Livestock
Cattle
Against the Grain added cattle to the farm in 2015. We source our weaned steers and heifers from Holly’s Dad, George, who farms in Ashe County. George raises Herefords, the same breed of cattle Holly’s Great-Grandfather raised, on some of the same land that the family has farmed for 200 years. The cattle are raised exclusively on grass and hay and are only fed GMO-free grain as treats. During the growing season, they are rotated intensively on pastures and hay fields and during the winter they live in a protected paddock with constant fresh water and hay.
In 2021, by way of a gift from a longtime CSA member and farm supporter, the farm welcomed a small herd of highland cattle to the farm. The highlands graze a steep hillside and offer their manure for our compost piles, which in turn feed the vegetable crops.
