How do you define the common buzz words used to describe animal management?
Pastured- Soil beneath their feet and open skies above their heads. This environment provides plants to forage on and fresh air to breathe.
Free-range- Room outside to run and play. Yes, they do play.
Grassfed and Finished- No grain or grain by-product. Ever! 100% forage and hay.
Natural- Without the use of anything synthetic ...that includes antibiotics, growth hormones and medicated feeds as well as pesticides and herbicides.
As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words", so we host Open Farm Days in the spring and fall to allow folks to experience the farm and see for themselves how we care for our animals. The USDA and other producers have their own definitions, so be sure to ask questions. In short, know the people and visit the farms who produce the food you eat.
Is Schacht Farm Certified Organic?
While the way we care for our animals exceeds standards set for organic certification, we are not certified. We use mineral supplements and apple cider vinegar that are certified organic, but the grain fed to our poultry and hogs is not organic. We do not spray our land with any kind of chemical nor do we treat our animals with any chemical.
What breeds of animals are raised on the farm and why were they chosen?
All of our hogs are heritage breeds, mostly Tamworths and Large Blacks, known for their foraging ability. Our focus here is on raising happy animals that produce the most amount of meat (or eggs) on the least amount of grain possible. For this reason, we chose a slower growing breed of hog that has the instinct to find their own food which in the long run produces more pork with less grain. The issue of low grain inputs is a huge consideration when choosing the breeds of poultry to raise. Our hens are Golden Comets, a small hybrid breed that forage well in our pasture based model while producing the greatest number of eggs on the least amount of grain possible. The same is true for our broiler (meat chicken) and turkey breeds. They seem happy foraging out on pasture and produce the most meat with the least amount of grain possible. Our cattle are raised only on grass (no grain), so it important that they have the ability to fatten on an all-pasture diet. We choose moderate size animals of various breeds known for grass finishing including Murray Grey and Angus.
How are the animals killed?
As this is an important issue for us, we answered this question in a recent newsletter.
How many acres is Schacht Farm?
The original home farm is 54 acres. We use about half of it for our livestock. We recently purchased another 60 acre farm and use a portion of the land for grazing the majority of our hogs as well as our turkeys.
As a small family farm, how much food do you produce?
In 2010 the animals that we raised produced the following-
950 hens producing 20,000 dozen eggs
4,500 broilers producing 18,000 lbs. of chicken
160 hogs producing 22,000 lbs. of pork
30 cattle producing 11,000 lbs. of beef
600 turkeys producing 11,000 lbs. of turkey
How many people work on Schacht Farm?
While the majority of the work on the farm is performed by the two of us, we have friends and family members who help with markets and projects that require all hands on deck
Do you allow visitors?
We absolutley love sharing the farm with others, but unfortunately, the majority of our time is spent taking care of our animals. We set aside certain days each spring and fall to host Open Farm Day, where folks can come for a visit. The schedule can be found here.
How can I purchase your products?
We have not established a farm store yet. Purchasing options can be found here.
Do your products require different cooking techniques than conventionally raised products?
Yes. You can find tips on preparing our products here.
How can I stretch my food budget when purchasing your products?
As folks who have had to shift our priorities in order to farm, we can relate to those who have to alter their spending habits in order to eat well, for less. We have been truly humbled over the last few years to hear how customers have sacrificed so many things to stick to their convictions about eating humanely raised food produced in their community by folks they know. Below are some suggestions on getting more bang for your buck with our products.
Chicken- Buy whole birds to roast. After using the chicken in various dishes through the week you can make stock out of the carcass for some amazing soups and other wonderful dishes.
Beef- Our slow cooker 20 lb. bundle is a less expensive way to purchase our flavorful and versatile roasts. We also offer meaty beef bones that are wonderful for stews.
Pork- With pork we offer 20 lb. bundles as well as bulk (whole or half) purchasing options. If purchasing by the cut, all of our ground products as well as our shoulder roasts are only $5/lb. My favorite- black bean soup made with pork stock from the neckbones, with lots of sage. We love this meal in the winter months and joke that it only costs 4 cents a bowl...probably not far from the truth!
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