Giving Thanks All Year Long

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As we enter our 9th year of farming, we are full of gratitude. It’s been our privilege to be stewards of the land and caretakers of the herd. We started our farming journey with a simple vision that honors the environment, our cattle, and our customers. Many years later our original values hold true in our hearts and are reflected in our farming practices.

We continue to partner with cutting-edge scientists and seed growers to improve our pastures with increasing plant life diversity to be more resilient while using fewer inputs.

We remain dedicated to humanely raising our cattle on pasture with a high quality of life.

And for our customers, we continue to provide beef shares that are high quality with integrity. We thank you for your loyalty and support!

Cattle on Pasture and Harvest in Full Swing

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Our cattle have returned to pasture a few weeks ago and are loving it! We use intensive rotational grazing where our cattle are moved each day to a new section of pasture…imagine their daily delight of being moved to new pasture!

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Our diverse pastures with intensive rotational grazing keep our cattle healthy and well-fed and improve our soil health. Since we limit our herd size to what we can produce from our own pastures, our cattle per acre density is very low; this allows sequestration of cattle emissions to be absorbed locally…right here in our fields.

Yes, our cattle do frolic and are allowed to be silly!

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In addition to intensive rotation grazing, we also harvest and store feed for our cattle during the winter months when the pastures stop producing.

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Here’s our mower (below) that cuts our forage and collects the cut forage into windrows (fancy word for rows). Our mower cuts a path that is 10 feet wide which is much wider than your conventional lawn mower.

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Our baler (below) picks up the cut forage from windrows and collects the forage in the round chamber which spins like a clothes dryer. Our baler is a special haylage baler that is designed to pick up wet forage (50-60% moisture content). When the baler is full, a round bale is formed in the chamber and then is wrapped with a net and ejected from the back of the baler.

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Finally, we have a bale wrapper (below) that picks up the round bales from the field to transport and wrap them. By wrapping each bale, the fermentation process begins preserving the nutritional value of the forage right away. In our wet climate, we are able to harvest and preserve young forage which is higher in nutritional value.

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We store our wrapped bales for feeding out the cattle during winter months.

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Please feel free to reach out with questions about our practices, and I promise to post more frequently!

Rich

Grace & Resilience

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Reflecting back on 2020, the grace and resilience of our community sustained us through a challenging year. Our family, friends, and trusted partners played a vital role in getting our beef to our customers, keeping our cattle healthy and happy, and maintaining our productive pastures. Thank you ALL!

It has been an unpredictable year for many of us. Our cattle and pastures needed our attention regardless of pandemic, fires, or supply chain disruptions. The farm kept us grounded in nature during this year of uncertainty.

Our small herd of cattle continues to be a source of joy and entertainment. With three generations of cattle (mama cows, yearlings and calves) under our care, there’s never a dull moment as we are constantly innovating and adapting to their needs.

Our pastures continue to produce in abundance and provide seasonal grazing and stored winter feed for our cattle.

Through the support from our customers, we are privileged to continue farming sustainably and humanely. We are deeply grateful for your trust in us to feed you and your family. Here’s to a fantastic 2021!

Continual Pasture Improvement

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I’m always on a quest for a more perfect pasture. I strive for pastures that 1) nourish our cattle on pasture with high quality and diverse forage throughout the season; and 2) thrive on organic inputs while improving soil health.

I’ve tried different planting techniques to crowd out weeds without using chemicals. I have attained 80% control but not enough to allow a transition to a preferred perennial grass.

I’m so grateful to Jerry Hall from Grassland Oregon and Serkan Ates from Oregon State University for their expert advice and steady guidance. Jerry and Serkan are both wickedly smart, creative, and passionate...the best combination of private industry and university research. I’m so thankful for their help.

Thanks to Jerry and Serkan, this year’s planting plan is festulolium for a short lived perennial that is aggressive enough at germination in the beginning to compete with weeds during establishment and will have staying power through the summer to continue competing with the weeds. They also advised me to plant white clover and red clover to provide higher protein for the cattle and to fix nitrogen from the air to complement the festulolium.

Here are some initial results…..

No-Till planting into existing chicory and boston plantain at 7 days after planting

12 Days after planting with grass and clover seedlings

30 Days after planting

30 Days after planting

Important Farm News

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Dear Friends,

We hope this post finds you and your loved ones well. With the reality of Covid-19 sinking in, our lives and the lives of many others have changed. Change can be difficult, and the uncertainty of tomorrow can be scary. I reassure you that our high level of commitment to our cows, to our environment, and to you (our community) remains constant and will not change. We will continue forward producing high quality, healthy beef that feeds over 60 families a year with the same attention to detail that you have come to expect and trust.

To accomplish these goals while keeping ourselves and our community healthy, we’ve made the tough decision to stop all in-person meetings, farm tours and pasture walks. The notion of suspending in-person face-to-face meetings and farm tours runs contrary to our usual practice; we’ve hosted hundreds of farm tours and have met hundreds of awesome people on our farm through these tours. This change will be difficult for us, our friends, and our new customers. We remain 100% transparent in our operation and stand ready to answer any of your questions.  I’m available and reachable via email, phone, text and video conferencing. I’m also happy to host group video conferencing meetings to answer any of your farm questions in a group setting. I’ve started our new Verdant Hills Farm YouTube channel where I’ve started posting video of what I’m doing on the farm. I will be updating our FB and Instagram page regularly. We don’t want you to miss out on what’s happening on the farm.

For our beef customers purchasing a beef share this season, please expect a follow up email shortly that outlines extra steps that will be implemented at our farm level and at the butcher level to ensure that your beef will remain healthy and safe. Suspending in-person visits to our farm is the first big step.

Comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome. Many of you have reached out offering support…..thank you! As a community, we will get through this together. Please stay healthy, happy and connected!

In solidarity,

Rich (Michael & Emmett too)

Much Gratitude for our Farm Hero

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Our cows are lucky to have Farmer Michael caring for them. Thanks to Michael’s dedication, our cows are spoiled, healthy, and happy . During our winter months which are filled with much rain, Michael is with the cows several hours EVERY day scooping and scraping manure on all 8,000 square feet of their concrete. Here is Michael’s shovel after 1 season of scraping and scooping. [Old shovel is on the left and new shovel is on the right.]

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The cows also get their barn completely cleaned out and replaced with fresh straw every few weeks and daily additions of new straw. Whether rain or shine, our cows sleep dry and comfortable every day!

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Much thanks to Michael….our farm hero!



Field Renovation...the Regenerative Way

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It’s been too long since my last blog update. The season has been busy and productive for us; Facebook and Instagram have been easy ways to post pictures of our day-to-day activities. But not a great way for an in-depth explanation.

For those of you who have been following our farm journey, you know our commitment to better-than-organic practices honors our cows, environment, and community. It’s never the easy answer but very worthwhile for us and future farming generations.

Several years ago, our pastures were crowded out by false dandelions. This is an example of the false dandelion…..maybe this looks familiar to you….

False Dandelion

False Dandelion

Our perennial grass (tall fescue) was not able to establish fast enough to crowd out the false dandelion. This is an easy fix for conventional farming….just spray some broadleaf weed killer to eradicate the existing weeds and apply a pre-emergent in the fall to prevent new weeds from germinating. Supposedly fixed in a single season. Thanks but NO THANKS!


The following year, I tried no-till drilling more grasses and legumes. Sadly, the crop failed and was choked out by the false dandelion.

The next year (Year #2), I did a light disc at a depth of 2 inches to disrupt the false dandelion. I planted aggressive annual rye and clover which makes good feed for our cattle and could crowd out the false dandelion. The results were very good with about 80% control.

This year (Year #3), I did a light disc again and planted annual rye, orchard grass, red clover, chicory, and boston plantain. The hope is that the orchard grass will thrive with the crowding and establish over time. I’m excited that we have good germination and that the existing chicory was saved. Here’s a progress picture….

Fall 2019

Fall 2019

Better-than-organic farming requires creativity, work, and patience over multiple years. There are no easy fixes, but I’m excited to see improved soil health by abundant earthworms in the soil. I’m looking forward to healthy and productive pastures into 2020!

Happy farming, Rich.



Free Up Your Freezer Space...Make Bone Broth

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We love using bone broth throughout the year to make soup, gravy, and sauces. If you are running out of freezer space, it's time to pull out your beef bones and start making bone broth.

The basic recipe is simple...take your beef bones out of your freezer and rinse with cold water in a stock pot. I also take out my extra bones that I save and freeze throughout the year after I grill steaks and carve out the bones. The next step is optional...I roast the bones on my grill.

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After I get a nice char on the bones, I place the bones in a stock pot and include a few halved onions and carrots. I then fill the stock pot with enough water to cover the bones and vegetables plus a few extra inches. I also add about 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water added and let the bones and vegetables soak in cold water for several hours to get a jump start on leaching the minerals out of the bones. Then, I bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. I simmer for 2-3 days adding more water twice a day. You can shorten the simmering time, but I like the longer simmer which extracts every bit of goodness from the bones.

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After the simmering, I skim most of the fat and strain to create the end result... wonderful bone broth! I use standard methods to safely pressure can my bone broth to get nice shelf stable jars. Free up your freezer space and enjoy your broth....a win-win!

For my beef customers, please reach out with any questions...happy to help and even start your bone broth at your home if you are local!

 

For the Love of Our Cows and Customers

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I just got back from my annual road trip to California to deliver beef to our loyal customers. We had so much to deliver that we couldn't transport beef shares by coolers anymore. After extensive testing, Michael built our custom, insulated cooler for the back of the truck. Each quarter share has it's own compartment, makes the 700 mile trek packed with dry ice, and arrives frozen solid.

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This year's trip was exhilarating. I delivered about 2200 pounds of beef to 6 locations. The 100+ degree scorching heat didn't dampen the excitement from new and returning customers alike. Friendship, recipes, and cooking tips were shared among all. 

Photo by Shauna McGuiness

Photo by Shauna McGuiness

Why do I take 2.5 days to drive 1,400 miles, purchase 180 pounds of dry ice, and pack/unload 2,200 pounds of beef? The answer is so simple....it's for the love of our cows and our customers. I'm looking forward to my trip next year and will definitely have improvements!

Eat well,

Rich

Photo by Shauna McGuiness

Photo by Shauna McGuiness

Choose Food Freedom!

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We are bombarded with misleading ads promoting terms like “grass-fed”, “organic” and “sustainable” as being the best for your health. 

Here’s what these terms really mean…

“GRASS-FED” – All cattle are fed grass at some point in their lives. So don’t be fooled, even grain-fed cattle can be labeled “grass-fed”. To have all the healthy, beneficial Omega-3’s, look for beef that is 100% Grass-Fed AND Grass-Finished. Look for cattle that are raised on pasture.

“ORGANIC” – The rules for certified organic allow the use of over 200 synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. Also many certified organic inputs and feed come from countries like China where there’s no guarantee they are truly “organic”. Ask for NO herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides. Look for locally sourced inputs (if any are needed at all).

“SUSTAINABLE” & “HUMANELY RAISED” – There’s no legal definition for these terms. Very few cattle are slaughtered on the farm – most are shoved into cattle transports, wait in feedlots and are slaughtered on an industrial kill floor. Look for on farm slaughter; it’s more humane for the cattle and will produce better meat. Look for cattle that are pasture-raised; it’s more sustainable for the environment and you’ll have happier cattle which leads to better meat.

You can’t rely only on labels when making food decisions. Get to know your farmer and their farm so you can define these terms for yourself. Take a farm tour. Ask questions and become empowered. Choose Food Freedom!

Yes, I'm a Forage Nerd

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We had a great time a few weeks ago with our friends on a pasture walk led by our OSU extension agent. Lots of walking around, identifying plants, observing patterns, getting our hands dirty, sharing tips/advice, and planning for the fall planting. Collaboration at it's best! So thankful for my like-minded tribe of pasture folks.

The forage nerd in me finds it fun and educational. For better-than-organic farmers like us, it's crucial to be observant and mindful. We rely on smart grazing management, carefully timed plantings, and mother nature to help us succeed. 

Healthy pastures without chemicals make for happy cows!

Happy foraging,

Rich

 

Our Talented Artificial Insemination Team!

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In addition to working with our cattle, we also work with a great bunch of people! Adrienne Lulay and Alex Snider have been coaching Michael to be self-sufficient at artificially inseminating our cattle. Adrienne and Alex are fun, dedicated & skillful; they are experts at their craft. THANK YOU for coming out on late snowy nights and early foggy mornings! 

Congratulations to Michael who graduated this year and is now inseminating solo!

Take the Chill Off with Beef Stew

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A cold winter day is a great time to make beef stew. We start with a nice chuck roast that is cubed and browned. Then we cook some diced onions and add flour. Next, we add some red wine and our home-made bone broth to our cubed chuck roast and simmer slowly for at least 3-4 hours. Finally, we add our home-grown carrots that have been in our cold storage and our green beans, peas and summer squash that were blanched and frozen this past summer.

We have a simple, healthy meal for my family that warms our kitchen and our hearts. We grew all the produce and raised the beef on our farm which makes this meal even more rewarding. 

Bone Broth...The Cure for the Wintertime Blues

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I use bone broth throughout the year for our soups, gravies and anytime our recipes call for broth. Winter is a great time to replenish our stock of bone broth.

All great bone broth starts with organic grass-fed beef bones, and we have that covered with our own Verdant Hills Farm beef bones. I changed up my recipe this year to include searing the beef bones over high heat on the grill for more flavor before simmering the bones for 2 days. I add carrots and onions from the garden the last day of simmering. The results....simple, glorious bone broth.

I'm happy to share details of the full recipe..just reach out. I'm here to help, so please don't hesitate to ask questions about the process or arrange a time for me to come out and help you start your first batch of bone broth.

Here's drinking to your health!

 Rich