Farm Stewardship at Red Hill Harvest

written by

Nathan Masser

posted on

April 17, 2024


Last Easter, I shared the fact that we always try our best to nurture our community and environment through decisions based on our faith, ancestorial knowledge, and new information gained from experience and education.

I want to share with you, exactly how we do this day in and day out on our farm.

Before we get started I do have a brief disclaimer.

How our farm operates is not the only way or the perfect way to farm. However, we strive to do what is best for our farm, with the resources we have available, and to be good stewards of our land and animals.

We understand every farm and situation is different. We want to share the steps that we take to make sure we are putting the safest and most delicious food on your table for generations to come.

Now that that is out of the way, let's begin with how we care for our animals.

Animals

Daily Pasture Moves

I'm sure while taking a drive through the countryside, you've seen a pasture grazed down to nothing. It may be eaten to a length shorter then your lawn, leaving nothing but dust and dirt to try to regrow.

We avoid leaving our soils in this state of despair by moving the animals daily. Whether it be our chickens or cows, we arrange fencing in a way that keeps them from grazing an area of land too much.

We allow them to eat no more then 50% of the grass which helps the pastures to regrow quicker, allowing us to utilize our farm more efficiently as well as keep their stomachs full of high protein, nutrient dense plants.

We also allow the pasture to fully recover before we return to graze again (usually around 60 days, but it could be longer depending on the weather and time of year). This way we improve our pasture resource instead of degrading it.

Space per animal

Space for animals can be a big issue on the farm. To keep the business profitable, it is important to maximize the amount of animals per acre.

The number of cattle we run becomes incredibly hard to manage because, during the spring/fall, when the grass is growing at a rapid pace, we could feed up to 200 head of cattle, whereas in the summer/winter, when the grass is growing very slowly or not at all, 50 head would be a much more suitable number. We typically end up running around 110 head in the spring and decrease the amount throughout the summer and into winter to match our land's carrying capacity.

We like to feed as little amount of hay as possible by keeping the animals grazing out on the pasture, where they were designed to be. When the cattle are out grazing, they have the freedom to roam over the acre or two we have them temporarily fenced into, giving them plenty of space while still improving our land and giving it the rest it needs before regrazing.

Low-Stress Handling

We have about 250 acres of land, spread across 3 separate farms, fenced in for our cattle. Thankfully, 2 of them are adjacent to each other, so we can walk the cows across the road. However, to get to the other farm, we have to load them on a truck.

Every time you have to load an animal, it exerts some form of stress on them. We limit the amount of stress on moving days by starting early in the morning on the hot summer days, only using rattle paddles for encouragement (not electric prods), and keeping our voices calm to help them stay calm.

Protection from the elements

As you may know, we do not have a barn for our cattle. This is mainly because cattle are naturally protected from the harsh winter elements. Their thick fur coats help to keep them warm and they also have the ability and instinctive knowledge to huddle together in a herd. When the weather calls for a heavy wind storm, we set up a windbreak to make sure they can get protection from the elements.

The same goes for the warm summer months when they shed their thick winter coats and know where to look for the coolest spots on the farm. We always try to find a shady spot for them to graze during the dog days of summer.

Land

Limited-tillage

We limit the amount of tillage we use between crops to allow the microbiology to survive in our soil. These tiny organisms cling to the roots of our plants and help them to bring in nutrients needed for life. By keeping the roots in the soil intact, we can also reduce the amount of erosion that happens during major weather events.

These microbes also need water and air to thrive. Soil with lots of pore space allows for both water and air to move into the root zone (like water flowing through a sponge). Tillage breaks up these pore spaces and collapses the soil structure, leading to less water and air and ultimately less microbiology.

Why not no-till?

We do as much no till as possible, however in some instances tillage is a necessary tool. We use tillage in ground we will plant potatoes in and also to establish new seedlings in organic fields.



Cover crops

Cover cropping is a farming practice that is used to keep living roots in the soil in between "cash crops". This cover crop helps to reduce erosion and compaction, as well as, builds soil fertility.

We typically plant multi-species cover crop which pulls nitrogen, carbon, and other important elements from the atmosphere into our soils. This biodiversity of species allows each plant to feed off one another and be utilized to the fullest extent.

Soil always wants to be covered by some type of living plant. If you take a drive throughout the countryside in the spring you can see a green hue over the brown corn and soybean stubble. These are weeds popping up trying to cover the soil. We plant cover crops in the fall, to keep the soil active and also eliminate the need for a spring herbicide spray.

See if you can pick out which fields are ours in the picture below!



Natural Amendments

Another trick we use to boost our soil health naturally is by using natural soil amendments. In unison with our other practices, we are able to increase fertility without harming our soil biology with synthetic nitrogen and fertilizers.

Some forms of natural amendments we use on our farm -
Liquid Humus
Compost
Animal Manure
Seaweed
Fish Oils
Molasses

These amendments are much easier for our plants to access compared to their synthetic counterparts, making it a much more effective solution for us.

Contrary to popular belief, there is plenty of fertility found in nature to grow profitable crops, we just need to equip our plants with the ability to bring it out of the atmosphere and into the soil.



Animal Impact

Putting animals back on our farm is arguably the best decision we have ever made.

Animals provide so many benefits to our farm it would be impossible to fit them all in this newsletter! Not counting their manure, they kickstart life in the soil, combat unwanted weeds without tillage or chemicals, and even their saliva has microbiology that goes into the soil and helps plants to grow. Crazy right?

By bringing animals back onto our farm, we have begun to close the nutrient gap of making our farm self sufficient. So many farmers rely on costly synthetic inputs to boost their soil health. If one of these inputs would become unavailable, our ability to produce food would be gone.

One ongoing example of this is the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge which shut down the Baltimore port. Most if not all of the synthetic fertilizer used in the eastern United States comes through this port. Now that the port is shut, fertilizer is much harder to find, making the price skyrocket.

By closing the nutrient gap, we are able to make our farm more resilient. This keeps us safe from relying solely on outside and often unreliable supply chains.

We take pride in being your farmer and we always want to strive to create healthier food for you and your family to enjoy.

I mean, that's why you're reading this blog right?

You are invested in becoming more informed and confident about the way your food is being produced. You understand that it's not just a label that says 100% grass-fed beef, or pasture-raised eggs, or organic, it's a product cared for by 3 generations working together with a common goal in mind.

To provide HEALTHY, SAFE, and BETTER food, from our family to yours.

Invest in your health today!

More from the blog

PCOS Medication for Chickens?

While scrolling through one of my subscribed bi-weekly AG E-Newsletters, a headline caught my eye - “Chicken or the egg (or the drug)?  - Research shows that a common diabetes medication for humans (metformin) can help broiler breeder hens produce more eggs.” I was sitting across from my brother John, and words came out of my mouth that resembled something like, “What in the world are they giving to our chickens now?!?”  As he is subscribed to the same newsletter and is a little more organized than I am, he already read the article; he just smirked. Once I finished reading the article, we discussed whether we thought this was a good idea or not; you can probably guess our opinions. In summary, the article says researchers at Penn State have discovered that metformin, a medication commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in humans, can significantly enhance egg production in broiler breeder hens. In a 40-week study, hens administered a small daily dose of metformin laid more fertile eggs, showed reduced body fat, and showed healthier reproductive hormone levels than untreated hens.  The study revealed that metformin influences liver gene activity, increasing the production of yolk proteins and stabilizing blood sugar levels while decreasing genes associated with fat accumulation. These effects mirror metformin's action in humans, where it improves insulin sensitivity and hormonal balance. Penn State This research suggests that metformin could be a tool in poultry farming, potentially extending the productive laying period of hens, reducing flock turnover, and enhancing overall farm efficiency. Significantly, metformin is rapidly metabolized in hens, thus they claim, minimizing any risk to the food supply. (Here’s a link to the full article) If you read the article closely, you can see that this medication is NOT being used and has yet to enter our food system. However, it is a good example of how the American ag industry can create its own problem and solve it by throwing a drug or chemical at it. Let me put this in simpler terms and use the example of Metformin in chicken production. How Big Ag Views the Dilemma Problem: Broiler Chickens do not lay enough eggs, and we can make more money if they lay longer and more fertile eggs. (It will take fewer momma chickens) Solution: Give chickens drugs that affect their hormones, enhancing their egg-laying abilities. Here’s How We View the Dilemma Problem: Broiler Chickens do not lay enough eggs, and we can make more money if they lay longer and more fertile eggs. Solution: Don’t grow chickens unnaturally fast! The issue is that we’ve bred our livestock and crops to grow so fast and so large for the sake of “efficiency” that we’ve become too reliant on drugs and chemicals to keep up with this fast-paced farming method.  Chickens, for instance, used to take 16-20 weeks to reach their market weight; now, they are bred to reach market weight in about 6 weeks! This rapid development causes the chickens to grow unnaturally fast, which has significant side effects for both the chicken and the person.  Things have developed too far for the case of efficiency in our food system.  Statements like this tend to give rise to many arguments, mainly along the lines of There are not enough farmers to produce all of the food.It’s not good for the animals to be out in the open without antibiotics.We can’t grow enough food to feed the world. 1) There are not enough farmers to produce all of the food -  Let’s start by looking at the farmers. In 1776, 90-95% of Americans were farmers. They grew all of the food they needed to survive. Most people had their own garden or small livestock herd. Now, around 1.3% of the population in America are farmers, with the number declining every day. So, how did we get here? Once cities and populations began to grow, it became increasingly desirable for people to hone in on one skill and trade it with others to make the community thrive. (For example, blacksmith, cobbler, preacher, builder, farmer) Most people traded their services and goods within 10 miles of where they lived. This built strong community ties and a willingness to work together.  Eventually, the Industrial Revolution came along and built faster transport, better equipment, and communication. Businesses could trade their goods over a farther distance. This new ability to market to larger numbers of people started the corporatization of the American Farm.  Farming became more efficient after World War 2 with the use of chemicals, tractors, and bigger equipment, which meant that those who were the best marketers, and could sell the most, had the most money to buy new farms and plant more crops. They could afford to buy up bigger and better equipment and land, and in turn, could grow more food cheaply. This caused prices to drop, and the little farmers could not keep up. If we exclude the less than 10-acre farms (which are still vital but don’t make up for a large portion of food eaten in America), we can see that in 1920 the average farm size was 148 acres, whereas in 2022 the average size was 1500 acres! A 1000% increase in size!  This shows the devastating number of farms and farming families forced to shut down their tractors to make room for these big farms. To grow food in a more natural way, we would need more farmers, each with a common goal to feed the world with good food. 2) It’s not good for the animals to be out in the open without antibiotics We will not spend much time on the next argument, which is that it’s inhumane for animals to be raised without the use of antibiotics and drugs. I somewhat agree with this argument. Let me explain. It would be inhumane for us to raise animals in a confinement system without the use of these drugs. All of the animals would be sick and more than likely die, simply because they were not designed to be grown in this manner. At Red Hill Harvest, we believe that God designed animals to be raised outdoors without antibiotics or drugs. When raised in the pasture, there is a much lower risk of getting and sharing diseases because they are never over their manure for more than one day and do not breathe and share the same air. In the case of a confined animal operation, it might actually be more ethical to have lab-grown meat. I don’t see much difference between raising chickens in a barn, where they are kept in a very crowded environment and only fed a specific ration of feed (not free choice), and in a “lab” where the meat is being manufactured. 3) We can’t grow enough food to feed the world. The final argument that we will not be able to grow enough food is simply untrue. Many farms, especially where we live, simply are not suited to have crops grown on them. Rather than increasing a subpar crop of corn and soybeans, we could grow a bountiful crop of grass and other high-quality forages and walk the animals to the feed. (You would also eliminate the need for heavy machinery and help the environment tremendously.) How much sense does it make for us to grow feed, harvest it, truck it, store it, re-truck it, grind it, haul it back to the farm, and finally feed it to an animal?  We recently bought a piece of land that was about 60 acres in total. On the sale bill, it said 40 acres were tillable and around 20 acres were wooded. Really, there are about 5 acres that we consider “tillable” that would produce a decent crop. Rather than trying to grow a grain crop, we let it grow and turn into grass. Then our cows can walk across the steep hills and valleys without causing harm to our machinery or the land. This way, we can utilize all 60 acres (yes, we even let the cows graze the woods when it gets hot) and still produce tons of feed! Way more than we could ever grow if we were to try to plant row crops. It all comes down to the fact that there are no longer enough farmers. Feeding the animals right off the land requires more management and labor to set up fences and work with the animals. With the current number of farmers in America, it would be challenging to scale back to a manageable size. How can we solve the problems in our food system? I believe it would be very difficult to emerge from the hole we have dug as a society. Farms are controlled by so few people that it would be hard to attract new farmers and start more farms. It would mean promoting and helping new farmers buy land, meaning the large corporations would have to dissolve. I don’t know what you think, but I don’t see that happening without significantly disrupting our food system.  You CAN make a difference, however. You can control how your food is produced by choosing where you source your food. A growing number of people are fed up with the current food system and how things are being raised. Things will change if we all join together and make smart decisions in choosing where we source our food. While there are many promising things happening at the government level to promote healthy and sustainable farming practices, it’s not enough.  If we reject food from the corporate world, and support small farms and farmers who raise their products the way you want them to, we can make a change.  I hope that the last paragraph encouraged you to start making a difference. Money controls politicians and businessmen alike, and where you choose to spend it will shape the course of our future.  With the developments of social media and websites, you can see exactly how your food is produced without even setting foot on a farm! You can reconnect with your farmer, reject the highly industrialized, unethical farming method, and support a farm that wants to support your health!

Tariffs: How they will affect meat prices, our farm, and how you can protect yourself from higher prices!

Lately, we’ve had folks asking how tariffs might affect meat prices and what that means for our farm. The short answer? Tariffs could raise costs across the board—from feed and fertilizer to equipment and meat itself, especially in large-scale, conventional agriculture. But at Red Hill Harvest, we’re not tied to global markets the way big ag is. We’re working toward becoming 100% self-sufficient, relying on natural systems instead of imported inputs. That means healthier soil, healthier animals, and more price stability for you. We also sell directly to you, our customer—not through middlemen or commodity markets—so we can set prices based on what it actually costs to raise good food. That transparency and relationship is what helps us weather uncertainty and protect you from price swings. So what can you do? Get closer to your food. Support local farms. Ask questions. Visit. Build relationships. When you choose to buy from people who care, you’re investing in a better, more secure food system for all of us.