About Us
Why Forage?
One of the truths we have come to understand is that nature gives us the best pattern to follow as we raise our animals. There are reasons why, for millennia, animals have been survived a certain way. We believe that although society may change the rules of food, nature will not. We seek to create the most ideal conditions, patterned after nature, where animals can thrive as they should.
Who Are We?
Noticing a lack of reliable grass-fed beef options in their local stores, brothers James and Taylor Skinner and their Families began raising beef in 2013. Our goal was to provide quality meat for their own family, but that quickly changed. Friends, neighbors, and acquaintances soon tasted the difference of true beef, raised the way cows should be. Our customers have always loved being able to come to the ranch at any time and see we have nothing to hide. "Grass-fed," "Organic," and even terms as simple as "Natural" are often times misleading and do not give the whole picture of how the animals were raised. That's why, instead of paying government entities to use these terms, we prefer having an open-door policy where you can come see exactly how the animals are treated.
But, How?
We use a system of biomimicry, a fancy word that means we mimic nature in every possible aspect while raising our animals. This means we start from the grass up.
- No Synthetic Chemical Fertilizers
- No Pesticides
- No Herbicides
Rotational, intensive, or mob grazing is a huge part of the health of our pastures. This system of grazing restricts our animals to limited sections of the pasture each day. By mimicking normal animal grazing patterns, this provides them with a constant supply of fresh grass. That means that any given section, or paddock, will be grazed only 24 hours every 30 days on average. These periods of intense grazing and then extended rest mimic the migration of animals across a prairie. This increases production of plant material, and in turn, increases the biomass found in the topsoil. We strive to have the highest levels of life in our soils to provide our animals with the best forage around.
What's the big deal with grass?
Cows and Sheep are ruminant herbivores. With their four stomachs, they feel their best when their chomping down on grass. While other feeding methods are often disputed and used, we believe that feeding our cows and sheep grass keeps them healthy and feeling good. Rotational grazing also decreases the possibility of spreading parasites and disease which are often found in the manure. Our animals move on each day and are not exposed to the manure from the day before. In conventional feedlots, animals are kept in close quarters and spend all day in their manure. This is why our animals are exposed to
- No Antibiotics
- No Hormones
Vegetarian-Fed?
Grass is really important, but what about the omnivores? Some producers tout the fact that their chickens and pigs receive “100% Vegetarian Diet.” We feel that is a travesty. While we do not agree with using unsanitary protein sources for our animals, we do believe that chickens and pigs are naturally foraging animals that enjoy eating worms, bugs, as well as lots of grass. We do not believe in feeding our animals (or humans) protein in the form of Soy. That is why our animals receive:
- No Soy
- No GMOs
Why the Price?
Reasonable, right? We're so happy to be able to bring you products that require so much care. Moving chickens, pigs, cows, and sheep each day to fresh pasture; feeding only non-GMO, non-soy, no hormones; using local processors; all of these things add up to a premium product that we are proud to serve to you. Sure, chicken or beef or pork at your local warehouse store may cost less, but that's because it's worth less.
TL;DR
We respect our animals, and do our best to ensure they live in harmony with their innate traits. Come visit the farm. We have an open-door policy. A visit to the farm helps you understand the extensive efforts we take to ensure we are providing the highest-quality product for you and your family.