the pigs

Our “belly rubbed bacon” is heritage breed, pastured pork raised on organic feed, plenty of grass, treats from the garden, and whatever bugs, grubs, and roots a happy pig with its snout in the ground can find! 

Our breeds are always selected for their ability to thrive on pasture, and this year we returned to raising Berkshire pigs, a heritage breed known for its delicious flavor and sizable pork chop.

Our pigs always spend their entire lives outdoors where they are happily able to express their full pig nature, namely munching on grass, rooting in dirt, wallowing in the mud, and napping in a pig pile. 

Their omnivorous pastured diet is supplemented with feed from a local organic-certified grain farmer near Hinckley. Feed varies depending on availability but primarily consists of small grains such as field peas, oats, barley, alfalfa and wheat in addition to corn. There is no soy in their feed and all grain is certified organic.

The herd is rotated through paddocks of fresh forage, and they are helping us renovate an overgrown and underutilized section of the farm. By giving them hay bales to nest, play in, and spread around their paddock (they even eat some too!), they are helping to increase organic matter in the soil and spread pasture grass seed in goldenrod-dominant areas.

We prefer to raise Berkshire crossed pigs due to customer feedback and our own taste tests! It's our opinion that heritage breed bacon is simply the best, and the pork chops, hams, and steaks of pastured pork are a beautifully dark red, juicy meat unlike anything you will find in a grocery store.

Welfare, health, and humane handling of the pigs is valued above all -- and yes, the pigs really do get belly rubs! 

See the Order page for all the details on reserving a whole or half hog.

the lambs

Our sheep were sourced from breeding stock developed by Janet McNally at Tamarack Lamb and Wool down the road in Hinckley. Janet is an long-time sheep grazer who thoughtfully bred Dorset and Ile de France sheep and selected only hearty ewes that performed well in a grass-only, pasture lambing system (meaning no barn, just like nature).

These are meat breeds producing a medium sized, tender, delicious lamb. They also produce wool and we have plans to offer sheepskins, yarn, and batting in the near future.

They are rotationally grazed and are 100% grass fed and finished. We are thrilled to have Janet, a published and well-known grazing expert, just down the road to mentor us in breeding healthy animals in a healthy pasture ecosystem. 

If you’ve never tried lamb before, we are often able to offer sample cuts to customers upon request. Please let us know if you'd like to try some!

the Livestock Guardian Dogs

Our brave livestock guardian dogs were also bred and raised by Janet and are crosses of Maremma, Spanish Mastiff, Polish Tatra, and Central Asian Shepherd. They are as important to our sheep operation as the sheep themselves, as we are in an area with plenty of coyote and wolf predation.

These are large dogs (85-120lbs) with a fierce deep bark, but a shy and gentle nature around trusted humans. Lena asks for belly rubs just like the pigs, Shadow loves a good ear scratch, and Winnie will circle you with excitement. As protectors of the sheep, the dogs are usually suspicious of human visitors, but Griffin is a gentle, giant fluff ball who after a few fierce barks will likely greet you with a kiss. Jolly Boy is my personal protector, following wherever daily chores lead me and guarding the yard from strangers. And while not a guard dog, our newest addition, Buddy the Border collie, is learning the ropes of herding livestock and becoming indispensable as a shepherd.

The dogs allow us to farm alongside thriving wildlife, and display impressive bonding behavior with their flock. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the daily activities of Lena, Shadow, Griffin, Winnie, Jolly and Buddy!

We are currently taking a break from breeding livestock guardian dogs while training Buddy, but for more information on puppies and to join the waiting list, please see The Puppies page!

the cattle

As we establish permanent fencing on our farm, we are rapidly expanding a 100% grass fed and finished herd of Red Angus/Hereford crossed cattle alongside Shorthorn breeding stock. While healthier for both animals and humans, it takes much longer for an animal to grow to finished weight when exclusively grass fed than when feeding grain. Thus we’ve chosen hardy, adaptable breeds known for being excellent grass-finishers; however, our main goal is always to produce delicious, high-quality beef!

After taste testing as much grass fed beef as we can, we find ourselves favoring Hereford flavor and the incredible tenderness of Shorthorn beef.

See the Order page for all the details on reserving quarters, halves or beef boxes.

the chickens

We are not ashamed to admit our first flock of chickens was an impulse buy at a chicken swap we happened upon at the feed store in town. We soon began taking in "city chickens" as well--old laying hens from urban backyard flocks with maybe not the highest egg output of all time... 

We re-started our very small flock with new chicks in 2021. They are 6 different breeds laying an assortment of egg colors and sizes including green, brown, cream, and white. They live in a mobile coop (sometimes called a chicken tractor) and spend the summer scratching through tall grass, eating bugs and worms.

While we know it's disappointing, our eggs are only available in limited quantities here at the farm. Visitors to our Farmstay or Hipcamp are welcome to reserve some for their visit. Otherwise, ask about availability when you stop by, but be warned that we may ask you come collect eggs with us!