By Mary Beth Miller, CFSA Education Coordinator | Monday, Apr. 15, 2019 –
We’re a week and a half out, and many of you are asking for more tips to help plan your 2019 Piedmont Farm Tour stops.
We understand! Some folks like to know who will have pick-your-own strawberries or ice cream, others want to know where they can stock up on local meat. If you’re looking for the latter, then this is the post for you!
Below, we’re outlining 18 farms on this year’s farm tour that will have meat for sale, that they raised, at their farm. Whenever possible, we’re also including blurbs from the farmers on their growing practices.
Red Devon cows grazing at Braeburn Farm in Snow Camp
Braeburn Farm | Grass-Fed Red Devon Beef
The farm’s Red Devon heritage breed cows rotate across 500 acres of pastures, creeks, ponds, and woods, and are raised without any hormones or antibiotics. Fresh cuts of Braeburn Farm beef are available at Left Bank Butchery in Saxapahaw.
Bull City Farm | Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Grass-Fed Lamb; Pastured Pork and Turkey
All of Bull City’s heritage breed animals are on 100% pasture. The pigs are rotated frequently and have plenty of forage and room to, “run around and behave like pigs!”
>> What’s Animal Welfare Approved? Check out this blog post for the breakdown!<<
Cane Creek Farm | Pastured Heritage-Breed Pork, Lamb, Goat, and Poultry
Nationally-known for their heritage-breed pigs, Cane Creek Farm uses intensive rotational grazing and a high level of animal welfare while raising their animals without antibiotics. Animals are rotated on pasture and used to keep soil fertility high and weeds and pests low. Fresh pork cuts are available at Left Bank Butchery in Saxapahaw.
Chapel Hill Creamery | Whey-Fed Heritage-Breed Pork
The Creamery uses their spent whey from cheese-making to feed their heritage breed pigs. Not only does this give the pork special flavor and texture qualities but also “contributes to their whole-farm sustainability by turning a cheese-making by-product into a farm resource.”
Forest-raised pigs at Dawnbreaker Farm in Hurdle Mills
Dawnbreaker Farms | Forest-Raised Pork; Pasture-Raised Poultry
Dawnbreaker Farms is home to 20 acres of woodlands and pastures where “all of the animals are raised on their natural diet and in an environment which allows them to express their animal nature.”
Eco Farm | Pastured Pork
Choose from a wide selection of pork cuts and specialty items such as bacon and sausages from Eco Farm’s pastured hogs.
Fickle Creek Farm | Certified Grass-Fed Beef and Lamb; Pasture-Raised Pork and Poultry
Fickle Creek’s commitment to sustainability includes Animal Welfare Approved meats, raised without antibiotics or hormones. Sheep and cows are raised on pesticide-free pastures, and hogs and poultry are fed locally-milled 100% vegetarian feed.
A young cow grazing at Meadow Lane Farm during the 2018 Piedmont Farm Tour
Meadow Lane Farm | Angus Beef; Dorset Goat; Pasture-Raised Berkshire Pork; Lamb
Meadow Lane animals are all born on the farm and “raised humanely and environmentally friendly on native pastures, grass, and clover, our farm raised oats, barley and rye.” The farm is Beef Quality Assurance Certified, and selects only the highest quality genetics for superior meat.
Minka Farm | Animal Welfare Approved Certified Grass-Fed Beef and Pasture-Raised Pork
Animal welfare is the highest priority at Minka Farm where the cattle eat only grass, hay and minerals year-round, and the pastured pigs forage for greens and are fed a local non-medicated feed and delicious farm scraps.
Cows at Ninja Cow Farm
Ninja Cow Farm | Grass-finished Beef; Pastured Pork
Cows are rotated daily on pasture, and pork is fed leftover scraps and forage. In an effort to supply his animals with the best feed available and reduce food waste, Moore feeds his animals left-over produce from the Raleigh Farmers Market.
>>Want to know more? Read about this farm’s management in this blog post, “Master of Kung Moo: Dan Moore of Ninja Cow Farm“<<
Okfuskee Farm | Grass-Fed Lamb; Pastured Pork
The Tuckers see the livestock and the crops at Ofkuskee as tools in the farm’s holistic soil management plan, and, second to that, as part of the farm’s offerings. Their holistic plan has helped “simplify and connect major ecosystem processes with the tools of grazing, animal impact, rest and human creativity, all while minimizing the use of technology.”
>>Don’t miss “Okfuskee Farm: Young Farmers Use Holistic Management as Innovation” a CFSA blog post that dives deeper into Okfuskee’s practices.<<
Reedy Fork Organic Farm | Certified Organic Beef
Reedy Fork’s 600 acres is home to cows raised on pasture and fed certified organic, non-GMO grain raised on the farm.
Reverence Farm | Pastured Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Poultry
Reverence Farm is 400 “passionately pastured” acres where “animals are revered, eat a species-appropriate diet and the land is regenerated.”
Getting the sheep stare down at Stoney Mountain
Stoney Mountain Farm| Pasture-Raised Lamb
Stoney Mountain is home to three unique breeds of sheep – Corriedale, Dorset, and Navajo Churro, an endangered breed. The farm uses rotational grazing to ensure the health of the sheep and the pastures.
Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm | Pasture-Raised Bison
Sunset Ridge uses rotational grazing on their 260-acre farm, where buffalo were once native to Person County. Raised without any hormones or antibiotics the American bison meat is “lean, slightly sweeter than beef, and has no wild meat taste.”
The Family Farmstead | Pasture-Raised Beef and Chicken
The Family Farmstead uses a “holistically-managed approach with specific emphasis on regenerative agriculture standards.” Livestock is rotated throughout the woods and pastures and is also used to improve soil health around the farm.
Feeding the pigs at Turtle Mist scraps on the 2018 Farm Tour
Turtle Mist Farm | Pasture-Raised Heritage Breed Lamb, Beef, and Pork
Turtle Mist raises exclusively heritage-breed livestock, including Dorper, St. Croix and Kathadin sheep, Gelbveih beef cattle, and Berkshire, Ossabaw and Tamworth hogs.
Woodcrest Farm | Grass-Fed Beef; Pasture-Raised Pork
Woodcrest raises Dexter cattle, “a small, hardy dual-purpose breed that does very well on grass and forage.” The farm’s hogs are “raised lean on surplus produce and no-additive, high-soy feed.”
Alright, folks, those are the 18 farms that will be selling meat they produce on their farms. Don’t forget a cooler with plenty of ice to bring the farm tour home with you!
Buy a farm tour pass now and start planning which farms you’ll bring your family/friends to and stock your freezer with!
