About Us
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Ironweed Farm was established over 20 years ago as a way to introduce our family to the simple but meaningful joys of rural life. Situated on 50 acres of beautiful rolling pasture, the farm soon became the center of our family's activities. More important, it became the foundation for a new way of living- one rooted in a deep appreciation for the land and a sense of stewardship for all that was connected with it.
Life on the farm was always busy, yet always rewarding. Pastures were improved, fences repaired, old barns taken down and new ones put up in their place. Tired machinery was coaxed back to life and put to work. Ponds were dug, fields were plowed, streams cleared and pastures rejuvenated. And then there were the animals- beef cattle and horses primarily, but over time, more sheep, goats, hogs and steers than anyone of us would ever have imagined. Life revolved around their care, from cutting and baling hay in blistering summer heat to lugging those same bales through the snow to feed in the midst of winter. Farming had truly become a year round family affair. In 2007 we began raising poultry on a small scale, mostly to provide meat and eggs for our own family's consumption. Over time we searched for new and better ways to raise our chicken, which led us to the innovative practices of Joel Salatin and his work at Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia. Regarded by most as not only the pioneer, but subject matter expert on the benefits of pasture raised chicken, Salatin became the inspiration for our work going forward. By following his methods we knew we could produce great tasting, nutritious chicken, all in environmentally sound and responsible ways. Today, three generations of our family are committed to providing healthy, hand-crafted chicken to our friends and neighbors in the community. To be clear, Ironweed Farm chicken is nothing like supermarket chicken. Our birds are raised on dense, organically managed pasture, with plenty of sunshine, fresh air, clean water and plenty of room to move around. They are never given antibiotics, growth hormones or genetically modified feed. And they are never taken off the farm for processing. It's not the easiest or least expensive way to produce chicken, but we believe it's the best. |
Pretty young filly with her mom
Baling hay while horses and cattle look on
"Where's my hay?"
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