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Pasture Posts #271

Rain, Roots, and a Pork Blowout!

What a weekend it has been! We want to start off by saying a massive “Thank You” to everyone who came out for the Ag+Art Tour. If you were here, you know the morning started off a bit chilly with some early rain that had us wondering if we’d be giving tours at all!

But the rain let up, the sun peeked through, and we ended up with a fantastic turnout. It was truly encouraging to see so many people interested in seeing exactly where their food comes from. We did a record number of tours and met folks who traveled from as far as Beaufort and Greenville just to spend the day with us here in Lowrys.

Sausage Drawing Winner 

During the tour, we held a drawing for 10 pounds of our Mild Sausage. We had 36 entries, and we are excited to announce that Keith A. from Rock Hill is our winner! Keith, we will be contacting you soon so you can get that sausage cooking.

Why Pastured Pork Matters

During the tours yesterday, many of you were surprised to learn a sobering statistic: over 97% of pork in the United States is raised on concrete in total confinement. Most pigs never see a blade of grass, feel the sun on their backs, or get the chance to do what they were created to do: root.

Pigs are natural foragers. On our farm, they live in what we call a “savanna” environment—paddocks with plenty of shade and a buffet of volunteer forages like ryegrass and lambs-quarter. This lifestyle doesn’t just make for a happier pig; it results in a vastly different nutritional profile and flavor for the consumer.

If you want to see exactly how our pigs live, check out one of our all-time most popular videos below. It’s a simple walk-through of a paddock where you can see them enjoying the green grass and sunshine:

THE PASTURED PORK BLOWOUT EVENT

May 3 – May 31 (While Supplies Last)

To celebrate the season and get our nutrient-dense pork into more freezers, we are officially launching our Pastured Pork Blowout! These deals are live starting today and will run through the end of the month.

Please note that these bundle discounts are on top of the already built-in savings you get when buying in bulk.

Featured Bundle Deals:

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Pasture Posts #270

Innovation in the Broiler Field + Ag+Art Tour 🐓☀️

Hello friends,

April is wrapping up here in Chester, though it’s looking a little more dusty than vibrant lately. We are staring down a significant drought, so the pastures aren’t exactly the lush green we’d hope for this time of year. That said, the grass is holding its own and the cattle are doing just fine. We’re just staying observant and hoping for a good soaking rain as we head into May.

🎨 Mark Your Calendars: The Ag+Art Tour is Next Saturday!

We are thrilled to announce that Watson Farms will once again be a featured stop on the South Carolina Ag+Art Tour for Chester County!

The tour takes place Saturday, May 2, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

If you aren’t familiar with the tour, it is the nation’s largest free, self-guided tour of farms and markets that features local artisans at every stop. It’s a wonderful opportunity for you to see first-hand where your food comes from, watch artists in action, and enjoy a day in the country with the whole family.

What to expect at Watson Farms:

  • Wagon Rides: We’ll be running the tractor and wagon to give you a front-row seat to our regenerative grazing practices.
  • Meet the Animals: See our grass-fed cattle, pastured pigs, and our newest flocks of broiler chickens in action.
  • Local Artisans: We will have several talented local creators stationed at the farm showcasing their work.
  • Farm Store: Our store will be open and fully stocked with your favorite pasture-raised meats, honey, and more.

It’s a “rain or shine” event, so grab your boots and come see us! You can find the full map of Chester County stops on the official Ag+Art website.

🏠 New Chicken Houses: From Construction to Deployment

If you remember back in Pasture Posts #264, we shared that our team was in the middle of constructing two brand-new pasture broiler houses. We are happy to report that these houses are officially finished and deployed!

Our team did an incredible job with the assembly and setup. Seeing these structures out on the pasture—especially knowing they travel through fields that are just a stone’s throw away from the old, empty confinement turkey barn—is a constant reminder of why we transitioned to this regenerative model.

The birds are already moved in and are loving their “salad bar” of fresh grass and bugs, with the houses being moved to a fresh patch of ground every single day.

🚿 High-Tech Comfort: The Solar-Powered Sprinkler System

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Pasture Posts #269

The Pyramid Just Got Flipped! 🥩 🔄

Hello friends,

April is in full swing here in Chester, and the pastures are hanging in there although the hot weather and worsening drought this past week has put some strain on them.

But while we’ve been busy moving the herd each day, something massive has been shifting in the world of nutrition. If you’ve been following the news lately, you might have seen that the federal government finally did something many of us thought we’d never see: they flipped the food pyramid.

A “Gift” for Real Food Believers

For decades, we were told to build our diets on a foundation of grains and carbohydrates, while viewing animal proteins and fats with a side-eye. But the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines have turned that old model on its head—literally.

The new “inverted” pyramid now places high-quality animal proteins, full-fat dairy, and whole foods at the top of the priority list. It’s a move toward recognizing what you, our savvy customers, have known for a long time: Real, nutrient-dense animal protein is the pinnacle of human nutrition. You can read the official announcement from the USDA on this “historic reset” here.

Insights from a Friend of the Farm

Joel Salatin recently called this a “gift” in his latest column. As many of you know, Joel is a long-time friend of Watson Farms—he even spent a day here back in April 2020 helping us navigate our transition out of the turkey business. In his latest article for The Stockman Grass Farmer, he wrote:

“The new inverted pyramid placing animal protein on top represents not only a return to historic normalcy but a renewed narrative of affirmation and acceptance to a demonized segment of American agriculture. All sectors of the livestock industry stand to benefit, but pastured livestock producers even more.”

While some of you may have written off government guidelines years ago (and we don’t blame you!), this shift is a massive win for awareness. It brings the conversation back to real food and away from the ultra-processed “fake meats” that have been pushed so hard recently.

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Pasture Posts #268

The Pinnacle of the “Spring Flush” Even During a Drought

The air in Chester is crisp and the sun is hanging a little longer in the sky each evening, but this spring feels a bit different. We are currently navigating some of the driest conditions on record, with the U.S. Drought Monitor classifying nearly 94% of Chester County in a Severe Drought (D2). Year-to-date, our local precipitation is down about 4.25 inches from normal, and South Carolina just came off one of its five driest Marches in the last 132 years.

While the drought has certainly put some pressure on the “Spring Flush,” we are still at the height of it, and I’m happy to report that our cows are doing great. We would love to see some rain to help things along, but our decision to not overstock our pastures is paying dividends right now. By keeping the animal-to-acre ratio low, we are maintaining plenty of stockpiled forage to carry us into the warmer months. We are hopeful the weather pattern will change soon, but in the meantime, the work we did back in November is providing exactly what the herd needs.

The 6th Grazing Milestone: Biomimicry in Action

If you’ve driven by our farm store lately near Lowrys, you’ve likely seen the cattle working their way through the pasture right beside the building. Believe it or not, that specific piece of ground is currently on its 6th grazing event since we planted it last fall. The hard work of getting those winter annuals into the ground in early November is now at the absolute pinnacle of paying off.

This isn’t just about feeding the cows; it’s about a process of biomimicry that feeds the soil. When the cattle “prune” the tops of the plants, the plants respond by pruning their root mass to match the biomass remaining above ground. This phenomenon, famously documented by researcher Franklin Crider in 1955 (USDA Technical Bulletin No. 1102), shows that when a significant portion of the top growth is removed, the plant sloughs off a portion of its roots. This “root sloughing” creates a massive, instantaneous pulse of organic matter and carbon directly into the soil profile—feeding the microbes and building topsoil from the bottom up.

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Pasture Posts #267

Spring has Sprung at Watson Farms

He is Risen! We hope you and your family are having a blessed Easter Sunday as we celebrate the hope and new life found in Christ.

A Spectacular Spring Farm Day

What a day we had yesterday! After all the planning and prep work, Spring Farm Day finally arrived, and the weather really cooperated with us. The turnout was fantastic.

Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes! You made my day.

The biggest hit of the day—besides the animals, of course—was definitely our new tour wagon. We’ve been working on a way to make the farm tours more accessible for everyone, and this new design provided easier loading although with the ground being hard, the ride was still a bit bumpy.. It was great to see so many families loaded up and headed out to see what we do.

The cattle herd had been spending most of their time at the very back of the property lately, but they decided to be cooperative for the event! They moved into a closer paddock just in time, so we were able to include them, the pigs, and the chickens in the full tour. There’s nothing quite like seeing those happy animals out on fresh grass to remind us why we farm the way we do.

Between the Easter egg hunt, the bounce house, and the corn tub, the kids stayed plenty busy while the adults enjoyed the food truck and visiting with our local vendors.

A Huge “Thank You” to the Team

We also want to send out a massive thank you to our incredible team. Our Farm Store was bustling all day long! Melody was at the helm, and Jay and Daniel  actually came in on their scheduled day off to make sure everything ran like clockwork. Judson, Melody’s husband, and Lisa, Daniel’s wife, even volunteered their time to jump in and help out where needed. We are truly blessed with people who care about this farm and our customers as much as we do.

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Pasture Posts #266

Here’s the weekly roundup from Watson Farms and your direct connection to your farmer. Enjoy the latest edition of Pasture Posts!

Hi Friends,

If you’ve been following our farm for a while—specifically if you remember Pasture Posts #244—you know that we’ve been pretty vocal about the “labeling circus” in the meat industry. For years, big meatpackers could take a steer born and raised in South America, fly the beef to a U.S. facility, repackage it, and legally slap a “Product of USA” sticker on it.

It was misleading, it was unfair to American ranchers, and it was confusing for you.

The Good News (and the Catch)

As of January 1 of this year, that loophole is officially closed. The USDA’s new rule is finally in full effect. Now, if a company wants to use the “Product of USA” claim, that animal must be born, raised, slaughtered, and processed right here on American soil.

However, there’s a catch: this rule is voluntary. Big corporations aren’t required to tell you where the meat comes from—they just aren’t allowed to lie about it being American anymore. If you don’t see that specific label, you’re still often left in the dark.

Beyond the Label: The Working Farm Difference

While we’re glad the labels are catching up, there’s something a sticker can’t tell you. There is a world of difference between a “meat brand” that sits in an office and aggregates boxes, and a working family farm.

At Watson Farms, we aren’t just moving product; we are stewards of the land.

  • Legacy & Conservation: This isn’t just a business plot; it’s 350 acres that my grandparents, Jim and Anna, started, and that we recently placed into a conservation easement to ensure it stays a farm forever.
  • Hands-on Production: When we talk about our pastured poultry and pork, we aren’t just buying commodity feed from a corporate mill. We are milling our own non-GMO grain right here to ensure our animals get exactly what they need.
  • Boots on the Ground: Whether it’s me fixing fences, my dad checking the herd, Kelly managing the office, or her parents helping out on Farm Days, we couldn’t do it alone. We are incredibly lucky to have 8 dedicated team members who might as well be part of the family. They are the ones out here with us every day in the pastures, the fulfillment room, and the Farm Store, making sure every animal is cared for and every order is handled with the same pride we have.

We do source cattle from a handful of trusted partner producers throughout the Southeast to keep up with demand, but these aren’t faceless corporations. These are fellow farmers we know personally who meet our strict 100% grass-fed and grass-finished standards.

When you buy from us, you aren’t just buying “Product of USA”—you’re supporting a local ecosystem that puts the health of the soil and the soul of the farm first.

Product Spotlight: Spring Into Savings with Bulk Beef

With the spring grass finally coming in lush and plentiful, it’s the perfect time of year to stock up on 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef. We are excited to announce that we have officially brought back our Half Beef Bundle, which offers the ultimate value with a $250 savings over individual retail cuts.

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Pasture Posts #265 – Written in the Soil Forever

Here’s the weekly roundup from Watson Farms and your direct connection to your farmer. Enjoy the latest edition of Pasture Posts!

If you’ve visited us lately, you’ve likely seen the wide, flat stretches at the front of the farm. But as you go back toward the York County line, those flats give way to rolling hills leading to the creek bottom. This land has been the heartbeat of our family since my grandparents, Jim and Anna, first purchased it in 1979.

Today, as Noah and Abby grow up here, they represent the fourth generation of Watsons to call this soil home. But as we’ve watched the skyline of the Charlotte-metro area grow taller and the subdivisions of York County creep closer over the last 10 years, we realized that their future on this land wasn’t guaranteed by tradition alone.

A little over a year ago, our family—my parents, Gary and June, and Kelly, and myself—made it official. We partnered with the Farm Bureau Land Trust to put our entire 350-acre farm into a conservation easement.

What “Forever” Really Means

This was not a decision we made lightly or quickly. It involved a mountain of paperwork and a long, often laborious process with appraisers, attorneys, and our bank. But the result is simple: this land can never be anything but a farm.

By choosing this path, we were able to access conservation funding that helped us address “legacy debt” from our old turkey operation. But in the world of farming, the financial engine is always turning and requiring constant reinvestment. One of the greatest benefits of the easement is that it has allowed us to make needed investments—like the broiler expansion that we discussed last week—that will allow us to heal more land with your partnership.

The Truth About Farm Security

Many farmers avoid dealing directly with consumers, but we embrace it. (See the section below about Spring Farm Day!) We know that without your willingness to step out of the normal grocery store routine and shop with us, Watson Farms would cease to exist—with or without a conservation easement on the land.

In fact, as grateful as we are for the conservation easement, we know that customers like you provide more farm security across our country than easements ever will.

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Spring Farm Day 2026

We’re thrilled to welcome you back to the farm for our premier spring event! It’s the perfect opportunity to experience firsthand what Watson Farms is about.

When: Saturday, April 4th, 2026, 10 am – 2 pm.
Where: Watson Farms: 713 Colony Road, Chester, SC 29706.

Join us for:

  • 🥚 Easter Egg Hunt
  • 🛝 Bounce House Fun
  • 🍔 Delicious Food Truck
  • 🚜 Scenic Wagon Hayrides
  • 🐄 See Our Animals
  • 🛍️ Farm Store Discount
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Pasture Posts #264 – Growing the Right Way 🌾

Here’s the weekly roundup from Watson Farms and your direct connection to your farmer. Enjoy the latest edition of Pasture Posts!

Happy Sunday from Lowrys! 🚜

The transition into spring is always a high-energy time here at Watson Farms. Between the greening pastures and the sounds of new life, the momentum is building. We’ve been keeping our heads down and our boots moving, and we have some big updates to share with you this week.

The Spring Chicken Stock Up Event 🍗

First off, we have been absolutely blown away by the response to our Spring Chicken Stock Up Event. You all have been busy filling your freezers, and because of that, a few of our popular items are starting to run low.

If you’ve been waiting to grab your poultry, now is the time. While some cuts are thinning out, we still have a great supply of smaller whole broilers (in the 2lb and 3lb ranges) which are perfect for family dinners or Sunday roasts. We also have plenty of wings ready for the grill or air fryer.

To keep things exciting, we’ve just launched two brand-new bundles to help you save:

Click Here

Save the Date: Spring Farm Day! 🗓️

We are thrilled to officially announce our Spring Farm Day on April 4, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

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Pasture Posts #263 – Spring Chicken Stock Up Event is LIVE!

Here’s the weekly roundup from Watson Farms and your direct connection to your farmer. Enjoy the latest edition of Pasture Posts!

Spring is arriving here at Watson Farms! 🌸

We’ve officially graduated the cattle off hay and back into their warm-weather routine of daily paddock shifts on fresh grass. 🌱 It’s also an exciting time as we’ve welcomed a new group of calves that we’ll be caring for over the next year as they move through our regenerative grazing program.

Meanwhile, our H2A crew is back in full swing—caring for the pigs and baby chicks while building new brooder pens and pasture hoop houses for our upcoming broiler expansion. 🏗️ It’s a season of growth and preparation, which brings us to some big news.

The Spring Chicken Stock Up Event is LIVE! 🍗

Each year, we purposefully plan for a surplus during our growing season. Since we only raise broilers in the warm months to protect the birds and the pastures, we have to stock the freezers heavy enough to last through the winter production gap. ❄️ It’s always a bit of a guessing game, and we would much rather have plenty available for you than run out mid-winter!

As we head toward our first processing dates in late April, that intentional surplus means our freezers are still quite full. To make room for the new season, we are launching our most aggressive chicken sale of the year.

Continue reading Pasture Posts #263 – Spring Chicken Stock Up Event is LIVE!