by Pete on August 28th, 2011
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Despite all the dire warnings of pending doom and gloom from Tropical Storm Irene - the birds and other beasts are fairing just fine. The meat chickens from the cow pasture on Route 2 were harvested yesterday and they seem just dandy in the cooler! This morning I collected eggs and visited with the egg layers while the wind was howling and the rain teaming down...but the hens didn't seem to mind all that much. Many of them were eagerly hunting for juicy earthworms in the developing puddles and moist earth. Some were just standing outside like penguins with faces to the wind seemingly to enjoy the wind and rain in their faces. We have plenty of shelter for the birds both under the coops and inside where it's dry and comfortable but these laying ladies seem to enjoy being out in the elements.
by Pete on August 28th, 2011
A few weeks ago we visited with John and Carolyn Wheeler out in Shelburne, MA. For a few years now we've been selling their wonderful 100% grass-fed beef in the mini-store. With our one vacation weekend of the summer we trekked out to Shelburne to spend time with the Wheelers - visiting with the Wheelers, enjoying a nice lunch on their patio, saying hello to their cows and seeing where all that great beef comes from.
The Wheelers just purchased an adjacent property in order to secure their access to over 100 additional acres of prime pasture for their 100% grass-fed (no grain, ever!) beef. They currently have a herd of opproximately 130 head of mainly Belted Galloway cattle which graze their pastures during the summer and consume their hay and baleage during the winter. In most years the Wheelers grow enough of their own forage to feed their cows all year. No purchased forage means they are self-sufficient on their land!
The Wheelers home is situated on over 300 acres of land with the home-site being in Carolyns' family for several generations. The Wheelers are wonderful, warm and hospitable folks and we take pride in our relationship with them. We trust their farming practices and their beef is the only beef we consume ourselves - it's tasty and 100% grass-fed! All their animals are processed at Adams Farm in Athol, MA, the same facility we use for our pigs and sheep.
We purchase beef from Wheelview Farm several times per year and can coordinate large bulk purchases for those interested. Higher-end cuts such as tenderloin, t-bone etc... are challenging to purchase in quantity to please allow time for cuts to be available.
A few photos below from our visit.
The Wheelers just purchased an adjacent property in order to secure their access to over 100 additional acres of prime pasture for their 100% grass-fed (no grain, ever!) beef. They currently have a herd of opproximately 130 head of mainly Belted Galloway cattle which graze their pastures during the summer and consume their hay and baleage during the winter. In most years the Wheelers grow enough of their own forage to feed their cows all year. No purchased forage means they are self-sufficient on their land!
The Wheelers home is situated on over 300 acres of land with the home-site being in Carolyns' family for several generations. The Wheelers are wonderful, warm and hospitable folks and we take pride in our relationship with them. We trust their farming practices and their beef is the only beef we consume ourselves - it's tasty and 100% grass-fed! All their animals are processed at Adams Farm in Athol, MA, the same facility we use for our pigs and sheep.
We purchase beef from Wheelview Farm several times per year and can coordinate large bulk purchases for those interested. Higher-end cuts such as tenderloin, t-bone etc... are challenging to purchase in quantity to please allow time for cuts to be available.
A few photos below from our visit.
by Pete on August 28th, 2011
Last week we sent off a beautiful group of Gloucester Old Spots for harvest. It's always a sad day on the farm when we say goodbye to our beasts. We enjoy their company and watching as they grow and develop into healthy, curious and happy animals.
Some of the pork from this group of pigs will be used for our tasty nitrite-free bacon and ham steaks as well as plenty of specialty sausages including chorizo, smoked andouille and beer brats. These items won't be ready for several weeks, we'll let folks know when they arrive from the smokehouse! The rest of the pork will be used to fulfill our first round of small sampler packs. So for those who ordered small samplers...we'll be in touch soon with more details on when the samplers will be ready for pickup.
The majority of our pigs will be harvested in October - we plan to either move some of the pigs to an orchard or more likely for this season, bring lots of apples to the pigs. We'll post pics when the apples start to arrive!
As a tribute to this wonderful group of piggies - some photos of them are posted below.
Some of the pork from this group of pigs will be used for our tasty nitrite-free bacon and ham steaks as well as plenty of specialty sausages including chorizo, smoked andouille and beer brats. These items won't be ready for several weeks, we'll let folks know when they arrive from the smokehouse! The rest of the pork will be used to fulfill our first round of small sampler packs. So for those who ordered small samplers...we'll be in touch soon with more details on when the samplers will be ready for pickup.
The majority of our pigs will be harvested in October - we plan to either move some of the pigs to an orchard or more likely for this season, bring lots of apples to the pigs. We'll post pics when the apples start to arrive!
As a tribute to this wonderful group of piggies - some photos of them are posted below.
by Pete on July 24th, 2011
The other day I was out collecting eggs and ...
by Pete on July 24th, 2011
One of the things I love to do on the farm is grow crops. As a veggie farmer I just can't help but love the amazing growth of plants. Their capacity to nourish and renew the soils and the body are incredible. As soon as the snow melts I can usually be found out and about seeing where I can foster a little extra green growth. Clovers, winter rye, peas and oats - these are all cooler season forages/cover crops which thrive early and late in the season. This spring, before the soils warmed I tilled up an old pasture near the pig field which has been in weeds and ignored for many seasons. With just a light tilling and hand spinning of clover on top, I let the land sit for a few months. The old weeds came up strong but I knew the clovers were doing their thing, settling in, taking hold, and getting ready to take over when presented with the opportunity. A few weeks ago I mowed off the weeds and there - sitting patiently down below was the clover.
In the two photos below, you can see in the field in March when I tilled in the old dead weeds from past seasons...and the field this week, from a different angle. Note the tall weeds in the background...part of the field I have yet to rennovate.
In the two photos below, you can see in the field in March when I tilled in the old dead weeds from past seasons...and the field this week, from a different angle. Note the tall weeds in the background...part of the field I have yet to rennovate.
Pigs love fresh forage. They are omnivores and enjoy a wide ranging diet. While we don't feed them our chickens (though I'm sure they would love it!) we do grow them lots of yummy salad. In the photos below you'll see the remains of field peas they hogged down, which we then tilled in and resowed to sudan grass - a very fast growing heat-loving grass which is tender and they love love love. These photos were taken less than three weeks apart! In a week or so we'll turn the pigs back into the field and allow them to graze the sudan grass for a few days. Then we'll exclude them once again for a week or so to allow the sudan grass to regrow. The wonderful thing about the sudan grass is that it thrives when it's cut down to a few inches. It sets new roots and grows back even stronger. I wrote a grant a few years ago and studied it's incredible growth. In fact, sudan grass contributes more to soil health when it's aggressively cut back - and provides up to 6x more organic matter when properly managed! So it's win win for the soils, plant and pigs! That's sustainable farming at it's best.
Lastly, another field which the pigs hogged down and we resowed to sudan grass....
by Pete on July 11th, 2011
We're in the Patch! Check out a nice story written by Ben the reporter about Backyard Birds. Ben visited last week and I showed him around the farm a bit. Good story too...way to go Ben!
by Pete on July 11th, 2011
Pigs love their peas! Each year we grow a wide variety of crops for the pigs to "hog down" to their hearts content. After enjoying lots of clover and rye over the past couple of months we turned the pigs into a small field of peas and oats. The peas were just forming and the oats had nice soft seed heads popping up. Both were sweet and tender and the pigs wasted no time munching away. I so love turning the pigs into new areas and watching them go to work. So much so, that I flicked on my iphone video camera ....enjoy...and notice how totally quiet the pigs are...they are focused on getting the best bits of sweet pea tendril tips...yes, those are the same pea tendrils that you pay $10lb for at the market!
Below, you can see the same exact field about one week later! It had a few more dead plants laying about but I tilled all the remaining plants and seeded their next crop...sudan grass. Within a month this same field (and I'll blog about it) will have lush green grass several feet tall. Sudan grass is a fast growing summer grass which is extremely tasty and sweet and makes an excellent forage this time of year. If managed properly it will re-grow after being grazed. In the photo you can see that we are excluding the pigs from this field with a single strand of electric wire and some fiberglass posts. The pigs learn quickly to stay out of the field as they know (maybe) that soon their will be more tasty greens headed their way!
by Pete on July 11th, 2011
Last week a summer intern from NPR Public Radio Kitchen visited with us to see our animals and to discuss the uniqeness of farming in Concord. A story to be published on the PRK website
this week will discuss the many farms in Concord and what makes us all so special!
In the photo below you can see our lovely Jen posing for a photo with the laying hens on pasture, along with Katie White - the NPR reporter, and my long shadow!
this week will discuss the many farms in Concord and what makes us all so special!
In the photo below you can see our lovely Jen posing for a photo with the laying hens on pasture, along with Katie White - the NPR reporter, and my long shadow!
by Pete on July 1st, 2011
In December of last year, a few weeks before we departed for our great asian adventure, Nutmeg, our sow, had a litter of piglets. It was a great litter. A big litter of twelve or so. But it was cold. Winter was settling in. And Nutmeg was never a great mom. She was selfish. All she cared about was herself, and food. Yes, it was cold and her new babies neded her warmth. But ohh, she loved eating. She loved the occasional outdated and slightly stale date-nut bread from Iggy's...so sweet and crunchy. And then apples, she loved all those juicy varieties. But unforuntunately, she would step on her own babies to get to these treats. And so the twelve beautiful piglets, one by one, met their maker....until there were three!
Nutmeg and Wolfgang were our last sow and boar after our relatively brief attempt at creating a small farrow (in pig varlance...to have piglets) to finish pig operation. Nutmeg was Fern's daughter. Our favorite pig of all time. But she just didn't have the caring nature of her mom. I guess a pig doesn't necessarily fall far from the, ehh, mud tree.
So with our winter vacation looming and just three little piggies left. We decided to send Nutmeg and Wolfie off to hog heaven. The three little piggies stayed behind and went to the caring home of our friend Meri. She nursed them back to health after being stepped on and ignored by Nutmeg. After many warm bottles of milk, lots of fresh hay and and warm cuddles...the three piggles have also gone to heaven. They lived a nice life these last few months and were the friendliest pigs ever - thanks to Meri and her kindness.You can now find these wonderful piggies in our freezer to enjoy during the upcoming holiday...guilt free because you know they lived a great life and left us quietly and happily. Thanks Meri!
by Pete on June 30th, 2011
A couple of weeks ago Jen and I had the opportunity to tour Pete and Gerry's Organic Egg farm in New Hampshire. Jen is participating in a SARE (sustainable agriculture research and education) grant which is aimed at improving poultry knowledge of New England ag. extension-type folks...I got to tag along! Pete and Gerrry's is one of the regions largest egg farms and much of their production is certified organic. They are a 3rd generation poultry farm and still very much a family run operation and are expanding rapidly to meet the demand for regional/local high quality eggs you can trust.
Jesse LeFlamme, pictured to the left, is the son of Gerry and co-owner. He spent hours with us touring the washing and packing facility as well as showing us the egg layer barns. He was a gracious host and clearly loves the business.
Pete and Gerry's is a BIG poultry farm for the region. On site they housed over 140,000 hens in several large barns. In addition they contract with growers who grow another 500,000 or so birds throughout New England...and they are looking for more farmers! So if you know of anyone who has $500,000 to build a "modern" layer barn with all the bells and whistles, and wants to grow 20,000 birds give Jesse a call!
Our impressions of the business were mixed. Jesse and his family clearly work hard to run their business well and are transparent about the whole operation. This is totally contrary to the industry itself which hides it's production practices. So a big kudos to Jesse, Gerry and the entire business. All such farms should be as open. The issue is that while the birds are certified organic, they are still barn birds raised in a fairly high-density setting with limited access to the outdoors. I still think that when the general public thinks of cage-free organic birds, they tend to think of a more bucolic setting. In fact, just about all organic eggs in the U.S. are raised this way, or worse. The barns we visited looked very clean and well kept and they all had outside runs for the birds to visit. These runs, also called "wintergardens" allow access to the outside through many pop-holes in the side of the barn. With the "wintergarden" and barn space, the birds have about 1.5 square feet of space each....eons better than caged birds but not quite free-ranging on pasture like our birds. All in all I'd say if you are in search of high-quality eggs and can't find a small farm like ours to purchase from - Pete and Gerry's is the next best thing. They care about the environment, seek to care for the birds the best they can, they are primarily organic and are maintain their business as a family enterprise who take pride in their business and the eggs they are producing.
This is a photo of a brand new barn they were finishing. You can see the plastic flooring for the birds where poop can drop through and be carried away. On the right are the colony nest boxes, which are low floor mounted big open nest boxes with a front flap for privacy. Many birds fit in each box, they lay their eggs and the eggs roll backwards and down into a central conveyor belt which brings the eggs directly to the wash room. Water is kept super clean through nipple waterers and feed is automated in troughs. Similar set-ups supposedly require only a couple hours of daily egg packing to care for 10-20,000 hens!
Below are photos of their packing line, outdoor access for the birds, a broad shot of the farm and more...
by Pete on June 13th, 2011
Our piglets have a tough life....
by Pete on June 13th, 2011
Thanks to all the folks who volunteered to make the first processing of the season a success! With less than ideal weather (ie, lots of rain!), and a spanking brand new enclosed processing unit, we were able to dispatch over 400 birds by 1:30pm. We encountered a few rough patches with the new unit, including a finicky scalder which slowed things down a bit, but with our first official processing complete we'll look to get the unit working to it's full potential and onto the next farm in a few weeks!
Over fifteen volunteers showed up to lend a helping hand. From 6:45am when the first volunteers showed up, until 9:30pm when our most dedicated volunteer of the century left us bleary-eyed (Thanks Jared! (in photo with Jen, above) - we managed to get all the birds humanely slaughtered, scalded, plucked, eviscerated, quality control checked, giblets packaged, birds bagged with label/price and loaded into the refrigeration trailer...and then finally the entire unit scrubbed from top to bottom! Whew! These are long gruelling days/weekends but once again, the volunteers make it possible and we are always eternally grateful!
Here is a photo of the new MPPU on dedication day....interior photos coming soon...
by Pete on June 9th, 2011
After many years of debate and planning the newest in the fleet of Mobile Poultry Processing Unit(s) is here! With donations from USDA Rural Development and many generous private donors this new state-of-the-art processing unit is spanking new and ready to get down to business.Over the weekend Jen held a dedication ceremony to thank all the donors for their support. Folks were able to climb into the unit and check out all the cool do-dad's for processing chicken. How thrilling!
This Saturday will be the first official use of the unit ...so wish us luck!
by Pete on June 3rd, 2011
Our meat birds are pasturing at a new field for us in 2011 - the Concord Conservation Trust land at Soutter Field, aka the Cow Field at the corner of Route 2 and Sudbury Road. Steve Verrill usually finishes a few cows on the field each summer and we have thought for a long time that the field has been underutilized and has been in decline. Lots of thorny brambles are popping up throughout the field and most years the field barely gets one good mowing to encourage regrowth. The cows are often left to eat Verrill corn seconds by mid-summer as the forage becomes so poor.
But help is on the way! Our birds will be marching through the fields the entire summer (we hope...more details on this soon). Last night I mowed a small portion of the field ahead of the birds. Meat chickens don't like tall grass, they prefer a shorter 4-8 inches or very tender clover to munch on. Grass taller than this tends to just mat and makes a mess. So to keep the grass in check, as we have don't have any sheep yet this season - we have to rely on diesel to do the job. But after I mowed I drove the tractor back to where the birds started this season and snapped the photo below. The added fertility can already be seen making a difference!
I'll be documenting the changes on the field throughout the season. One of my passions is improving land and I just love looking out at large fields and feeling the energy of all those solar collectors breathing new life into the earth....
Top photo is before...a few weeks ago...bottom photo was taken last nite!
But help is on the way! Our birds will be marching through the fields the entire summer (we hope...more details on this soon). Last night I mowed a small portion of the field ahead of the birds. Meat chickens don't like tall grass, they prefer a shorter 4-8 inches or very tender clover to munch on. Grass taller than this tends to just mat and makes a mess. So to keep the grass in check, as we have don't have any sheep yet this season - we have to rely on diesel to do the job. But after I mowed I drove the tractor back to where the birds started this season and snapped the photo below. The added fertility can already be seen making a difference!
I'll be documenting the changes on the field throughout the season. One of my passions is improving land and I just love looking out at large fields and feeling the energy of all those solar collectors breathing new life into the earth....
Top photo is before...a few weeks ago...bottom photo was taken last nite!
by Pete on June 2nd, 2011
Margaret Belanger came out to the farm last year to take some photos for a Boston Homegrown foodie book (I think?!) and previews some of her experience on her visit to us...along with some wonderful photos. Check out her story on her blog.
by Pete on June 2nd, 2011
Last summer a photographer and writer from Tufts Magazine came out to the farm to catch a glimpse of the Mobile Poultry Processing Unit. The story ran in the winter edition of the magazine but Tufts has put the article back up on their website...so here is the link in case you missed it!
by Pete on May 31st, 2011
Yes, another cute photo of a pig. We just love the piggles. This week we opened up a new field for the pigs to chow down. With the rain we had a week+ ago and now the warm spell and sunny skies, the pastures are taking off and grasses/clovers are outpacing the capacity of the pigs to hog them down. We've also grown some spring peas and oats which are also almost ready for harvest. All the pigs are doing great. Though the heat of the last few days is not their favorite. With no sweat glands they enjoy cooling off in mud holes or deep in the woods where the shade and cool soil provides a welcome respite from the heat. Whenever possible we provide water holes for the pigs to lounge in and coat themselves in a thick coat of mud. They love it.
If you've been driving past the "cow pasture" on the corner of Route 2 and Sudbury Road you may have seen our silver "hoop coops" in the corner of the field. Our meat chickens will be calling this pasture their home this season. With a lack of available land in the area to pasture our birds we've been able to peel off a sliver of this large field which often goes underutilitzed by the few cows that roam around. Their is some controversy about the shelters being out on the pasture since the land is owned by the Concord Conservation Trust, but we hope in the end they feel the chickens will improve the pasture and improve it's productivity in the years to come. Chicken manure can do wonders!We currently have six shelters in the field sorrounded by a single strand of electric fencing to keep the cows at bay. We are about nine days from our first processing day and the birds look great. The Freedom Rangers always seem to do especially well in the early spring.
While this photo doesn't look like much, it will soon! This will be a new pasture for us in 2012. For those living near White's Pond, it's the large square field adjacent to the entrance to the pond and on the other side of the field we've used for the past three seasons to pasture our meat chickens. We seeded 1/2 of this six acre field a couple of weeks ago and it is just starting to sprout and show it's littly hairy greenness. In 2012 we will probably grow meat chickens on the field, perhaps some sheep, and even some laying hens!
With more and more farms out there calling themselves "pasture-raised" we like to continually show you that we are indeed putting our animals out on lush fields for them to graze and enjoy!
Check out some of these photos taken over the past week+!
Check out some of these photos taken over the past week+!
by Pete on May 11th, 2011
Lot's happening here at the farm! We're knee deep in projects and gearing up the fields, pens, and paddocks for all the activity to come.
This past weekend Jen and I criss-crossed the state in our never ending effort to source the best quality heritage breed piglets around. Last year we retired our sows and boar prior to our winter vacation. So with no sows on hand we needed to bring in piggies. Luckly we found some great farms to partner with and have found some wonderfully healthy and energetic heritage breed piglets. They are settling in and quickly rooting up every last bit of greenery in their little training paddock. Soon, once they are trained to electric fencing, we'll begin to open them up to the pastures and deeper into the woodlands. They are a cute bunch and include crosses of old spot, tamworth, large black, berkshire and a wee bit of hampshire.
The egg laying hens have adjusted to their newest nest coop which you can see here to the left (little red wagon in foreground). Since we expanded our flock we needed to add more nest boxes. Our system is to have separate wagons/coops for laying and sleeping. In the morning as the birds wake up and exit the wagons to forage, they then enter the smaller coops which contain the nest boxes. They lay their eggs in these coops which are dark and seem safe for the hens to deposit their eggs. After laying they return to the pasture to forage. By mid-afternoon most hens have finished laying and then the nest coops automatic doors close locking them out. This way the birds cannot sleep or poop in the nest boxes later in the day. We'll post more pics of the system soon.
by Pete on April 16th, 2011
I've been playing around for awhile with the idea of blogging a photo of the week. Last evening as I was about to walk out to the fields to do chores, I decided to grab my camera at the last minute. The light turned out to be just right - the sun was slowly setting and some rays of light peeked through the trees on the west side of the field. I managed to get few shots of the layers as they pecked at the tender rye shoots in the cool of the evening. As for the pigs, they always look cute - but they lined up so nicely along the fenceline...so perhaps we'll give this "pic of the week" thing a try, or pic's...
Posted on April 14th, 2011
If you've been by the mini-store lately no doubt you've seen the plentitude of eggs! Yes indeed, the birds are laying in earnest now. And not only are they laying well but they have become ravenous foragers. We moved the birds off the main pasture near the Verrill Farm store to a growing field of rye just up Wheeler Road. In our attempts to integrate the animals into the Verrill veggie rotation, we use fields destined for crops as much as possible. This field was sown to rye late last year. Now that the weather is warming the rye is coming alive and growing quickly. We'll be moving the birds through this field at a brisk pace to spread their manure and to allow them continual access to the growing shoots of rye.
The piggles are a ranbunctious group this spring. Or perhaps we should just call them roto-rooters since that's all they want to do! We moved them into a small area to get them trained to the electric fencing and after a quick intro we opened them up to a virgin piece of sod. Within a week it was totally turned over with not a piece of grass left in sight! Just before the rain arrived yesterday we moved them yet again to a new piece of sod and seeded the previous piece to oats/peas/rye. In six weeks it will be ready for grazing again. Soon we'll be moving this entire group of Old Spots to our larger ten acre field where they'll have some woodlands to explore and more sod to turn...
by Pete on March 29th, 2011
Eggs are here! Come and get'em! Each day our new ladies lay more and more eggs. Most are still on the small (pullet) size, but they are sizing up quickly. Our flock is new so all the eggs have nice tight whites and extra firm yolks.
by Pete on March 29th, 2011
This past weekend I travelled to Ohio to see the latest and greatest Mobile Poultry Processing Unit. The MPPU was built custom from the ground up by Brothers Body and Equipment. For those who have seen or worked on the open-air MPPU which we've been using for the last several years, this will be a somewhat different experience. Built to health department code with aluminum diamond plate flooring, commercial grade wash walls, on-demand hot water sinks, postive pressure ceiling ventilation, on-board military spec-diesel generator, commercial water proof electrical wiring, and most importantly the best commercial quality processing equipment on the market! Look out chickens, here we come!
The new unit was created with funding from USDA Rural Development and many many individual donors - with the intention of bringing more legally processed, tasty poultry to eastern Massachusetts. Exact details of how the unit will be managed are still be ironed out. More photos and details to follow soon.
Posted on March 15th, 2011
Piglets are here! This past weekend we headed north to Vermont to pick up the first of several groups of heritage breed piglets. We have been working with the same farm for the past several years and we just love getting our piggies from them. All their sows are pure heritage breeds, including tamworth, old spot, and large black - and they raise all their animals on pasture, just like us! So far we have a mix of old spots and tamworth piglets. More to come in the next month or two.
The piglets are doing great and are in "shock-therapy" training for the next few days...ie, they are quickly learning how electric fencing works! It only takes but a few days and they are fully trained to be leary of the black and white electric fence wire. Once trained, we can take down the outer fence and begin to rotate them through the fields.
Eggs are coming...slowly! Last week we received the five hundred ready-to-lay pullets we had grown for us while we were away for the winter. The birds are settling in nicely in their two mobile coops and have just barely begun laying eggs. Soon we'll also receive one hundred Araucana birds to add to the flock so each dozen eggs will contain at least one blue egg. Today we collected 18 eggs! Every day we will get a few more and soon we'll be collecting dozens and dozens. So, if you are hankering for some tasty eggs, hang in there! They are on the way. The pullet eggs we are collecting now are small and mighty good with super-tall yolks and tight whites.
Posted on March 4th, 2011
Jen and I just returned from our long winter vacation and are back in the swing of things! First off, we have a new website! A mark of new things to come for 2011. Stay tuned as we update the site and make it even better than before (and more beautiful!). To the right you can see us at Angkor Wat, in Cambodia.
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