THE ANIMALS
Encouraged to be their natural selves.
Here at Phillips Farmstead, we believe in taking care of our animals, which results in honest and straightforward food.
We raise our animals with a rotational grazing method; moving them every day to graze on fresh forage. Fresh grass everyday, means a clean living environment, which eliminates the need for any antibiotics to fight off diseases caused by manure. Plus, pasture vegetation provides more nutrients to the animals, including healthy omega 3 fats, which results in a product that is more nutritious for the consumer as well!
THE SHEEP
We raise hair sheep, meaning they do not grow wool which needs to be sheared, but they have a naturally shedding winter coat. Our sheep have lean meat that is mild yet flavorful. Our sheep are also managed in a rotational grazing method that mimics a natural occurring herd's impact on the land. A tight group of animals stays safer from predators. While they move slowly across the landscape, they make a large impact on the land; eating forage, and leaving behind their waste. They then move on, which prevents over grazing and allows the grasses to grow back stronger. We utilize a system of temporary fencing to keep them together, and move them daily to each new parcel of untouched pasture.
Why eat lamb?
Maybe you've never had lamb before? Maybe you think eating lamb is like eating a cute little baby animal? Maybe you had lamb once a long time ago, and it tasted very gamey and strange and so you've never had it since... Well I want you to think again, and give it another chance.
It is said that hair sheep (like ours) have a more mild flavor than that of their wooly counterparts. Plus, you'll be buying meat that is local and fresh! It is no question, that meat that has been packed, shipped from another country (most US lamb is imported from New Zealand and Australia), and distributed to grocery stores to sit and wait to be bought, is going to be a bit less than fresh. And old meat can be stinky meat.
Lamb is processed at different ages all over the world, but in the United States, the animals are likely 9 months to 1 year old. By then, they are full fledged mature adults capable of breeding. Cows for beef are processed around 1.5 to 3 years old, and chickens at 8 weeks. It is all relative to the animal's maturity rate.
Lamb is an extremely healthy and delicious meat! It is a relatively lean meat that has a higher proportion of healthy omega 3 fats. Grass fed lamb is a sustainable option that actually helps restore degraded soil and fight global warming!
THE MEAT CHICKENS
After the first 2-4 weeks in the brooder, our meat chickens are raised in what we call a "chicken tractor", which is a mobile chicken coop. It gives them plenty of room to roam, while also protecting them from any predators. We move the tractors everyday. We like to see them being their chicken-y selves; walking, pecking, scratching, and eating greens and protein (like bugs!).
Why eat our chicken?
Unlike conventionally raised chickens that are packed tightly into confinement facilities, our chickens have room to roam, and get to eat grass! Pastured poultry has higher proportion of "good fats" (healthy omega 3s). It also has higher levels of protein and collagen, which are used in our bodies to build, repair, and maintain tissue. Plus, they just taste better!
THE LAYERS
Our laying hens are free range on pasture; no fencing, no confinement whatsoever (except going to sleep in their coop, safe from predators). They get to eat fresh pasture everyday, along with whatever scrumptious critters they find like grasshoppers or frogs, and are supplemented with a mix of locally harvested grains.
Why eat our eggs?
Eggs laid from hens that live their lives outside have an impressive amount of Vitamin-D as opposed to their conventional counterpart (up to 4x the amount). Not to mention the increased amount of Omega-3's, vitamin E and A. You'll also find, they just taste better!
