OUR LIVESTOCK
When developing our farm system design with Peter Bane and Keith Johnson, it became apparent that intentional livestock management (amongst other practices) was the key to restoring what is now known as Verdant Hollow Farms. Our multi-species livestock are first and foremost “workers” here on the farm. Each one having a unique purpose and skill, all the while providing us with rich compost for our gardens and various forms of proteins for sale. Our system uses holistic and thoughtful practices that are gentle on the animals and our earth. We make our own spray free hay and use a rainwater catchment system so that we do not need to pull from ground water to provide for our livestock’s needs. Lastly, most of the animals on farm are Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World. This certification holds the strictest criteria for pasture and humanely raised livestock in the industry.
SHEEP
100% Grass Fed Certified
Knowing what this farm is to become is a vision that has manifested through a number of wonderful relationships. Permaculture Activists Peter Bane and Keith D. Johnson have substantiated and clarified our hopes and dreams for this piece of land. They developed a plan to rehabilitate the soil through rotational grazing of livestock and low till vegetable production. But that really simplifies the in-depth vision they have produced with respect to the land’s history and features shared through text, timetables, charts, maps, and research. Many people will influence the evolving shape of this farm, but throughout these endeavors the land will only be enhanced and shared with more people.
goats
The goats on the farm are always keeping us on our toes and provide much entertainment. Since the goats we raise are used mostly for milk, cheese, and soap making we have selected a few breeds that work well for all of the above. Alpines (French/American) for their high milk production. La Manchas and Nubians for fat content. The goat pasture here at Verdant Hollow is part grass and part forest. They have worked wonders at eating back the Multiflora Rose and Honeysuckle that plague many areas of our woods. As time goes on we hope to expand this program into more of our 130 acres of hardwood forest.
heritage pigs
We are just wrapping up our 5th season of raising hogs on the farm. Unlike the sheep and goats we do not have a breeding program for hogs on the farm, but we do source our Red Wattle feeders from a female ran hog farm in Burlington. Our pigs love foraging in the woods so we have created space for them that includes trees, wetland, and pasture. In addition they are fed a locally sourced grain ration. We believe that you can really taste the depth of raising pigs this way in our pork.
bEES
Bees have been an on and off project here on the farm since we started, but thanks to Taylor they seem to be thriving this past year! An important part of our pollinator population here on the farm, we love to see our honey bees gathering pollen in the garden near their hive or out in the clover of our pastures. We don’t take honey from a hive until we know they are fully stocked for winter, but it is looking like we might have a harvest this fall!
layer chickens
Our USDA Certified Organic layer chickens are the backbone of our farm. They are incredible workers and do a wonderful job fertilizing pasture, clearing out weeds, and making use of our garden scraps. Our chickens live full time in a “Prairie Schooner” that gets moved every couple weeks, but rarely gets closed up so that they have 24/7 access to fresh pasture. When the time aligns they follow our sheep in rotation which helps reduce parasite load on our ruminants. All of layer chickens are fed a locally sourced certified organic grain ration.
LIVESTOCK GUARDIANS
In addition to our OG (original guardian;) Dolly the Llama, we have two incredible Colorado Mountain Dogs to watch over our sheep, goats, and chickens. June and Cash are the true celebrities of our pastureshave been a valuable asset at keeping coyotes, foxes, and hawks at bay. Their breed is fairly new and is a mix of Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherd, known for their cold hardiness, protective instincts, and kind dispositions with humans.