1. LIMITED DISTURBANCE
Limit mechanical, chemical, and physical disturbance of the soil. Tillage destroys soil structure. It is constantly tearing apart the “house” that nature builds to protect the living organisms in the soil that create natural soil fertility. Soil structure includes aggregates and pore spaces (openings that allow water to infiltrate the soil). The result of tillage is soil erosion, the wasting of a precious natural resource. Synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides all have negative impacts on life in the soil as well.
2. ARMOR THE SOIL
Keep soil covered at all times. Keep soil covered at all times. This is a critical step toward rebuilding soil health. Bare soil is an anomaly— nature always works to cover soil. Providing a natural “coat of armor” protects soil from wind and water erosion while providing food and habitat for macro- and microorganisms. It will also prevent moisture evaporation and germination of weed seeds.
3. LIVING ROOTS
Maintain a living root in soil as long as possible throughout the year. Living roots are feeding soil biology by providing its basic food source: carbon. This biology, in turn, fuels the nutrient cycle that feeds plants.
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4. DIVERSITY
Strive for diversity of both plant and animal species. Where in nature does one find monocultures? Only where humans have put them! Grasses, forbes, legumes, and shrubs all live and thrive in harmony with each other. Think of what each of these species has to offer. Some have shallow roots, some deep, some fibrous, some tap. Some are high-carbon, some are low-carbon, some are legumes. Each of them plays a role in maintaining soil health. Diversity enhances ecosystem function.
5. INTEGRATED ANIMALS
Nature does not function without animals. It is that simple. Integrating livestock onto an operation provides many benefits. The major benefit is that the grazing of plants stimulates the plants to pump more carbon into the soil. This drives nutrient cycling by feeding biology. Of course, it also has a major, positive impact on climate change by cycling more carbon out of the atmosphere and putting it into the soil. And if you want a healthy, functioning ecosystem on your farm or ranch, you must provide a home and habitat for not only farm animals but also pollinators, predator insects, earthworms, and all of the microbiology that drive ecosystem function.
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Our bison are all sourced from ranchers practicing the 5 Principles of Soil Health* (limited disturbance, armor your soil, diversity, living roots, integrated animals). The majority of our ranchers are in the process of scientifically validating their soil health improvement (and carbon sequestration) through soil sample collection and tracking. We are working diligently to formalize a protocol to gather baseline soil samples for the remainder of the ranches. All bison ranchers are currently practicing holistic land management.
Our bison are grass-fed, grass-finished and raised on pasture year-round. They are often supplemented with free choice minerals or mineral blocks. Our bison suppliers do not utilize growth hormones or the use of antibiotics. We do allow for the use of therapeutic antibiotics if there is threat to the overall well being of the herd, such as a life threatening illness. Treated animals are segregated from our supply chain.
Our bison are raised on several family owned ranches in Texas.
Our bison are all sourced from ranchers practicing the 5 Principles of Soil Health* (limited disturbance, armor your soil, diversity, living roots, integrated animals). The majority of our ranchers are in the process of scientifically validating their soil health improvement (and carbon sequestration) through soil sample collection and tracking. We are working diligently to formalize a protocol to gather baseline soil samples for the remainder of the ranches. All bison ranchers are currently practicing holistic land management.
Our bison are grass-fed, grass-finished and raised on pasture year-round. They are often supplemented with free choice minerals or mineral blocks. Our bison suppliers do not utilize growth hormones or the use of antibiotics. We do allow for the use of therapeutic antibiotics if there is threat to the overall well being of the herd, such as a life threatening illness. Treated animals are segregated from our supply chain.
Our bison are raised on several family owned ranches in Texas.
Our wild boar supply does not currently qualify to meet the 5 principles of soil health standards* our other animal proteins do, simply because they are wild hogs – not managed by ranchers and farmers. Quite the opposite of positive animal impact, these wild boar have become an invasive species here in Texas causing massive destruction on privately owned and public lands. Thankfully, wild boar are quite delicious and we are able to source from local landowners, farmers and ranchers, who trap the pigs. They are then transported to a USDA slaughtering facility where they are inspected for good health prior to harvest.
The wild boar are free range – they are obtained from rural, non restricted environments that permit foraging, natural selection, and breeding and farrowing without confinement. At no time are they administered with antibiotics or added hormones, nor are they fed any ractopamine.
Our wild boar supply does not currently qualify to meet the 5 principles of soil health standards* our other animal proteins do, simply because they are wild hogs – not managed by ranchers and farmers. Quite the opposite of positive animal impact, these wild boar have become an invasive species here in Texas causing massive destruction on privately owned and public lands. Thankfully, wild boar are quite delicious and we are able to source from local landowners, farmers and ranchers, who trap the pigs. They are then transported to a USDA slaughtering facility where they are inspected for good health prior to harvest.
The wild boar are free range – they are obtained from rural, non restricted environments that permit foraging, natural selection, and breeding and farrowing without confinement. At no time are they administered with antibiotics or added hormones, nor are they fed any ractopamine.
Our pork is sourced from ranchers practicing the 5 principles of Soil Health* (limited soil disturbance, armor your soil, diversity, living roots, integrated animals). These ranches have scientifically validated that their soil health is improving year over year and as a result serves as an effective atmospheric carbon sink.
Our heritage breed slow growing pigs are pasture-raised year round and eat grasses, roots, bugs, and seeds they find. They are supplemented with a ration that includes barely, corn, soy, and sunflower seeds. Additionally, they are offered free choice peanut products due to their proximity to peanut production. They have been Certified Humane, Non GMO Project Verified, and Land to Market Verified. Our pork suppliers do not utilize growth hormones or the use of antibiotics.
Our pork is raised in Georgia.
Our pork is sourced from ranchers practicing the 5 principles of Soil Health* (limited soil disturbance, armor your soil, diversity, living roots, integrated animals). These ranches have scientifically validated that their soil health is improving year over year and as a result serves as an effective atmospheric carbon sink.
Our heritage breed slow growing pigs are pasture-raised year round and eat grasses, roots, bugs, and seeds they find. They are supplemented with a ration that includes barely, corn, soy, and sunflower seeds. Additionally, they are offered free choice peanut products due to their proximity to peanut production. They have been Certified Humane, Non GMO Project Verified, and Land to Market Verified. Our pork suppliers do not utilize growth hormones or the use of antibiotics.
Our pork is raised in Georgia.
A cross between a Heritage Transylvanian Naked Neck, a Heritage Delaware, and a Peterson family line from the 1940s, these heirloom Pioneer birds were selected for leg strength and bone density, immune health, propensity to explore outdoors, and gastrointestinal health. They are robust & active which means a slower growth, healthy, & no need for antibiotics, ever.
Bred, raised and processed in Northwest Arkansas on 800 acres of pasture and forest, these chickens thrive outdoors from morning to night on their inherent omnivorous diet of bugs, grubs and grasses. Any supplemental feed they are offered is non-GMO and grown by local farms under regenerative practices.
A cross between a Heritage Transylvanian Naked Neck, a Heritage Delaware, and a Peterson family line from the 1940s, these heirloom Pioneer birds were selected for leg strength and bone density, immune health, propensity to explore outdoors, and gastrointestinal health. They are robust & active which means a slower growth, healthy, & no need for antibiotics, ever.
Bred, raised and processed in Northwest Arkansas on 800 acres of pasture and forest, these chickens thrive outdoors from morning to night on their inherent omnivorous diet of bugs, grubs and grasses. Any supplemental feed they are offered is non-GMO and grown by local farms under regenerative practices.