The Story Behind Our Name
The name Violet Hill Farm isn’t random…
In 2022, after the passing of our beloved Papa, Maris Doster, we found comfort in looking through the boxes of photos, documents, and keepsakes he had preserved. Growing up, we would ask Papa endless questions about the Doster and Hasselbring families - it felt like he was a walking book of our family’s history! Always ready with an answer and story to share. His careful record-keeping felt like a way to keep his spirit close.
In our search, we found a perfectly preserved checkbook from the 1930s belonging to August Hasselbring (Papa’s grandpa), a second-generation farmer in the Doster/Hasselbring lineage. It stated that August was a proud breeder of Shorthorn cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs, a fact we knew. What caught us by surprise was the name printed on the checks: Violet Hill Farm. We had never heard our family farm referred to by this name, or that it was what August called his livestock business.
As James and Molly (Doster) began to brainstorm names for their new business venture, Violet Hill Farm kept resurfacing in their minds. Inspired by August’s legacy and the charm of the name, we felt it was the right choice. For us, Violet Hill Farm is about honoring our roots and continuing the spirit of hard work that August instilled more than a century ago.
