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The Last 44 Farm

First-generation farmers Niki and Neil Gioiosa don’t fit the traditional image of a "farmer." At first glance, they seem like your average PTA parents. And while they do shuttle kids to school and football practice, they spend even more time moving chicken tractors and tending to their 44 acres of farmland.


Somehow, amid full-time jobs and parenting four kids, the Gioiosas manage to operate The Last 44 Farm, a beautiful, sustainable operation that feeds local families throughout the area.

Since purchasing their property in 2015, they’ve committed themselves to raising livestock using ethical, regenerative practices. They specialize in 100% grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken, and seasonal produce grown without harsh chemicals or pesticides.

With backgrounds in teaching and public service, they are no strangers to serving their community. Now, they serve their community by providing them with high-quality, humanely raised food, leaving the land better than when they found it.

Table of Contents

• Meeting the Farm Animals of Last 44
• The Importance of Grass-Fed Cows and Pasture-Raised Chicken
• Sustainable Farming from the Ground Up
• The Journey to the Farmland
• Niki and Neil's Love Story
• The Future of The Last 44 Farm

Meeting the Farm Animals of Last 44

Although the farm isn’t far from familiar haunts in Altoona, it feels completely isolated. The long dirt road and dense tree line make this slice of land feel separate from the traffic and chain restaurants that are just minutes away. 

The day we visited, the Gioiosas were in the middle of a morning rush. Niki was getting the kids ready for a football game before heading to her shift at the nursery, a local business she co-runs with Neil.

Neil squeezed us in for a tour with his only spare hour of the day—it took us several months of planning just to find this little sliver of time to meet. It's apparent that the hardworking Gioiosa's don't know a day off.


As we head toward the chicken tractor housing the Red Sassos, we pass a handful of free-range hens milling about in the backyard. Their flock includes some of our cold-hardy, high-production brown egg layers: Rhode Island Reds, Mystic Marans, and Barred Rocks.

A protective rooster sounds the alarm when we approach, alerting his hens to unfamiliar visitors.

The chicken tractor is a hand-made high tunnel that Neil constructed himself. We peer inside to see the Red Sasso chickens pecking around for bugs, having recently been moved to a fresh patch of grass.


In the early morning, the sunlight makes their red feathers glow a fiery orange. The red broilers are near market weight, set to be processed in just two days.

Neil used to raise Cornish Cross in the past, but found alternative broilers, like the Red Sasso, to be his preferred breed. Although they are more expensive to raise, Neil finds the extra time and effort to be worth it.

His family prefers the rich flavor of the Sassos, and CSA members often tell Neil it's the best chicken they've ever tasted.


At the highest point on the property, Highland cattle graze freely among apple trees. Friendly and curious, the herd walks up to greet us at the fence. These hardy Scottish cows are 100% grass-fed, chosen not just for their lean, tender meat, but because they thrive in Pennsylvania’s harsh winters. 

The Importance of Grass-Fed Cows and Pasture-Raised Chicken

 The Gioiosa's provide their animals with a natural, stress-free lifestyle that allows them to express their natural instincts. To raise high-quality meat, they believe the animals must lead a high-quality life.
 

Sustainable Farming from the Ground Up

The Gioiosa's have embraced a natural approach to every aspect of the farm; no pesticides, no synthetic chemicals, and no herbicides. This requires them to be creative and seek innovative solutions to everyday problems.

Ladybugs are their insect control of choice, and good old hand and flame weeding has kept their produce thriving throughout the spring and summer.

They use no-till methods to preserve the integrity of the soil and foster the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the dirt.

To improve plant and soil health, Neil makes his own biochar; this is one of the things he's most proud of, and it's clear that his farming practices have put his geology degree to good use.


Even common nuisance species get a pass. As a nature lover, Neil wants to avoid disrupting the natural rhythm of things when he can. When a snake appears on the property, they usually let them be, or relocate them to a different area where they won't bother livestock.

"They help keep the rodents down, so if they want to steal an egg from the chicken coop once in a while, that's fine by me."

As Neil shows us around, we learn that just about every structure on the farm is repurposed or recycled. He's particularly proud of the fact that there are no treated woods on the farm; his fence is hand-made from salvaged wood, and the area where they prep produce is also made of salvaged materials.


Scrappy and resourceful, Neil has built symbiotic relationships with several local businesses, taking on unwanted items that would otherwise go to a landfill. In addition to using homemade biochar, Neil fertilizes his garden beds with old coffee grounds he sources from a local coffee shop.

He also feeds his chickens spent grains from a local brewery. For the Gioiosa's, stuff like this is gold, and local businesses are happy to hand it off to them.

Their resourcefulness doesn't just apply to items used for the farm or livestock. Their son's bedroom is actually the old structure of a chicken coop that was left on the property when they purchased it.

Rather than throwing it away, the Gioiosa's decided to refinish it and attach it to the home.

You'd never guess it previously housed chickens several decades ago. With a laugh, Neil says "it's actually the nicest room in the house."

The Journey to the Farmland

For Neil, the journey to getting his farm was a long one, but it was a goal he always wanted to accomplish. "I knew ever since I was 18 that I wanted a farm," Neil said. For him, it was just a matter of finding the right spot, at a price point he could afford.

While Neil enjoyed teaching and running a landscaping business, he wanted to foster a deeper relationship with nature. Neil enjoyed being outside, and wanted the freedom of making and growing his own food, rather than relying on the grocery store.


After earning a master's in agriculture and spending time learning about regenerative agriculture on his own, he felt like he had the knowledge to make it happen.

Neil had a piece of land in mind already, but unfortunately, someone else owned it. According to the Gioiosas, it was the last parcel of land zoned for agricultural use in the Altoona area. And Neil, ever determined, knew it had to be his.

Several times a year, Neil asked the property owner to sell it to him. It became sort of a ritual to ask—although the answer was always no. After eight years, the property owner finally made Neil an offer.


Getting the land was half the battle; now, they had to turn it into a working farm. They had a daunting task ahead of them, as the land had laid fallow for almost 30 years. With no running water and limited electricity, they were essentially starting from scratch.

They chipped away at it for nearly three years, starting small and celebrating the little wins along the way. After purchasing the land in 2015, it became almost fully-functional in 2017.  

Even today, Neil says the farm is a "work in progress," a lifelong project that will never be finished. His mindset is to continue improving, growing, and learning new methods to keep his operation sustainable and profitable. 
 

Niki and Neil's Love Story

None of this would be possible without the hard work and support of Niki, Neil's wife of 20 years. While Niki didn't exactly picture herself living on a farm, she has fully embraced the lifestyle and become an integral part of day-to-day operations.

Niki is in charge of tending to the chicken coop, and does all of the food and vegetable prep for CSA members. She also runs the nursery on the weekends, in addition to working a full-time job during the week.

It's quite a lifestyle change from her time working in D.C., but she enjoys the quiet, the freedom of growing their own food, and getting to work alongside her best friend, Neil. 

Niki and Neil have roots that run long and deep. They first met in eighth grade and became close friends over the years. In high school, they started dating, only to go their separate ways when they left for college in 2003. It seemed like that was the end of their love story, but they always remained friends.

After college, Neil became a public-school teacher, while Niki served as a uniformed police officer for the Secret Service. It seemed highly unlikely they would start a farm and a family together, especially since they lived 176 miles apart. But life had other plans, and their reunion unfolded like something out of a 90s romantic comedy.


In 2006, Niki was thriving in her career and living a fast-paced city lifestyle. During a visit to her hometown, she stopped by Neil’s parents’ house in hopes of catching up. At the same time, Neil was in Washington, D.C. for a work trip, hoping to catch up with Niki.

They later laughed about the missed connection, and realized that they both still cared deeply about each other. They got back together shortly afterward.

Neil repeatedly cites Niki as an inspiration, even referring to her as “a saint” for not only supporting his dream of owning a farm, but becoming an active participant. She gave up a career she loved, but gained a family and a lifestyle that has made those sacrifices worth it.
 

The Future of the Last 44 Farm

As soon as they got the property, the Gioiosa's renamed their street as "Dream Lane." It makes sense that the Gioiosas are always dreaming up what’s next. They’re hoping to open a small farm store in the future, making it easier for locals to access their products. 

Neil is currently experimenting with figs, lavender, and asparagus, all of which they hope to offer next growing season.

Their breed of choice will remain the Red Sasso chicken, one of our hardiest and best-selling alternative meat birds. They will likely have their next batch of meat birds available sometime in April of 2026. If you'd like to order fresh produce, meat, or eggs from the Last 44 Farm, you can join their CSA program on their website.

They also provide updates on their social media pages, so you can see how the farm is growing and changing. We are proud to support the Gioiosas on their farming journey, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.