Our Practices
NUTRIENT CYCLING
Nutrient Cycling is vital to the health of our farm and is used to minimize external nutrient inputs to the farm and avoid nutrient loss into surface and ground water.
WATER CONSERVATION
Our farm properties are located in the Cane Creek Reservoir, Deep Creek, and Back Creek watersheds. Water Conservation is a focus on the farm. We take care to eliminate erosion and minimize animal waste run-off.
ROTATIONAL GRAZING
We use Rotational Grazing for all of our animals; our chickens and livestock are frequently moved to clean and nutritious paddocks on our farm. The steers are followed by sheep which are followed by laying hens, creating an ideal cycle which builds the nutrients and carbon in the soil.
LIVESTOCK GUARD DOGS
Livestock guard dogs are essential to the safety and well-being of our livestock. Our family of Great Pyrenees dogs live with the animals and protect them from a long list of predators: coyotes, possums, racoons, hawks, skunks, weasels, wild dogs, bobcats, and snakes.
LOCAL ECONOMY
We believe it is best to participate maximally in the Local Economy by purchasing and selling as close to home as possible. For example, we purchase all our livestock within 50 miles of the farm, our layer feed is milled in Durham, and our most distant point of sales is 25 miles from the farm.
NATIVE PLANTS
As a holistic system, we focus on Native Plants in our landscape so that the beings which were here first, from micro-organisms to large mammals, have the best chance of continuing in a balanced ecosystem.