Valley Pasture Farm & Pumpkin Patch

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Pasture Raised Meat

How is your meat raised & produced?

pastured porkgrass-fed beef
I remember how crushed I felt when I learned that most of the chickens and pigs raised for meat in the United States have never seen the sun, walked on fresh grass, or tasted a bug. Shocked is an understatement when I learned that some ‘grass-fed’ beef isn’t necessarily finished on pasture, but in a feedlot with mostly dried grasses & silage, and that ‘grass-finished’ is a term used to describe meat from cattle that were fed green grass the last 3-5 months of their lives, but says nothing about what they were fed up until that point. Americans have certainly created very confusing food marketing system.

Having a child with food allergies & sensitivities led me to research food additives. As I learned more about petroleum based dyes & preservatives, nitrates, and MSG, I thought we may never be able to eat sausage, bacon, or pepperoni again! Eventually, I was able to find some companies that offered products without the additives that were causing my daughter to break out in hives and rashes. But, very few were easily accessible in our area. (Note: since I started this journey with my daughter in 2012, the big food companies have really increased product offerings that are free from unnatural dyes & preservatives, but we still need to really read the labels to keep her happy & healthy)

So, we decided to raise our own meat and have it processed without nitrates, MSG, and other ‘unnatural’ food additives. Most of our animals are born & raised right on our farm. If they aren’t born here, we try to get them as soon as they are weaned from their mothers or from a farmer that is raising them very similar to us. We know that our animals all get to see the sun, feel a fresh breeze blow, and enjoy green grasses & plants. They can even eat bugs & worms, if that’s their thing! We want to make sure they get plenty of time outside to do animals things, in animal ways.

As more friends and family starting asking us to raise meat for them, we decided it was time to start offering our pasture raised meats to our community. If you are looking to feed your family nutritious & ethically raised local meats, then you’ll love filling your freezer with our pork, lamb, goat and chicken – all truly raised on pasture.

pastured hogs pastured chicken

What does Pasture Raised mean at Valley Pasture Farm?

To us, pasture raised means that we do our very best to have our animals eat the freshest grass & forages available. From April to October, we move them onto fresh, growing grass frequently – sometimes twice a day! It’s all part of a pasture-based management system called Intensive Rotational Grazing. Well managed pasture, which is our goal, can increase the quality of the plants growing in the pasture, increase soil fertility, create pastures that are more drought resistant, control less desirable plants (aka weeds), and extend the grazing season.

On pasture, the animals get fresh, nutrient-dense forage every day. They also get daily human interaction, which makes life much less stressful for all involved for things like hoof trimmings, wool shearing, and any medical care or assistance needed. We are also able to use our animals, especially the pigs, to prep the ground for our garden, corn maze, and pumpkin patch. It’s amazing to see humans, animals, and plants all working together!

In addition to pasture forages, our chickens and pigs have their diet supplemented with organic corn-free/soy-free feed mixes. They aren’t ruminants, and we’ve found they are happier and healthier with a bit more than grass. Most of our animals get to snack on the extra/imperfect produce from our garden – the sheep and pigs really love pumpkins in the Fall! We also provide free-choice minerals and salt to our animals year round.

Through the winter, we feed our animals mixed hay that was cut from our own pastures or from other farmers in the area. We also supplement their diets with local oats and corn-free/soy-free feed mixes depending on the nutritional needs of each animal.  Since most of the animals on the farm in the winter are used for breeding, they need some extra protein and fat in their diets to grow healthy babies and stay in great shape themselves.

 

 

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Find the Farm

Our Address:
E7631 North County Road E
Elk Mound, WI 54739
*GPS may take you to the incorrect location*

DIRECTIONS:

From Eau Claire: Take I-94 West to Exit 52 to State Hwy 40 North toward Colfax for 3 miles to County Rd E. Turn left on County Road E. Stay on E for 3 miles and you will find us on the right-hand side of the road.

From Chippewa Falls: Take Hwy 29 West to State Hwy 40 North toward Colfax for 3 miles to County Rd E. Turn left on County Road E. Stay on E for 3 miles and you will find us on the right-hand side of the road.

From Menomonie and the Twin Cities: Take I-94 east to exit 45. Turn left on County Road B. Go approximately 1 mile to 650th Ave. Turn right on 650th Ave. Go about 1 mile and continue driving straight onto County Road E. Follow County Road E for 3 miles and you will find us on the left-hand side of the road.

2016 Food Drive

Giving Back to the Community

Giving Back to the Community

Community Food Drive This year we will again be collecting non-perishable items for Stepping Stones of Dunn County. At the end of the season, we deliver the items collected from our guests, as well as fresh apples, squash, and pumpkins - we've averaged 1000 pounds of donations each year! Thank you for helping us feed the … Read More

Eggs For Sale

Eggs

We raise free-range laying hens that produce the most delicious & nutrious eggs around! Our eggs are in high demand, but we are adding to our flock to try to keep up this year! We sell them … Learn More

On The Blog

Simple Paleo Chili

Simple Paleo Chili

Nothing is better at warming you up and helping you feel cozy on a cold, snowy Wisconsin day like a hearty bowl of chili. My kids give this chili recipe 4 out of 5 thumbs up - which means it is pretty darn good! For the ultimate comfort meal, serve the chili over baked sweet potatoes or mashed … Read More

© 2015–2019 · Valley Pasture Farm, LLC · Elk Mound, WI · (715) 256-7676