet the landlords at 2 p.m. in Stanwood.” Paperwork signed, land secured, and the real work began.
That first late summer and fall, Lars camped on the property in a van and tent, clearing trails and preparing the land. By spring 2025, the whole family joined him. For a time, all five of them lived right on the farm in their Town & Country minivan, caring for their first four piglets. With little shade and intense heat, afternoons often meant cooling off in the nearby river—like a modern pioneer family making it work day by day. Meals cooked over a grill or open fire, building the farm step by step.
The following winter was one of the harshest in years—snowy roads, vehicles stuck in fields, long freezing nights—but the Derbys kept going, protecting their animals and each other.
Today, even with the farm established, the hustle hasn’t slowed. Lars and Brenda drive nearly 90 miles round‑trip every day to keep everything running while balancing family life and farm life. Their journey is built on grit, faith, and a shared belief in building something meaningful for their children and their community.
Derby’s Farm isn’t just a business. It’s a family legacy in the making.
