How We Farm and More

Many Have asked what are our farming Practices are and why?

First I''l try to answer the "why" First,

As many of my blog readers may know, (see my Posts, My Family's Farming History") I come from
multi generation farming family, But Unfortuineatly, due to family disputes etc. I have not have had the luctury of other Family Farmers like Joel Salatin, (Polyface Farm) who's farm has been in the family for 3 generations now. or like Craig Floyd of Footsteps Farm in Stonington, CT who's farm has been in his family since 1712, however, those setbacks have not deterred me.
In 2006  i purchased 5.5 acres in Packwood,Wa 1 acre is wooded and the other 4 is flat grass land.

Main  4 acre Field

Since Purchasing this property i have agonized on how best to use it. At First it was to just a place to
pitch a tent, build a Fire Pit and use it a jump off point for other Recreationl activities with my Family
and we have used it for that, at least a few times, but clearly not to it's full potenial, primarly due to it's distance (3 hr drive). Now that my children are grown, we don't camp as a family as much which leads me to it's secondary purpose. A FARM !!. But there again, being a 3hr drive from home base it's hard to manage. hence the aganizing I have had many ideas, one was to plant corn, but then came the issue of the hoards of Elk that roam the area and i fugured corn would be just a appetizer for the Elk.
Next came Blueberries but  it takes 5-7 years to start getting a profitable crop and  although not as tasty as corn, elk would still most likley like blueberry plants as a nice browse also. As of this wrighting, I am now considering considering planting pumpkins, other types of squash etc.

but i digress...

When I first decided i wanted to get back into farming, I decided early on that i wanted to have a grass based, pastured  based farming model. Much like the one my grandfather use on his dairy farm. Once i made that decision i need to re-educate myself

Read the artcle, on grass based Farming

I started researching  breeds of animals that thrived the best  in that type of system. that is why  we are using hardy old-breed animals, or more commonly know as Heritage  Breeds and we are following farming practices that my ancestors followed in the 18th century Grass Fed systems.


Our farm is not certified organic but we think of Phoenix Farm as  (read about what this means). All our animals have free range all day, every day. We do not use herbicides, antibiotics, nor other chemicals on the animals or the farmland. We believe that because they are giving their lives for us, we owe it to them to see they lead happy, healthy, stress-free lives.

UPDATE: I HAVE EDITED THIS POST AS OF MARCH 24TH 2018