We have a few simple beliefs that guide our farming practice. We believe
that building and tending quality soil will translate into healthy,
nutritious vegetables; that livestock deserves respectful handling and
the opportunity to live out their lives on pasture; and that great
farming doesn't happen without community.
We raise certified organic vegetables. Certified organic practices both encourages sustainable practices such as cover cropping and crop rotation, and discourages (or downright prohibits) unsustainable practices such as the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Farming organically, under the USDA's rules, is a complicated practice with many checks and balances. The USDA strives to ensure that the term organic means something by setting a common standard. And we adhere to that standard. More importantly, we know that vegetables grown in quality soil, under a careful eye with a good plan and great intentions, will be good vegetables.
We also raise some conventional vegetables and support conventional farmers. We raise some vegetables cooperatively with other non-organic farmers and support them buy buying in some of their crops. We have raised pumpkins and squash conventionally, and bought in strawberries, corn and blueberries. These other farms are friends of ours, they are good farms run by good people, and while we don't necessarily share some of the same farming philosophies, we do share a love of farming and the same goal of just trying to make it as a small family farm.
We believe that livestock should be able to run around. All of our animals are in the open air, foraging about throughout their time with us. We try and supply them with local, whole grains (for the pigs) and sustainably harvested micro-nutrients whenever and as often as possible. We believe that our hogs and beef critters should be well loved.
We also believe that we can't do it alone. We believe that our farm wouldn't exist without the support of our CSA members, our farmers' market patrons, our meat customers, our neighbors, our families, other farmers... really our farm wouldn't exist without our entire community. We gain so much from all the people who support us, and we strive to do as much as we can to give to our communities. Regardless of the bottom line, its most important to us that we do right by our neighbors.
We love farming. We love the way of life. We love, and are grateful, that we have the opportunity to farm.
We raise certified organic vegetables. Certified organic practices both encourages sustainable practices such as cover cropping and crop rotation, and discourages (or downright prohibits) unsustainable practices such as the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Farming organically, under the USDA's rules, is a complicated practice with many checks and balances. The USDA strives to ensure that the term organic means something by setting a common standard. And we adhere to that standard. More importantly, we know that vegetables grown in quality soil, under a careful eye with a good plan and great intentions, will be good vegetables.
We also raise some conventional vegetables and support conventional farmers. We raise some vegetables cooperatively with other non-organic farmers and support them buy buying in some of their crops. We have raised pumpkins and squash conventionally, and bought in strawberries, corn and blueberries. These other farms are friends of ours, they are good farms run by good people, and while we don't necessarily share some of the same farming philosophies, we do share a love of farming and the same goal of just trying to make it as a small family farm.
We believe that livestock should be able to run around. All of our animals are in the open air, foraging about throughout their time with us. We try and supply them with local, whole grains (for the pigs) and sustainably harvested micro-nutrients whenever and as often as possible. We believe that our hogs and beef critters should be well loved.
We also believe that we can't do it alone. We believe that our farm wouldn't exist without the support of our CSA members, our farmers' market patrons, our meat customers, our neighbors, our families, other farmers... really our farm wouldn't exist without our entire community. We gain so much from all the people who support us, and we strive to do as much as we can to give to our communities. Regardless of the bottom line, its most important to us that we do right by our neighbors.
We love farming. We love the way of life. We love, and are grateful, that we have the opportunity to farm.
