Grass-Based
Production
Grass-Based Production is in
harmony with the earth’s natural cycles. The goal is to provide
our animals with their ideal eating habitat. We rotate them through
our pastures from March through November, thus maximizing their potential
to do what they do best: forage. The results become obvious. If it’s
better for the animals, and easier on the land, it’s going to
be better for us.
Grass-fed animal
products have less harmful fats, cholesterol, and calories than grain-based
animal products. Grass eaters have more antioxidants, high levels
of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, and more of the cancer fighting
fat, CLA. Grazing animals produce lean, delicious meat and rich, creamy
milk. More grazing means less tractor work which means less fuel consumption,
less crop production, so no herbicides or pesticides. Our job is to
provide perennial fields of grass and legumes for grazing and hay.
When we work with nature, we discover the simple in the complex —
truly, a remarkable system.
The small farm
model is making a comeback! It’s a more diversified entity, responsive
to the needs of local communities; a sort of "Back to the Future"
movement, quietly under way for a few years now. It combines old-fashioned
neighborliness with environmentally-safe methods of production on
a scale that makes farming altogether more sustainable. These farms
are opening their doors for all of you to visit, purchase goods on
site and learn a bit about agriculture and the lives of farmers. Find
one or two in your area, and support your local farmers!
This movement
toward sustainability is in direct contrast to the mega-farms, producing
massive quantities of a single crop type for sale anywhere in the
United States and, indeed, the world. In dairy operations of similar
magnitude as those just mentioned, thousands of cows are milked three
times per day and kept on dry lots. They do not eat grass. They are
injected with hormones for earlier development, and antibiotics to
prevent or treat the inevitable illnesses that plague large numbers
of animals confined to relatively small spaces.
Sprout Creek Farm,
by its very nature, exists for the sake of helping us all connect
with one another, and for us that means with animals and plants as
well as with people. Our animals are friendly and gentle, and most
importantly, known. We respect them and are grateful for all they
are able to produce for us. So we try to provide a good life for them.
Our cow, sheep, and goat herds are small, and we have enough grass
for them to eat. They come in from the pasture to be milked or checked
twice each day and spend the rest of their day roaming about in the
fresh air in search of their own grassy version of mesclun!
This method may
sound cute to some people, but you can be sure that allowing these
animals to eat what they were made to eat — grass — can
only enhance the nutritional quality of everything they give you in
the form of beef or lamb, or the milk from which we make our very
delicious cheese. If you are what you eat, you may be happy just from
eating the cheese made from our big happy grass-eating bovines. Our
motto:
TASTE THE DIFFERENCE
A LITTLE GRASS MAKES!
The proceeds
from the sale of Sprout Creek Farm cheese and other items helps to
support our educational programs.
