Carina and Dean Elgin at their fence. Photo by Hugh Kenny, PEC. Eight generations of cattle farming had taken its toll on the streams at Dean and Carina Elgin’s Mountain Hollow Farm in northern Fauquier County. Historically, “all the cattle had access to the creek. That was our watering system ...
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At Bean Hollow Grassfed, Mike Sands wanted to use his training to revive Over Jordan Farm’s worn-out pastures and develop a financially stable farm model. Read about our approach to this project, or listen to Mike Sands directly. Cows grazing at Over Jordan Farm. Credit: Marco Sanchez A Case Study ...
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A newborn lamb with his mother and sibling. Lambing season is the only time Mike Sands doesn’t graze his sheep and cattle together. Otherwise, grazing the animals together is beneficial to their health and the farm’s soil. Photo by Paula Combs A large herd of fluffy, yet still intimidating, sheep ...
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The Benefits of Rotational Grazing Like many Piedmont farms, Over Jordan Farm in Rappahannock has been a pasture-based operation for decades. After 20 years of overgrazing, however, it’s facing issues that are common in the region—poor soil health, a lack of grass and plant diversity and the resulting lack of ...
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