So, What is Regenerative Farming Exactly?

I remember the exact time and place Trev and I found ourselves asking that question for the very first time…over a phone call while at Chico Hot Springs outside of Bozeman, MT. Lol. We can give credit to many mentors along our path to creating Simple Living Farms, but the person who first introduced us to our current farming practices explained the concept to us, as we were literally soaking in a hot spring.

The way he explained it was actually very simple. First, you run cows on a pasture within a paddock system (paddocks are small sectioned off pieces of the larger pasture). They eat the grass, and grace it with their manure. The biggest chemical component in their manure is phosphorus, which is in commercial fertilizers. Then, you move the cows on to another paddock, and release chickens where the cows were. The chickens do two things: they eat the fly larvae in the cows’ manure as well as other bugs (can somebody say nature’s pest control??), and they also poop. 😁 Funnily enough, the biggest chemical component in chicken manure is nitrogen, which is also found in commercial fertilizers. That’s it. The chickens follow behind the cows, and then the paddock gets a chance to rest. Pretty simple, huh? We thought so too.

So, what’s the big deal about letting the pasture “rest?” Now, that is the most important step in regenerative farming. Resting lets the third farm animal in the system do it’s job. I’m talking about the farm animals you can’t see with your eyes…all the animals that live in the Earth! Soil contains all kinds of bacteria, protozoa (single-celled microscopic animals), and fungi, all which fall under the name “microbe.” Fun fact: one teaspoon of fertile soil contains more microbes than people on the planet. These bugs help decompose anything dead and return it to the soil for the grass to use. Welcome to Biology 101! They break down the all the manure and turn it into THE best organic fertilizer money can buy. The pasture grows back bigger and stronger, after it’s rest period, and the cows have more yummy grass to eat.

It’s a win-win-win, because this process also restores the soil by taking carbon straight out of the atmosphere and putting it back into the Earth. Some farmers actually make for some of the best environmentalists out there! But that, I’ll save for another newsletter. And as a bonus, a lot of money is saved on feed and fertilizer costs. How neat is that?

Our goal with Simple Living Farms is to steward creation by choosing to farm with nature and not against it, in order to heal the land. And through those practices, we also get to grow healthy food that heals people, too. A truly sustainable cycle. Not only are we your farmers, we are also your environmental and holistic health activists. 😉

Love,

Trev & Viv

Egg Drought Update

Y’all…The day I sent out our last newsletter about the egg drought, egg production started increasing drastically. We still have a ways to go, but we are now back up to half capacity. We can’t believe it, but all praise goes to God. We figured out that it was two things: one was the roost we added into our prairie schooner to make them a wee bit more comfortable, but the feed was the major factor in all of this. The nutritionist from our feed supplier said the mixture may have been too salty (lol). They immediately refunded us for a ton of feed, no questions asked. So you can say that they’ve won our business! We are slowly making our way back to normal and are starting to fulfill normal customer orders. Thanks for your prayers!

Shipped From Our Farm to Your Porch

We’re ecstatic to announce that this winter we’ll start shipping to the lower 48 states! Yes, you heard that right… From sea to shining sea (except you Alaska and Hawaii, sorry)

The best thing about Home Delivery is you can get our farm's pasture raised goodness anywhere in the country! We have a special box that keeps everything super cold and we even have a super special box for delivering eggs! Free delivery on orders of $150 or more!

Join the wait list here

How in the heck can you ship frozen meats across the country?!

Check out this video from our friend and farming compatriot, David. He’ll explain how your order shows up on your porch still cold.

How will ordering work?

It’s easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Check out our “What’s in Stock” section of the newsletter below for what we’re currently offering and pricing.

2. Until our website is up and running order by calling or texting Trevor at (816) 310-9631 or by emailing him at [email protected]. During this step Trevor will coordinate payment with you.

3. Your order is on the way! As long as you’ve placed your order by Sunday night, your order will ship on Monday. Check out the map below to see how quick you’ll get your order!

Farm Events & Important Dates

• Farm Tour - Saturday, September 28th from 11am-12pm - Rayville - Free

  • Join us for an afternoon of fun for the whole family! We’ll meet at the Van Till Family Farm Winery (13986 Highway C Rayville, MO 64084) at 11 am, take a hay wagon over to the farm (about a mile away), meet the pigs and chickens, and teach on a couple of our favorite stewardship practices. Around 11:30 we’ll take the hay wagon back to the winery and anyone who wants to stay for lunch is welcome. They have to-die-for pizza cooked in a wood fired oven! - Please RSVP by replying to this email or texting Trevor @ (816) 310-9631

• From our farm, shipped fresh to your doorstep - shipping pork, chicken, and eggs to the lower 48 states, coming this winter!

What’s in Stock

• Eggs - Our hens are pasture raised, rotationally grazed, and non-gmo - $5/dozen

• Chicken - Like our hens, our chicken is pasture raised, rotationally grazed, and non-gmo - click here for price sheet 

• Pork - Pigs were butchered on 7/18 - Our pigs are forest raised, rotationally grazed, non-gmo, and heritage breed (Red Wattle)

  • Whole hogs (120 lbs of meat), half hogs (60 lbs of meat), and custom cuts (bacon, pork chops, ribs, sausage) available.

How It Works

• How do I order? Text Trevor @ (816) 310-9631 your order by Tuesday night

• When do I get it? Delivery day is every Wednesday - home delivery available or pickup in parking lot at 8:15 pm @ Zion KC (1800 W 69 Hwy Excelsior Springs, MO 64024)

• How do I pay? Payment is collected upon delivery. Usually folks pay with cash, Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, check, Grateful Dead vinyl record, or spicy ranch dressing.

-Blessings

Your Farmers,

Trev & Viv

Thank you for supporting regenerative agriculture and transforming the land future generations will inherit - one bite at a time!

How You Can Help In The World of Tech - Please Don't Skip This

#1 Add [email protected] to your email contacts. - This prevents our emails from going to spam and makes sure you get important information.

#2 Open Every Email - Even If You Don't Read Them :)
So this may seem small but it really really matters. Why?

Basically Google and other email providers track how often an email is opened to guess if it is important or not. If you don't open an email often enough than your inbox may stop showing it altogether. But it has a cumulative effect so if enough other people don't open theirs you might not see it too. 

We are trying to walk back this trend and we could really use your help. Even if you don't have time to read the email ( I totally get it - no hurt feelings) would you please open it first and then delete it?  Thank you for keeping our small farm from being erased by big tech email filters!

#3 Share about our farm with your friends!
It really really makes a huge difference when you share with others about where you get your pasture raised bounty from! Plus it can make a huge difference in their life as well.

#4 Like us on Facebook + Instagram and share kitchen creations, unboxing pics, and all things Simple Living Farms
When you share about our farm we try to repost if too our page. It's really pretty cool to see!

Thank you for going the extra mile to support our family farm and regenerative agriculture! It is an honor to be your farmers!