Life On Our Farm
Our second largest enterprise on the farm by headcount but pound for pound our largest, is our pig sounder. Our pig program consists of Duroc, Berkshire, Kune Kune, Mangalitsa, as well as our very own proprietary breed, the Carolina Pasture Pig.
As primary players in our regenerative system, these critters are valued for more than just their meat production, it is thanks to the pigs that we have been able to reclaim densely packed vegetative areas of the farm while remaining a no-til operation. They til with their noses and fertilize our soil while consuming the root systems of a wide variety of undesirable plant species - such as thorns and briars.
Our meat pigs are sold on the hoof and delivered to the processor of your choice. Delivery fees apply for processors further than 15 miles from our farm.
Our largest operation on the farm, our layer hen program will max out around 220 birds, however factoring for “chicken math”, we could end up with several more!
Our egg laying chickens will provide our primary and most accessible protein source for all of those who benefit from our food production system.
Farm fresh eggs are shelf stable for months, and do not require refrigeration. This affords us an incredible amount of flexibility in shipping clean, healthy, nutrient-dense protein pods packed with all the omega fatty acids anywhere our ambitions take us!
Our free ranging, pasture raised laying hens also play a critical role in our regenerative system, as they consume pests and weed seeds while aerating the soil and providing a nitrogen rich fertilizer.
Our dairy goats are an invaluable learning tool for our kids and veterans. They learn the skills needed to care for these delicate animals while learning to provide milk for themselves and their families. The only milk that is more nutritious for the human body than goat milk is human breast milk.
Our goat herd is crucial in reshaping and reclaiming the land in support of our regenerative farming practices, such as our rotational grazing program. The goats of Ellis Acres are on the front lines in our efforts to capture and repurpose parts of our farm which have been overrun and made inaccessible by briars and thickets. The best part is, they convert those briars and brambles to delicious goat milk while making way for our grazers to come in behind them and forage the newly sprouting greenery.
Our Freedom Ranger pasture raised broiler chickens will provide the primary source of meat protein for all those we serve.
Freedom Rangers are similar to the traditional Cornish Cross in the sense that they are bred specifically to grow as a meat bird, weighing around 8 pounds at butcher weight.
However, they differ and are superior in the sense that they produce more flavorful dark meat (if you’re into that sort of thing!) and they are capable of foraging on pasture, unlike the Cornish whose fragile legs are unable to support the weight of their massive body as they mature, due to generations of inbreeding and selective breeding.
This added ability to forage leads to a more diverse diet and ultimately a happier bird and more nutrient dense food source.
Who doesn’t love duck eggs!? They are much larger, creamier and far superior to chicken eggs for use in baked goods and pastries.
We chose the Khaki Campbell for its propensity to forage and for its ability to lay nearly 360 eggs per year on average.
Ducks also play a vital role in our pest managment program as their nickmane is "Slug slayers". Any slug or snail that would otherwise threathen the viability of our garden operation is consumed and processed into delicious duck eggs.
Why the Coturnix Quail?
First of all they are master egg layers, the Coturnix Quail is known to lay 250-300 white-speckled eggs per year.
They are quick to reach maturity, in only 7 weeks, they are ready to lay their first eggs.
Pound for pound, their meat production is difficult to match. The Coturnix Quail are just as well known for their tender and flavorful meat. At about 8 weeks they reach a weight of approximately 12-14 ounces, making them an excellent meat option, with a flavor comparible to that of pheasant.
Bees are an integral part of the environment as they are nature’s most diligent and efficient pollinators.
In addition to their job on the farm as pollinators, they also produce one of mother nature’s tastiest treats, honey.
Local honey is also used by holistic healers the world over for its ability to ease symptoms related to seasonal allergies and various other ailments.
Meet the working dogs of Ellis Acres.
Dolly and Reba are the security force on the farm. Sisters from the same litter, these girls are inseparable. They diligently watch over our herds without reprieve. Their day to day duties include laying in the shade and soliciting belly rubs from passers by, however their nighttime schedule is much more active. They patrol the property and bark away predators. During birthing season, they rarely leave the mommas and their newborns, constantly looking over them, ever-vigilant.
Reese our resident sheriff and herding dog. Anytime the animals find themselves out of place or need to be moved from one pasture to another, Reese is there to move them quickly and efficiently.