The rock-strewn hillsides on which Glynwood Farm is situated make it best suited for pasturing livestock for meat production, augmented by garden vegetables. The evolving operations at Glynwood Farm are diversified, but also intertwined to meld into a sustainable ecological unit in which the whole of its production is more than the sum of its parts—whether it be meat or vegetables.

Sustainable agriculture at Glynwood begins with care of the soil, which we work to preserve and replenish by rotating crops in our gardens and by using our own composted manure. We manage our pastures by intensive rotational grazing and—in an important and already successful experiment—by using a herd of Boer meat goats to graze down invasive plants (pdf, 7m), particularly Multiflora Rose and Japanese Barberry, on parts of the farm where mechanical mowing is impossible. Using portable, solar-powered electric fence to enclose small areas of very overgrown old pastures, we have found that the goats happily devour most of the undesirable species, helping reclaim areas long ago overtaken. With funding from a USDA grant, we are carefully documenting the results of this experiment, which we look forward to disseminating in papers and at conferences.

Sustainable agriculture at Glynwood also means minimizing energy use and reducing our carbon footprint. From innovations for heating our greenhouse or refrigerating our produce storage, we demonstrate a variety of practices that save energy and money.

The heart of Glynwood Farm’s current operations is our pasture-based beef production, featuring Black Angus cattle and a small herd of Ancient White Park cattle, a rare and endangered breed that can be traced back nearly 2000 years. We are helping to save this breed as part of the critical effort to maintain genetic diversity in livestock, which we look forward to sharing with other farmers in the Hudson Valley.

A flock of hens also has its place in our grazing rotation. Some of the hens make their home in our Mobile Henhouses, built on wheels to allow for easy rotation to fresh grass, enabling our layers to produce superior eggs. A small herd of Gloucestershire Old Spot and Tamworth pigs and pasture-raised meat chickens round out the farm’s livestock operations.

Most of Glynwood’s garden produce is sold through our Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). The 50 member households of our CSA subscribe to a 20-week distribution season, during which they enjoy more than 30 different types of vegetables, as well as Glynwood’s flowers, eggs, and pasture-fed chickens.

Glynwood has also launched an apiary enterprise, designed to augment other efforts in the region to revitalize bee species recently threatened by Colony Collapse Syndrome.

New Barn

For Glynwood Farm to fulfill its role as a real-world model, we must optimize the sustainable use and commercial potential of the farm’s resources. With this in mind, we are in the process of building a much-needed new barn. The new barn will enable us to shelter, feed, and care for the health of our livestock during winter, which means we will be able to increase the size of our herds and grow individual animals to maturity, making our livestock operations much more profitable.

The new barn will be an open-span pole structure, measuring 150’ long by 65’ wide. It will be located close to and running off the southwest corner of the existing barn. The roof will be steel and the siding board and batten to match the existing barn. To take a look at our new barn, click here.

Compost

We have made great strides in improving our composting efforts here at the farm. Through careful attention and timely turnings, we transform horse manure and bedding, poultry litter, vegetable scraps, grass clippings and leaves into fine finish compost. A compost thermometer helps us determine the optimal time for turning the piles, so we end up with a balanced, pathogen-free natural fertilizer.

Training and Workshops

Glynwood actively disseminates the lessons we learn on our farm in a variety of settings, including hands-on workshops, seminars, and conferences.

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