Heritage Pork
We choose to raise only heritage breeds of pigs for many reasons. Although they are a slower growing animal they produce an amazing taste and meat quality. They have excellent foraging ability by the way they can convert food to healthy meat. It matches our farms environment of forest and pasture. Their diet consists of a small amount of a non gmo grain made right here in CT, also fruits, vegetables grown on the farm, and raw milk from a local dairy farm. We practice a rotational grazing method for all animals. Once the animals forage an area, we reseed and give the ground time to regrow. We use absolutely no synthetic fertilizers to grow the fields, only the manure left behind. No growth hormones or antibiotics are used in raising our animals.
Meat Chickens
We use a breed of chickens called a Cornish Cross. They are the same commercial breed of chicken everyone is used to, but raised completely different. We raise small flocks of chickens (usually 50 to 75) in mobile chicken tractors. Raising small flocks generates less stress and an overall healthier living environment, eliminating the use of antibiotics. It gives us the ability to move our chickens daily to new ground to forage, the way nature intended. The portable chicken tractors can also protect the chickens from predators. Their diet consists of a small amount of non gmo grain made in CT, pasture grasses, insects, fresh water, and sunshine. During the months of December through April our birds are not pasture raised. Simply because in New England the winter months do not provide a real benefit to the chickens. We raise the birds in large sheds to keep them warm and safe but still provide the same great quality feed.
Beef Cattle
We raise Hereford and Angus cattle here at the farm.
Our animals are primarily grass fed, throughout the year they get free choice grass and hay all day. We also give them a small amount of grain. This helps the health of the animal by supplying extra minerals that they may not get from grass alone. It also gives the meat much better flavor and marbelization.