Ten years into the world of farming, and we’re finally in the place we wanted to be all along.
As of January 2024, all livestock are fed organically and raised holistically!
When we started in 2014, we knew that we wanted to be different in both the breeds we raised and the way we raised them. Our initial purpose was to control our own food supply and raise animals cleaner than what we could source locally. That led to months of trial and error with different feeds, trying to find the best economical solution with clean ingredients. What we found in that search was that all of the organic feeds readily available on the market had two main ingredients: corn and soy. We always wanted to be an organic farm, but found very quickly that finding a clean source of feed without the grains we wanted to avoid was nearly impossible.
At the time we had already eliminated both corn and soy from our diets, so we knew that these crops weren’t something we wanted to feed our animals. You see, in addition to being some of the most heavily sprayed crops (glyphosate especially), corn and soy are inflammatory to the body. Whole corn isn’t easily digested by most livestock and soy contains phytic acid, which prevents the body (be it human or animal) from absorbing minerals. So we decided that a NonGMO certified feed without corn or soy was the best option for our farm in that season.
In 2021 we discovered how severely modified wheat has become over the last 30 years, and the detrimental effects it can have on your gut biome. We were amazed at how much better we felt when we stopped eating organic wheat and were determined to remove it from our animal’s diets too. But the journey to finding a feed company that would create a custom mix for us was challenging. After several months of contacting different feed mills we finally found Resaca Sun Feeds in Georgia, who was willing to make a custom feed for our farm. Resaca is the only NonGMO project verified company that grows all of their own crops, making their quality control higher than any other company in the industry. They were the cleanest option we could find at the time, and served our farm well for over two years.
Fast forward to this year (2024) and our desires to become fully organic were finally within reach! After greatly expanding our operation into the world of dairy cows, we discovered Reedy Fork Farm in North Carolina. They cater to the small farmer and produced milk for Organic Valley themselves for many years. They have worked with us and Fertrell, an organic mineral company, to create formulas that are beneficial to our livestock but also meet our high standards in ingredients.
All of our livestock, from big to small, eat a feed ration that is free of soy, gluten (in any form – especially wheat), and canola!
Our meat and eggs are also corn free, but our milk is not. Our dairy cows get small amounts of organic corn at milking when their body condition is low. Lower body condition is when the cow has lost weight and typically happens after calving, especially for our heavier milk producers since they’re putting everything they can into making milk. In our short years of owning dairy cows we’ve found that the industry has become so dependent on grain inputs to produce milk and keep strong cows. While we’re breeding to develop genetics that rely less on grains, we’re working with the girls we have now and feeding them accordingly to keep them healthy and producing the best milk!
After switching all our livestock to the organic feed we’ve noticed shinier coats, better growth, and lower mineral consumption. They’re getting more of what they need in their feed, which means they’re happier and healthier overall!
We’ve always raised our animals holistically, meaning we keep the animals whole body in mind and use natural methods to treat them for ailments like parasites or sickness. This year we’ve also begun to truly focus on our soil health and are working on fencing in enough acreage to implement rotational grazing models for all livestock to decrease parasite exposure, improve the available forage, and give the earth periods of rest and regrowth.
Over the years we have grown in our methods and found ways to raise our livestock naturally, as God intended. We’re doing what we were told couldn’t be done. It’s been quite a journey to get here, but I’m so proud of how far we’ve come, what all we have overcome, and how we continue to persevere to bring quality products to feed the families in our community.
