Pastured chickens at Glynwood Farm. Photo by Frankie Kimm.
As we begin the summer, the pace of activities on the farm is ever quickening.
Winter life on the farm is more contained, more focused around a couple places: the new barn where the cattle, sheep and goats wintered, the chicken houses and the pig houses. When the pastures are covered in snow, we carefully feed out the hay we fretted over making last summer – and then fret whether there will be enough to get us through the winter. Soon we will be fretting over getting in this year’s hay, and spreading the composted manure the animals made from last from last year’s hay, which adds fertility to the fields for next year’s hay. The cycle continues…
As spring progresses and the grass starts to grow, the animals move out behind moveable electric fences to begin their long months of grazing. The goats start their time in the brush lots, helping to reclaim ever more of the overgrown fields that were lost to Multiflora Rose over the years.
We practice controlled rotational grazing here at Glynwood: the animals spend only small amounts of time on any one area and are moved frequently to fresh grass. Not only does this improve the productivity of the pastures, it also keeps the animals healthier and more productive because they are always eating fresh rapidly growing grasses which are more nutritious; and because frequent moves help to disrupt the parasite cycle. We always work with nature if possible, not against her. This is how we produce high quality delicious and nutritious pasture-raised meats from happy, healthy animals.
But here’s the thing: it’s a lot more work to farm this way.
Every day or two during the grazing season (which lasts eight months or so), we are out moving fences, animals, and water troughs. And it seems that no matter how many rolls of the Electronet fence we have, or how many solar powered fence chargers, it is never enough for all of the groups of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, laying hens and meat chickens that we move through Glynwood’s fields. Every morning is a strategy session; we deploy people and equipment as efficiently as possible – and then something happens and all of those plans have to change.
And that’s not even a full picture of all the activity on our farm. We are just about to start our fifth CSA season, we have fence lines to clear, brush to cut, hay to make, eggs to collect and deliver, lawns to mow, fences to repair, barns to muck, and tasks and chores too numerous to mention. We love it and count ourselves lucky to be entrusted with the care of these beautiful creatures and this beautiful piece of land. And how blessed we are to be able to provide nutritious, delicious food to our neighbors and community.
Ken Kleinpeter is Glynwood’s Director of Farm & Facilities.
This entry was posted on Friday, May 21st, 2010 at 9:49 am and is filed under Fresh from Our Farm. You can follow this blog through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
