Our Practices
Pasture Raised is Better for the Land
Animals deserve to live in fresh air and sunshine with the ability to roam and run; chase and frolic; to peck and scratch. We follow the animals’ natural tendencies with allowances made for the weather of New England. Our cattle and hogs have year-round pasture and field access with free choice for their barn or structures. Our sheep and goats are pastured throughout the grass season and then penned with room to run and play but in a smaller area to make feeding and watering easier. Our chickens and turkeys (and sometimes ducks) live in flocks of about 100 in a 12 by 16 foot house that is moved on a regular basis. This ensures fresh bugs, worms and grass for the diet!
Pasture Raised is Better for the Livestock
At Chestnut Farms, we recognize that we are simply stewards of the land for a short time. We work hard to take care of our soils, our forests and to protect our water sources. We use regenerative and no- till practices and work closely with our local Natural Resources and Conservation Services to continually evaluate and update our methods with a focus on environmental quality and sustainability. Our farm is an original deeded farm from the King of England prior to the American revolution. It has been farmed continually for over 300 years and we want to ensure it will stay in agriculture for another 300 years.
Pasture Raised is Better for You
We all have heard you are what you eat! This is true for us as well as our livestock. If you choose meat you want to choose pasture raised, grass-fed and finished beef and pasture raised pork and poultry. It tastes better and scientific research shows it is actually better for you. According to researchers pasture raised meat and provide "good" fats, and fewer "bad" fats, they are richer in antioxidants; including vitamins E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Furthermore, they do not contain traces of added hormones, antibiotics or other drugs. At Chestnut Farms we DO NOT ever routinely administer any hormones or drugs to our animals.
For more nutritional information visit Eat Wild