Blog - Prairie Creek Farms

BEYOND ORGANIC

Prairie Creek Farms is not Certified Organic. Unfortunately, the food industry has taken the word “Organic” and perverted to the point that it is almost meaningless. Any animal can be raised in dense confinement, on manure-covered concrete, and still be labeled as “organic”. The consumer is typically oblivious to the truth behind the USDA Organic sticker and equates it to healthier food. We, like many other regenerative farms, like to say we are “Beyond Organic”. Yes, we feed organic feed to our animals, but it goes far beyond that. All of our animals are outside, in the sunshine, their entire lives. They are never on concrete or confined in tight spaces. They have the freedom to roam as they see fit, and do whatever they want to do. The pigs spend their days roaming the woods in search of acorns. The cows are playing in the pond and mowing the pasture. The chickens are scooping up bugs as they trot through the grasses. This is beyond organic, and we like it.

BEAUTY OF BERKSHIRE

Prairie Creek Farms is a proud producer of one of the best heritage breed of pigs called the Berkshire. The history of the Berkshire pig goes back over 300 years in England and was a highly regarded cut of meat that juicy, tender and has a true pork flavor because of its heavily marbled fat. The Berkshire marbling would compare to the Wagyu to beef, and it’s all because the fat provides the flavor. In commercial farming and the pork you get from a majority of retailers, you will find pork that has little to no fat. This is because they have bred the fat out of the commercial pig production over the decades, and as a result, lost a majority of the true flavor.Talk to any executive or classically trained chef and they will tell you that the Berkshire pork is prized for the juiciest, most flavorful and tender pork you can buy. It’s because of it is heavily marbled and high fat density allows for long cook time and high temps without drying.You can buy Prairie Creek Farms Berkshire pork online or at the Farmers Market. Follow us on Facebook.

HIGH-DENSITY GRAZING

Grass-fed beef is natural, healthier and provides a better/cleaner product for you and your family. At Prairie Creek Farms, we use a form of planned pasture management and grazing that is called Holistic high-density grazing (also called Mob Grazing). Holistic high-density grazing is when you take a large number of animals and put them in a small area for a short period of time. It’s a natural way to improve the grasslands without harmful fertilizers, pesticides and allow the grass the nutrients needed to survive harmful droughts. Pioneers, like Greg Judy and Dr. Ingham’s, put the methodology to the test to find natural ways to improve soil and grass production. The method provides bigger, longer and stronger root systems, allowing grass to reach deep into the earth, which helps them survive doubts. Dr. Ingham has pictures of root systems that are 18-foot long and ryegrass that had been grazed to 1-inch, three times, and still had root system 4 feet tall. All without chemical, all natural and requires a little more planning with daily pasture rotations. It’s all about soil biology and the magic that happens when you get a high density of Animals in a small area for a short period of time.Benefits Include:Maximize the livestock density per acreNo lime, fertilizers, seeding, chemicals or equipmentTrampling plants to form litter bank, naturally adding nitrogenIncrease in plant diversity and grass qualityNaturally, increase microbial and soil biologyYou can read more about high-density grazing by buying Greg Judy’s Book’s “No Risk Ranching” or “Come Back Farm”.