IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Grass-finished means that livestock have been raised on pasture on diets that consist entirely of grass-based feeds and no grains. Alternatively, pasture-raised means that although livestock have been raised on pasture their diets have also been supplemented with our own non-GMO grains.

Livestock stocked and managed appropriately on perennial pasture are capable of simultaneously improving soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat in addition to yielding an exceptionally nutrient-dense source of protein.

Since we've started grazing our soils have shown a dramatic response. As of 2022 (our last soil test date) Soil Organic Matter levels have increased by about 1% since our last test in 2018. This might not sound like much but it essentially means that we've cycled (very roughly) 10 tons of Carbon per acre into the top 6" of our soils that we've been sampling over that period. This is good for the atmosphere and even better for our soils, as Carbon fuels soil life and this life facilitates literally all of processes that determine how productive and resilient our land and the crops (forages in the case of pasture) grown on that land are.

A healthier soil has also allowed us to improve water quality by practically eliminating chemical fertilizer and spray inputs. A characteristic of vibrant living soil is improved water infiltration and water holding capacity. The soil is essentially becoming more porous and the additional organic matter acts like a sponge. So we generate minimal runoff and capture more water in the upper profile of the soil, improving local surface and groundwater and helping to drought-proof our farm.

Since we've started converting to pasture-based agriculture we've also noticed a greater diversity of wildlife making their home on the farm. We've seen grassland birds like Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, and native sparrows that were never around before. We believe that the longer rest periods between our rotations have created taller and more diverse habitat suitable for these species.

We think that livestock raised in this kind of environment are better off for it and likewise, the people who consume the meat produced by this livestock are better off for it as well. All species of livestock we've managed on pasture have generally been healthier for it. Grazing livestock on well-managed pastures provides them the ability to fill their niche (a potentially positive role) in the local ecosystem, living with regard to their evolutional heritage. Well managed livestock help to maintain a diverse sward of grasses, forbs, and browse. In turn, this results in the accumulation of vitamins, fatty acids, and phytochemicals (unique chemicals manufactured by plants) in the meat and milk of the grazing livestock. Consider also that while on pasture these livestock also need to move around to harvest their own meals. All of this results in a healthier, leaner meat produced by these animals.

If we think of food as a sort of preventative medicine (i.e. one of the primary contributing factor to our health and resilience to disease), perhaps we can see that there is merit to idea that "you are what you eat" and in the case of meats "you are what you eat, eats". We must realize that when it comes to food it really does matter how something was produced. If we want to be healthier ourselves we should be seeking out foods that come from healthier plants and animals.

We use a mix of permanent high-tensile electric fencing, mobile fence reels, and a network of water lines to create new paddocks on a daily basis for ruminant livestock (cattle and sheep). This allows us to control the level of pressure these grazers have on a given piece of land, create opportunities for forages to fully recover before they are re-grazed, more equally distribute nutrients (e.g. manure) and disrupt parasite life cycle.

Poultry aren't ruminants and cannot live on grasses and forbs alone, but have much to gain from foraging. We house chickens in "tractors" (essentially hoop houses on skids) that we can move to a new site every day with a tractor.

Pigs are more difficult to raise on pastures that we want to manage for ruminants and poultry. Their tendency to root can quickly destroy a paddock. Like the rest of our livestock though, there is much to be gained from just letting pigs be pigs. To accomplish this we are building new housing for our pigs that is adjacent to a piece of land that we can designate as "pig pasture", managed separately from our other pastures. Here they will have access to open air, soil to root around in, and a mixture of cover crops to supplement their diet.