Speaking for the Trees

We had the opportunity last weekend to be like the Lorax and speak for the trees — specifically, the immense value that trees can have on grazing operations. We presented on how our farm implemented silvopasture (trees + livestock + forages) at the annual Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) Conference. We spoke to a room of over 40 livestock producers and ag professionals about the benefits of silvopasture and the ins and outs of how to design, lay out, install and manage a silvopasture system. It was so energizing to talk to other producers about the practicalities of integrating trees into a grazing operation in order to offer shade and diverse diets to livestock, increase revenue, sequester carbon, improve animal health and increase wildlife habitat. Read more about the benefits of silvopasture in this blog!

As I write this, we have just returned from another wonderful learning experience with The Ohio State University’s animal science program through the Beef509 class. Over two days, we learned how to judge a market-ready beef animal, then got hands-on experience with the full butchering process. While we do not butcher our own cattle, it’s important to us to get behind-the-scenes to understand the butchering side, how to grade beef, the quality traits to look for, and the loads of work it is to break down a whole beef into individual cuts. We have always been grateful for our partnerships with local butchers, since we could not sell our beef without them, but we walked away with newfound respect for their daily work.

This winter has given us time to focus on learning and planning for the farm before the grazing season comes in full flush in April. We are humbled by the incredible complexity of farming and the endless learning opportunities in this field of work. And we are always doing our best to care for the animals that, in turn, nourish us.

March Meat Pickups Around the Corner

Put your orders in now for our next monthly pickup! Our on-farm pickup is Thursday, March 7th and our Columbus pickup is Saturday, March 9th. You can order as much or as little as you’d like and there’s no commitment to order each month. It’s come as you please over here! Looking forward to seeing you soon. Here’s how it works:

1. SHOP - Shop your favorite ethical meats, raised right! Create a free account to check out so that we can track your order.
   
2. PICK UP - Meet us at a monthly pickup location in Columbus or Athens to collect your order. Or select home delivery if it's available in your area.
   
3. ENJOY - Enjoy your new source of premium meat products!

Shop Beef and Pork

What I'm reading...

Three Takeaways from the USDA Census of Agriculture - Article by Modern Farmer - “The 2022 Census of Agriculture was released this week, reporting increased farm profits but decreased farmland. Vilsack calls the data ‘a wakeup call.’”

Nourishment - Book by Fred Provenza - “Animal scientists have long considered domestic livestock to be too dumb to know how to eat right, but the lifetime research of animal behaviorist Fred Provenza and his colleagues has debunked this myth. Their work shows that when given a choice of natural foods, livestock have an astoundingly refined palate, nibbling through the day on as many as fifty kinds of grasses, forbs, and shrubs to meet their nutritional needs with remarkable precision.”

What I'm listening to...

I’ve had my Winter Playlist on shuffle as I drive to work, paint a room, and cook dinner!

I’ve been listening to the My Digital Farmer Podcast, which is all about farm marketing. I really recommend this resource to any small farmers out there!