Ellis Acres
Ellis Acres is an independently owned and operated vertically integrated organic and regenerative food production system which maximizes efficiency and cost effectiveness and champions environmental and economic sustainability in order to satisfy the ever-growing demands of our global food supply system at the community level.
Ellis Acres is not your typical regenerative farm, our farm is owned and operated by a 100% Disabled Veteran who also happens to be the Founder and President of a 501(c)3 non-profit organization called Hunt Pray Eat. This means that our business is entirely dedicated to serving and improving the lives of others.
Our mission is to provide organic pasture raised premium grade pork, lamb, chicken, eggs, bee and dairy goat products that are raised humanely, holistically and fed organic, non-GMO, soy-free feed on our sustainable, regenerative, no-till farm where we also produce organic fruits, nuts and vegetables. Ellis Acres will add a new supply of premium meat, fruit, nut and vegetable produce to the food supply chain for the local Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC markets, as well as surrounding areas.
Agriculture how nature intended. Located in Chester, South Carolina – halfway between Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC - we are changing the face of modern agriculture by getting back to the roots of how our ancestors fed themselves for ages by producing fruits & vegetables using regenerative and no-till practices, as well as organic, pasture raised animals in the heart of the southeast.
Our hope is that our regenerative, no-till practices will be adopted throughout the country and around the world in order to solve global food supply chain issues while addressing major concerns related to climate change and environmental destruction.
Regenerative
Agriculture
“Regenerative Agriculture” describes farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity – resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle.
~ Regeneration International
4 Regenerative Farming Practices:
•Promote biodiversity. Cover crops and crop rotation are two of the basic principles of sustainable agriculture that lead to greater biodiversity.
•Eliminate or decrease tillage. Creating healthy soil is one of the predominant goals of the regenerative agriculture movement, and decreasing tilling is one of the best regenerative practices for improving soil.
•Reduce the use of artificial fertilizers. Synthetic fertilizer is not conducive to regenerative systems because it creates an imbalance of microbes in soil, impeding the natural processes by which plants absorb nutrients.
•Use regenerative grazing management for livestock. Traditional livestock feedlots lead to increased water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and low nutrient forage. Instead, a regenerative grazing system mimics the natural grazing patterns of animals.
No-Till
Farming
No-till farming (also known as zero tillage or direct drilling) is an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage.
Benefits of No-Till Farming
The no-till farmer will see an increase in the organic matter of the soil, and a decrease in the amount of erosion. More organic matter and less erosion mean more fertility, less fertilizer, and higher yields.
Pest & Disease
Management
Ducks drill holes in the soil in search of grubs and larvae, effectively aerating while consuming pests and fertilizing.
Bats consume a wide variety of pests and insects, such as mosquitos.
Science based Companion planting increases nutrient availability, strengthening the health and disease resistance of plants. Can also divert destructive pests to more tolerant plants.
Chickens consume pests, scratch and aerate soil, and eat weed seeds while dropping nitrogen rich manure.
