Auburn Meadow Farm

 

Grass is the best seasoning…

Auburn Meadow Farm is a small, diversified farm, dedicated to the craft of raising extraordinary food. 

This farm was born because because ethically raised food is really, REALLY important to me. And, because as I explored our broken food and farming systems, I had lots of burning whys that books and Google simply could not answer. 

• Why can’t food be raised without chemicals and synthetic inputs?
• Why do animals have to be housed in factories and denied the pleasure of sunshine and freedom?
• Why does food have to be made in factories and filled with chemicals?
• Do we really have to grow enough food to “feed the world”?
• Why are we spending so much time, money and resources to grow more, then throwing nearly 40% of that food into landfills?
• Can changes in farming slow or reverse the impact of global warming?
• Since water supplies are dwindling, can we grow food and change our diets to help not only conserve, but replenish water supplies?
• Is it possible to step outside of the commodity system that is slowly strangling our family farms?

And lots and lots of other whys like that. 

Rare Breed Registered American Milking Devon Cattle are the backbone of our farm.  Originally from Devonshire, England, they are known for delicious beef and milk rich in butterfat, they are also quick, strong and smart, favored by drovers for work as oxen.

Yes, we started raging against the system, but our work is more about our love for our Pennsylvania home, the joy extraordinary food and simplicity brings, and the celebration of restoring our land and agrarian culture. 

It is still a huge struggle, birthing a farm.  Each year we live on the brink of it being our last, and it is far from butterflies and rainbows.

Mistakes have been made. Mistakes will continue to be made. Improvement of infrastructure is slow.  And, the successes have been among the sweetest, most satisfying achievements of my life.

Snoring pile O’piglets. Our hogs are a direct cross of two popular heritage farmstead breeds – the Gloucestershire Old Spot and the Duroc. The combination is a happy-go-lucky, calmer beast, marrying the more muscular qualities of the Duroc with the juicy, buttery flavor of the Spots.

Long before I bought my first cow I was obsessed with the idea of food as craft and the love-letter of allowing livestock the freedom to have lives worth living. Today, that love has only deepened. Our animals are born here, raised here and processed at a small family owned facility no more than thirty minutes from home. 

Because they are lighter on the earth, hardier and more self-sufficient, I favor old-fashioned varieties of livestock and look for inspiration to the efficient and environmentally sophisticated pre-WWI & II methods.

My chosen breeds are known for exceptional flavor, not for factory style uniformity and fast growth.  Craft has never been about efficiency, which is not to say we do not aspire to professionalism. It is a delicate balance between ridiculous chaos and magical cohabitation happening on a daily basis.

Toulouse geese, a heritage breed from France, perfect for grazing and protecting our chickens. Graced with the fatty livers for humane foie gras, we have plans…

Small farms like Auburn Meadow Farm are not quaint relics. Instead, they are valuable sources of innovation and experimentation desperately needed in this time of climate uncertainty. Nothing produces more quantity or quality of food per acre than a well run diversified farm.

Of course, in the end, the future of farming is in your hands. It is not what you say you value, but what you actually purchase that shapes tomorrow’s food choices. And by looking at the way you cook and shop in a new way, you will realize that you can afford better food, and you do have time. And the reward is joyful, and connects you to your home in a deep way. 

It may not always feel true in these contentious times, but we do have choices and power over our future. Conscious consumers are winning small victories against harmful corporate practices every day.

We favor chickens from old-fashioned farmstead breeds known for their cold hardiness, and ability to forage. Partridge Chantecler, Plymouth Rock, Wellsummer, Delaware, Buff Orpington, all lay rich eggs year-long and enjoy their days scratching and clucking for bugs and greens.

Be encouraged, and re-commit to making healthy, restorative, extraordinary food choices a possibility for everyone.   We hope to help you explore those choices and encourage you to enjoy the most vibrant, affirming alternatives.

Join us by subscribing to our blog, or join our email list for the latest news and offerings.  We are small and plan to stay small,  so when it’s gone, it’s gone ’till next year.  

We’re counting on you…