Author: Matt

Our cattle are always on the move.  Our farm is divided in about 16 sections which we can further subdivide with temporary fences when necessary to create what we call paddocks.  This style of grazing accomplishes many things.  Here are a few reasons why it is so important in producing grass-finished beef:

1. Cattle nutrition is greatest when they are not forced to graze low on the plant, but instead only have to graze the tops of the grass.  Most of the carbohydrates, sugars and other nutrition are located in the top half of the plant.  And that’s what we want our cattle eating, especially when we’re trying to finish them.
2. Soil health is maximized by grazing for a short period then resting the paddock for a long period.  When a plant is grazed, it prunes off roots in the soil to match the vegetation above the surface.  These roots then add organic matter to the soil which brings us to our next point.
3. Carbon sequestration is maximized when grass is kept in a growing, vegetative state.  By constantly moving cattle onto a paddock them removing them the grass is stimulated to keep growing.  Anytime a plant is growing it is capturing carbon (CO2) and making oxygen through photosynthesis.  So by responsibly raising animals on grass as nature intended, we can capture a primary greenhouse gas and deposit it back in the soil.

If you like the sound of all this, consider starting a Pickup Location to bring grass-based protein to your household and community.

See our Calendar for our delivery schedule.

Pigs and chickens do not have a rumen like a cow, so at least some of their feed needs to have energy and proteins that are a bit more readily available than what is in grass.  This is why we (and most farms whether pasture-based or not) supplement simple stomached animals with grains. We source from a local farm that is non-GMO certified, haul the grain to our farm, grind and mix it and then feed it out to our livestock (except cattle, of course).

Here’s a look at how we get our non-GMO soybeans.  This is our protein source for our non-GMO hog and chicken feeds.  We source them from Barrier Farms in Mt. Pleasant, NC –  a local, non-GMO certified farm.  They are roasted, and we put the whole bean in our feed instead of just the meal.  We feel this offers the best nutrition for our hogs and chickens.  Combined with non-GMO corn, and a vitamin and mineral premix we provide a well-balanced feed supplement for our animals.  Try some of our products and taste the difference: Shop for Pork, Chicken, and Eggs.