Frequently Asked Questions
What is the big deal with pastured meat?
Meat, eggs, and dairy products from pastured animals are ideal for your health. Compared with commercial products, they offer you more "good" fats, and fewer "bad" fats. They are richer in antioxidants; including vitamins E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Furthermore, they do not contain traces of added hormones, antibiotics or other drugs.
http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm
What does regenerative farming mean?
“Regenerative Agriculture” describes farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity – resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle.
https://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/
What do you feed your animals?
We feed our animals locally sourced feed. Our cattle are grass/hay fed and only may get the odd treat of grain when being caught for treatments or to develop our working relationship with them. Our sheep are supplemented grain during breeding and in the immediate postpartum and the rest of their lives live on grass/hay except for the odd treat to help move between pastures or as a treat.
Our omnivores such as pigs and chickens are fed on pasture but are supplemented will locally milled and sourced feed as they need the extra energy from grains due to their dietary needs and incredible rate of growth!
Check out Healthy Herds and their great products. They strive to create healthy food for animals that uses the most natural products available and sources as local as possible.However, some ingredients like seaweed are shipped from Eastern canada.
How does buying from a local regenerative farmer help the planet?
The key to regenerative agriculture is that it not only “does no harm” to the land but actually improves it, using technologies that regenerate and revitalize the soil and the environment. Regenerative agriculture leads to healthy soil, capable of producing high quality, nutrient dense food while simultaneously improving, rather than degrading land, and ultimately leading to productive farms and healthy communities and economies. It is a dynamic and holistic, incorporating permaculture and organic farming practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping, to increase food production, farmers’ income and especially, topsoil.
https://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/
What is the difference in farming practiced between small farms and large commercial farms?
Small regenerative farms try and mimic an animal's natural diet and habitat as best as possible to ensure that the animal has a happy healthy life. This improves the health of the animal and also the nutritional value of the end product. Furthermore, this is the most ethical way to raise animals to ensure that they have a quality life.
https://environmental-conscience.com/factory-farming-pros-cons/
Do you feed your animals antibiotics?
No, we never feed our animals feed with medications in it. This practice is used in the commercial farming sector to make animals grow faster and help try to prevent outbreaks of disease. However, this practice has led to an increase in antibiotic resistance in the animal population that can be passed to humans. Antibiotics are only used on our farm to treat a sick animals under the guidance of veterinarians. Pasturing animals and using regenerative farming techniques naturally work to protect animals from disease.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323639#Antibiotics-and-the-animal-microbiome