Our diversified farm is certified organic and biodynamic with Eco-Cert.
The crops and livestock are rotated around the farm providing biological diversity and rest for the soil. All animal manure is composted and incorporated back into the soil providing fertility and a closed nutrient cycle. This is the recipe for healthy soil and SOIL is the basis of all life. We feed the soil and the soil feeds us. Healthy soil makes healthy and tasty food.
Buffer strips and marginal areas provide protection for our crops and animals from conventional sprays. They also provide excellent habitat for birds and pollinator insects. We provide habitat for these species and in turn they set up camp here and become our resident pest control system, helping us to keep the farm in balance.
North American business models work on an economic bottom line philosophy that often leaves out important factors like the environment and society. This can leave us all with less than stellar results. These days a new breed of entrepreneurs is on the rise. These people are interested in a triple bottom line philosophy. Economic, personal and environmental. This allows our business to make decisions based on many factors and allows us to acknowledge that our business doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The outside forces of nature and society play a role and we need to acknowledge and take care of these factors. Our business works on this triple bottom line philosophy.
BEEF:
Beef cattle are awesome! Their digestive systems are designed to take grasses and turn them into beef. We can’t digest grass but we sure can digest beef!
Throughout the winter the cattle are housed together in a big open barn with their calves. Everyday they are bedded with straw. They have free access to fresh water and hay (dried or fermented stored grasses).
Research Buff? Interested? Read on….I could talk about this all day!
Grass on which animals graze is called pasture. It’s just one of those crazy farmer jargon words that your going to get to know as you embark on your better eating mission.
Pasture (Grass) is an important part of our farm’s sustainable system. Pasture is great for the soil. When we seed a field to pasture it stays like that for a few years, giving the soil a rest and building up good microbiology and organic matter. Some land is always in pasture because it isn’t suitable to farm because it is too steep. Our cattle mimic the herds in nature by moving over this land getting fat and happy off the lush grass and leaving behind the manure to nurture the soil.
Our cattle spend their entire summer and fall grazing on pasture and raising their young. Our cows love grass! Fresh pasture makes them kick up their heels and dance! In order to keep fresh pasture coming to them ALL SEASON LONG we use an intensive grazing system. This means we give them small amounts of fresh pasture every day or every few days.
“Their are few things more satisfying than watching cattle graze on pasture. It is like farming yoga. Good for the soul!” Jennifer Seilern
Sun, grass, water. That’s all it takes to make succulent healthy beef.