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

Winter Chores

Take a look at some of the things we do in the winter to make sure our animals are healthy and happy!

We take special measures with our pigs around weather events during the winter. One of these measures is lots of straw bedding which they love to burrow in for warmth. Another is some sort of additional portable shelter which in this case is a 4 wheel wagon that the group of pigs can get under to help shed the rain we’ve had.

We also modify our layer chickens feed ration during the winter time to account for fewer insects and green grass that is available. We add non-GMO alfalfa meal and fish meal from Fertrell, a widely-trusted organic feed supplement supplier. This mimics the chickens natural warm-season diet as closely as possible.

In the photo above, we augered about 7.5 tons of freshly milled feed into our feed truck which we then auger into the feed bin that is connected to the feed line in the layer chickens winter house. (The layer chickens still have plenty of outdoor access during winter where they can go out of the house and scratch around.)

We prefer making our own feed rations so that we know exactly what goes into the feed, which allows us to confidently tell you that there are no medications, growth-promotants, or any other unnatural ingredients in our feed.

Lastly, as the cattle work through our stockpiled fescue, we have to provide them with more hay so that they stay happy and continue to gain weight. We use this vertical mixer to mix two different types of stored forage: dry hay and haylage, which is just a term for ensiled forage that has been baled and preserved. The cattle love this mix, and this is a task that we’ll do everyday throughout the winter. We should be able to turn them into some green winter grasses occasionally through the winter after warm spells which allow the cool season grasses to re-grow.

---

Product Spotlight

Excellent Offerings for Holiday Meals

The mouthwatering aroma of Carving Hams is once again filling the air, marking the return of this classic favorite to our selection. Delight in the succulent, tender meat that melts in your mouth with every bite. Whether it’s for a special occasion or a holiday feast, our Carving Hams are the perfect centerpiece that will impress your guests and leave them craving for more.

And that’s not all! We are excited to announce that Pasture Raised Turkeys are now on sale. If you’re looking to elevate your dining experience, these turkeys, raised on pasture with the utmost care, are the epitome of quality and flavor. Enjoy the rich, juicy meat that comes from birds that have been raised in a humane and natural environment.

We take pride in producing and purveying top-notch products that are not only delicious but also sustainably sourced. Our Carving Hams and Pasture Raised Turkeys are no exception. The hams are sourced from Hickory Nut Gap and the turkeys are from Joe’s Farm.

Make your celebrations memorable with our Carving Hams and Pasture Raised Turkeys.

---

Order Deadlines and Store Hours

Here’s a friendly reminder to get your orders in by the deadline. We have changed our workflow some to help reduce errors, so we have to begin the process of staging orders for the next day’s delivery very soon after the deadlines below. Help us serve you better by ensuring your order is placed in time!

Charleston Area: 12 noon Mondays

UPS Orders: 12 noon Mondays

Columbia Area: 12 noon on Tuesdays

GSP: 12 noon on Wednesdays

Charlotte/Fort Mill/Rock Hill Areas: 12 noon on Fridays

Farm Pickup: Please wait until you receive an email stating that your order is ready to be picked up (usually 1 business day from when you place your order). Farm pickup is done during store hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10am to 6pm
Saturday: 10am to 2pm
Closed Sunday and Wednesday

---

A quick note about pets at the Farm Store

While we are dog lovers, (we have four Great Pyrenees that protect our chickens and we have a whole category devoted to pets) we have had numerous incidents over the last year with customers’ pets that require us to instate a policy restricting personal pets from exiting your vehicle when you come to the Farm Store. Thank you.

---

Tell a Friend!

It’s now easier than ever to Give $15 and Get $15 through our Referral Program. We don’t spend a lot of money of advertising, but rather we focus on producing products that people love and are willing to tell others about. So we depend on word of mouth to find new customers and ultimately to heal more land.

So in an effort to streamline this process we have made it easier to tell others (via email, Facebook, or Twitter) about Watson Farms. And it’s all automated on the backend, so you don’t have to rely on us to issue the store credits manually. Just head over to our Referrals Page and start sharing!

---

Did you know that we have a webpage that displays all the reviews we have received?  

Check it out!

Check out this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review:

“I just made burgers last night with the ground beef that we purchased a couple of weeks ago at Watson Farms and was absolutely blown away by how much better it was than store bought. It was literally like eating a chopped up steak rather than just a homogenous meat. I’m sold!”

We would greatly appreciate it if you would be kind enough to leave us a review.  It helps first-time customers purchase with confidence.

---

Thanks again for being partners in this endeavor of local, pasture-raised proteins that has truly transformed our farm.  We look forward to continuing this transition while serving you long into the future.

Sincerely,
The Watsons

---

Pasture Posts is written by Matt Watson.