Our Guiding Principles
1. Harmony with Nature:
We believe in working alongside nature rather than against it. Every practice on our farm is designed to enhance the living ecosystem, supporting biodiversity and fostering a balanced environment where all life can thrive, from the native flora and wildlife to the livestock we manage.
2. Soil Health is Paramount:
Our foundation is built on soil health. We use methods like cover cropping, minimal tillage, and composting to enrich the soil, ensuring it's alive with microorganisms that support vigorous plant growth and nutrient dense food production.
3. Animal Welfare:
Our livestock are treated as integral parts of our ecosystem, not just as resources. They are given the freedom to express natural behaviors, access to fresh air, sunlight, and a diet that mirrors what they would eat in nature, contributing to their health, the health of our land, and ultimately the health of our community.
4. Sustainable Practices:
Sustainability is at the core of our operations. We aim for self-sufficiency through forage management, alternative energy, water conservation, and waste recycling. Our practices are meant to be sustainable not just for one season, but for generations to come.
5. Community and Education:
We value the community around us, engaging in local events, offering educational workshops on regenerative practices, and sharing our harvest in ways that benefit local families. Knowledge is a seed we plant for the future of farming.
6. Transparency and Integrity:
We are committed to transparency in our farming practices. Our customers know exactly where their food comes from, how it's grown, and why our methods matter. Integrity in our operations ensures trust and mutual respect.
7. Adaptability and Innovation:
We embrace change, learning from each season to refine our practices. We're open to new technologies and ideas that align with our regenerative ethos, ensuring we're always improving our approach to farming.
8. Holistic Management:
Every decision on our farm is made with a holistic view, considering the health of the land, the well-being of our animals, the vitality of our crops, and the satisfaction of our community. We manage our farm as an interconnected web, not as separate parts.
9. Resilience Over Yield:
While yields are important, we prioritize resilience. Our aim is to create a farm that can withstand challenges in supply chains, seasonal changes, and natural disasters, producing food that's not only abundant and reliable, but also nutritious and free of chemicals.
10. Legacy of Land Stewardship:
We are stewards of the land, committed to leaving it in better shape than we found it. Our legacy is one where future generations inherit a farm that's more fertile, diverse, and productive than ever before.
These principles guide every decision, action, and innovation at Meadowvale Farmstead, ensuring that the products we offer are exceptionally healthy, delicious, humane, and life-giving for our land and community.
Our Practices
At Meadowvale Farmstead, we are constantly learning and adjusting our methods as we receive feedback from the systems we create on the farm. Some practices remain fundamental to our operation, however. We may shift in our approach to these practices as we learn, but they will continue to be at the core of what we do.
- Rotational Grazing: We move our cattle, goats, and pigs through different paddocks to mimic the natural migration patterns of wild herbivores. This not only prevents overgrazing but also enhances pasture health by allowing plant recovery, improving soil structure, and promoting plant diversity.
- Holistic Animal Husbandry: We raise our livestock without vaccines, experimental drugs, hormones, or routine antibiotics. Their diet is carefully curated to be biologically appropriate, consisting only of pasture, and when a little more is needed, non-GMO feed free of soy and corn. This commitment extends to their living conditions, providing them with ample space to roam, forage, and engage in natural behaviors, which not only promotes their physical health but also their psychological well-being. Our goal is to foster a symbiotic relationship between our animals and the environment, creating a cycle of health that benefits the animals, the land, and ultimately, our family and customers.
- No-Till Farming: We minimize soil disturbance by avoiding traditional plowing and discing. This practice helps in maintaining soil structure, preserving soil biodiversity, and reducing erosion. We use cover crops and disturbance by animals to naturally aerate and fertilize the soil.
- Cover Cropping: Throughout the year, we plant a variety of cover crops like clover, vetch, and rye. These crops protect and enrich the soil, prevent erosion, suppress weeds, improve water retention, and fix nitrogen naturally.
- Composting and Organic Fertilizers: We produce our own compost from farm waste, including manure and plant material, transforming it into nutrient-rich soil amendments. This closes the nutrient loop on our farm, eliminating many external inputs and enhancing soil biology.
- Agroforestry: Integrating trees with our farming system, we practice silvopasture and careful woodland management. Trees provide shade for animals, reduce wind erosion, offer habitat for wildlife, and contribute to carbon cycling while also producing food and timber.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Instead of chemical pesticides, we rely on natural predators, crop rotation, and polyculture to manage pests. This holistic approach to pest control maintains ecological balance and reduces harm to non-target species.
- Water Management: We implement a variety of water conservation techniques, including swales and ponds to manage water flow and prevent runoff, careful preservation of riparian zones along our natural waterway, and efficient irrigation techniques like drip lines. Our aim is to conserve water, enhance infiltration, and support wetland habitats.
- Heritage and Heirloom Breeds/Varieties: We prioritize heritage breeds of livestock and heirloom crop varieties for their resilience, flavor, and genetic diversity. These choices support biodiversity, local adaptation, and reduce our dependency on modern, high-maintenance varieties.
- Multi-Species Grazing: By grazing different species together or in sequence, like chickens following cows to peck at insects and distribute manure, we leverage the natural behaviors of animals to improve soil and plant health.
- Community Integrated Agriculture: We engage directly with our community through our priority sales program, providing fresh, farm-raised products to our immediate neighbors first. This connection ensures our community has access to excellent food, and builds a supportive local food system.
- Education and Workshops: We host workshops and farm tours to educate others about regenerative practices, and related areas of knowledge, like food preservation and home-scale food production.
- Continuous Monitoring and Adaptation: We regularly assess the health of our soil, plants, animals, and water through various metrics. This data helps us adapt our practices, ensuring they align with our guiding principles and respond to changing environmental conditions.
These practices are not just methods of production; they are part of a living system that regenerates our land, supports our community, and respects the natural world.