Jun 10, 2026
By Rick McNary
When Angela married RJ Dake in 1993 at the end of his military career, they both shared the dream of farming, which had been in RJ’s blood since he was a child. However, California land prices near their home in Sacramento made it cost-prohibitive to begin a farm.
“We focused on raising our family and furthering our teaching careers, “Angela says. “More than 15 years after we married, we decided to move to Topeka, a place that RJ had grown to love during one of his Air Force assignments there. We put our house in California on the market and planned to buy acreage when it sold. However, the housing market crash of 2008 forced us to wait even longer. We kept the dream simmering on the back burner for three more years and were finally able to buy a home with three acres. While it wasn’t exactly what we wanted, we made the best of it.”
RJ was raised in farming and had numerous degrees in education, including a doctorate, and he became a consultant for doctors and lawyers who would buy outlying land around Topeka and advise them on how to best steward the land. RJ had begun a haying business so he would hay their land, and they would ask him for advice. RJ also spent seven years as the STEM and IT consultant at the Kansas State Department of Education.
They were on their first three-acre farm for three years then learned the 80-acre farm next to theirs might be for sale. Fortunately, the couple who owned the farm next door were waiting for the right couple to sell it to. Finally, after 22 years of hoping and praying, RJ and Angela had their farm.
“The land was a beautiful piece of property already, but a tad overgrown,” Angela says. “We wanted to make sure we stewarded it in a wise manner to conserve the land while producing an income from the soil. We joined Kansas Farm Bureau and began working with various extension agents and conservation programs to put a plan in place to clear the land and begin production.”
One piece of land on the farm, a parcel tucked away behind a row of trees after a purposeful journey down country roads, had never been tilled and they decided to keep it that way with native forage. That secluded spot also became the name for their farm, Hidden Hills Farms.
“It took about two years to reclaim the land,” Angela says. “We picked up some cattle because we knew we wanted to offer grass-fed, grass-finished beef, and that’s an 18-month process from start to finish.
“One customer told us they were going to be a customer forever, so we might as well triple our flock,” Angela says. “Then they asked, ‘But what else can you provide for us?’”
They secured grants for high tunnels to raise vegetables so they had beef, poultry, eggs and vegetables to offer.
Then the pandemic hit.
“We already had our online store in place before the pandemic hit,” Angela says. “We created a contactless station outside and the sales expanded significantly. People were tired of being in their apartments and they would come out and just wander around the farm. Grandparents started booking the Airbnb so they could be together as a family but still all be in the open spaces.”
Over time, the Dake’s added more farm experiences such as farm camps for parents and children, event spaces for weddings and family gatherings as well as one-hour popup markets. Their farm is far more than just offering locally grown food; it has become a destination for people who seek an immersive experience of life on the farm.
Unfortunately, RJ passed away suddenly in 2024 and Angela has had to adjust to running the farm amidst her grief. The support of family and friends has been crucial to maintaining daily operations.
Hidden Hills Farm near Auburn is more than a place to purchase locally raised food. It’s an 80-acre slice of Kansas heaven that, as they state on their website, “Started as a distant hope and became a story of patience, faith and perseverance.” The farm stands as a heartfelt tribute to RJ and Angela’s journey, inviting all who visit to be a part of a story rooted in love for the land.
For more information about Angela and Hidden Farms visit their Facebook and Website here!