Farming Practices
At Groundworks Farm we farm with the health of the land and the health of our animals in mind. Some call it Regenerative Agriculture.
Vegetables
Our produce farm is USDA Certified Organic.
We annually test our vegetable field nutrient levels and use only certified organic compost and other certified organic soil amendments to meet our needs. We use cover-cropping to protect our waterways from nutrient leaching during the winter and to build up soil organic matter. Cover cropping improves our environment and soil health. We “rest” some of our fields every year, growing a cover crop instead of vegetables to avoid pests and build up soil organic matter.
We start all our transplanted plants in compost-based germinating mix.
We don’t spray herbicides and use insect netting and crop rotation to control pests and diseases. To control weeds we use cultivation tools and mulches.
We believe that plant health starts with soil health.
We partner with other Local Certified Organic Farms to bring you the best quality and diversity of local fruits and vegetables each season has to offer.
Animals
Our partner farmers’ animals are free to move around on pasture and live like animals should.
Our partner farmers’ egg layers move around to different areas of pasture and range freely from Eggmobile trailers.
Our partner farmers’ pasture-raised chickens move around in open-floored “chicken tractors.” These are open on the bottom so they can scratch around and eat vegetation and bugs. There is a sheltered section as well as an open air section to each chicken tractor.
Our partner farmers’ pigs are moved regularly to fresh pasture or woods where they dig, root, munch and fertilize.
We believe that the best way to produce healthy animals is by raising them outside on pasture. Our partner farmers all share our same husbandry standards.
Transparency
If you have questions about our farming practices, please feel free to contact us or stop by and see for yourself. We believe in transparency and want you to see how we do things. This is honest food.