“Diggin’ Diversity” at the NOFA Conference

We attended the Northeast Organic Farming Association conference in Saratoga this past weekend and we’re back at the farm now feeling inspired and longing for spring.  The theme of diversity through the weekend’s workshops and events certainly struck a chord with us.  We heard many innovative farmers, old and new, talk about the intricacies of the relationships on their farms and how they’re able to put them to use.  If you raise livestock, consider growing grains for feed and bedding while using the manure to fertilize the fields.  If you make cheese, raise pigs too, so you can turn your “waste” product, whey, into pork.  If you graze your animals, then graze a few different kinds of livestock so that they each clean the fields of parasites, protecting one another.  This diversity becomes a kind of insurance against the risks that are inherent in farming.  It also enables us to embrace seasonality.  Just when the beef runs out, fresh chickens are back on the table.  Just when you think the season for fresh cheese has come to a close, our prized aged cheeses come onto the scene. This is the beauty of a diverse farm and precisely the model we are building here at Asgaard Farm.   From new grazing methods to better pig management strategies, the conference introduced us to quite a few new and exciting ideas to employ as we continue to grow over the coming seasons.  

Starting in April, we’ll offer twice weekly guided tours of the farm on Thursdays and Saturdays at 1:00 pm.  Come and see how we’ve harnessed the power of diversity!