We began as a family homestead to raise animals to make a connection between our family and our food supply, believing this connection gives a greater appreciation for the food that we eat and those who produce it. We also believe that a local, sustainable agriculture is important for the proper development and food security of our country. We strive to use regenerative agriculture practices to increase the health of the soil and the earth.
A LITTLE ABOUT OUR PHILOSOPHY
Minimize the import of resources.
This means that we want to produce as much of the animal feed and fertilizer as possible on our own farm or locally. What feed that we can’t procure locally, we try to source regionally. This is naturally dependent on the availability of source ingredients. Our goal is to produce quality pasture for consumption on the farm as well as local/regional sale and to produce small grains for transport to a local mill. Our ruminant livestock graze the grasses and consume the hay produced on the farm (or locally) and return manure to fertilize the soil. By managing grazing rotation, we can ensure that there is no overload of manure resulting in runoff and pollution of local waters.
To minimize the export of resources.
This doesn’t mean that we don’t want to sell any of our produced goods. It means that we intend our products for local purchase and consumption, whether that be sales to other farms in the form of hay and straw, grain to a local mill or meat and eggs to local families or restaurants. It also means that we do not want to produce so much manure that it requires removal or special containment. We want to manage the rotation of our poultry and ruminants so that there is no runoff resulting in loss of nutrients or contamination of local waterways.
Building the soil, not draining it.
Many conventional farms rely on the input of chemical fertilizers that support a monocrop of corn, soybeans, wheat, etc. Constant farming of fields with the same crops strips the soil of nutrients that have to be replaced with chemicals. By grazing our fields in rotation and by planting “green manures” and carbon-sequestering legumes, we will build our soil naturally so that it supports fungi, earthworms and the microscopic life forms that form symbiotic relationships with our crops.
Educating our community.
Friends of the Bryn Athyn Farm is primarily an educational organization. By educating consumers and students, we build a foundation of knowledge for future generations to draw from.
Why I don’t consider GMO seeds sustainable.
Without making judgements on whether GMO crops are dangerous, the simple fact remains that GMO seeds are patented and must be purchased from major conglomerates (such as Monsanto, ADM and others). Farmers may not collect seed from their crops for use the following year. New seed must be “manufactured” and purchased.
What do we mean by an “integrated” farm?
To me, integrated means that the various parts of the farm work together. For example, ruminants (in our case, sheep) graze the pasture. Grazing feeds the sheep and stimulates growth in the grass which absorbs carbon dioxide. Manure is deposited in the ground where the sheep’s hooves help press it into the soil. When an area is grazed down, the sheep move on. Poultry (chickens are best) follow along behind the sheep, scratching at the soil (it helps avoid “crusting” on top of the soil) which helps rainwater better penetrate. They also, when grazed in close rotation, eat the larva of ruminant parasites.
After an area has been grazed (and, fertilized) crops are planted. First buckwheat, which helps sequester carbon
Predators
The largest predator problem we have is foxes killing poultry. We deter predation by using electric fencing and shelters to keep them inside the fence. There are coyotes, but they mostly stay in the nearby Pennypack Ecological Preserve.
Parasites
Here is the very wet mid-Atlantic, we are constantly fighting macro and microscopic parasites such as roundworms, barber pole worms, coccidia and hoof rot. We are working toward a worm-resistant flock and have reduced the use of wormer to once per year in most cases (and then on a case-by-case basis. Hoof trimmings have to happen several times per year and monthly foot baths are required.
Invasives
Porcelain Berry - climbing and spreading vines that strangle trees and cover grass, blocking the sun. We fight it with aggressive mowing. The sheep and poultry eat just about everything else.
Minimize the import of resources.
This means that we want to produce as much of the animal feed and fertilizer as possible on our own farm or locally. What feed that we can’t procure locally, we try to source regionally. This is naturally dependent on the availability of source ingredients. Our goal is to produce quality pasture for consumption on the farm as well as local/regional sale and to produce small grains for transport to a local mill. Our ruminant livestock graze the grasses and consume the hay produced on the farm (or locally) and return manure to fertilize the soil. By managing grazing rotation, we can ensure that there is no overload of manure resulting in runoff and pollution of local waters.
To minimize the export of resources.
This doesn’t mean that we don’t want to sell any of our produced goods. It means that we intend our products for local purchase and consumption, whether that be sales to other farms in the form of hay and straw, grain to a local mill or meat and eggs to local families or restaurants. It also means that we do not want to produce so much manure that it requires removal or special containment. We want to manage the rotation of our poultry and ruminants so that there is no runoff resulting in loss of nutrients or contamination of local waterways.
Building the soil, not draining it.
Many conventional farms rely on the input of chemical fertilizers that support a monocrop of corn, soybeans, wheat, etc. Constant farming of fields with the same crops strips the soil of nutrients that have to be replaced with chemicals. By grazing our fields in rotation and by planting “green manures” and carbon-sequestering legumes, we will build our soil naturally so that it supports fungi, earthworms and the microscopic life forms that form symbiotic relationships with our crops.
Educating our community.
Friends of the Bryn Athyn Farm is primarily an educational organization. By educating consumers and students, we build a foundation of knowledge for future generations to draw from.
Why I don’t consider GMO seeds sustainable.
Without making judgements on whether GMO crops are dangerous, the simple fact remains that GMO seeds are patented and must be purchased from major conglomerates (such as Monsanto, ADM and others). Farmers may not collect seed from their crops for use the following year. New seed must be “manufactured” and purchased.
What do we mean by an “integrated” farm?
To me, integrated means that the various parts of the farm work together. For example, ruminants (in our case, sheep) graze the pasture. Grazing feeds the sheep and stimulates growth in the grass which absorbs carbon dioxide. Manure is deposited in the ground where the sheep’s hooves help press it into the soil. When an area is grazed down, the sheep move on. Poultry (chickens are best) follow along behind the sheep, scratching at the soil (it helps avoid “crusting” on top of the soil) which helps rainwater better penetrate. They also, when grazed in close rotation, eat the larva of ruminant parasites.
After an area has been grazed (and, fertilized) crops are planted. First buckwheat, which helps sequester carbon
Predators
The largest predator problem we have is foxes killing poultry. We deter predation by using electric fencing and shelters to keep them inside the fence. There are coyotes, but they mostly stay in the nearby Pennypack Ecological Preserve.
Parasites
Here is the very wet mid-Atlantic, we are constantly fighting macro and microscopic parasites such as roundworms, barber pole worms, coccidia and hoof rot. We are working toward a worm-resistant flock and have reduced the use of wormer to once per year in most cases (and then on a case-by-case basis. Hoof trimmings have to happen several times per year and monthly foot baths are required.
Invasives
Porcelain Berry - climbing and spreading vines that strangle trees and cover grass, blocking the sun. We fight it with aggressive mowing. The sheep and poultry eat just about everything else.
