Practices
Happy Cows Produce a Better Product.
Our Farm is comprised of 280 acres, with 70 acres of pasture and 60 acres of hay fields. The remainder is forest land. We have ample resources for pasture and hay production to keep the cows happily fed and grazed.
When animals are raised outdoors on pasture, their manure is spread over a wide area of land, making it a welcome source of organic fertilizer, not a waste management problem. Ruminants, cud-chewing animals such as cattle, were designed to eat fibrous grasses, plants, and shrubs; not starchy, low-fiber grain.
When they are in a feedlot operation, they are switched from pasture to grain and they can become afflicted with a number of disorders. Raising animals on pasture requires more knowledge and skill than sending them to a feedlot.
For example, for grass-fed beef to be succulent and tender, the cattle and calves need to forage on high-quality grasses, especially in the months prior to harvest. Providing this nutritious and natural diet requires healthy soil and careful pasture management so that the plants are maintained at an optimal stage of growth.
