"We work to create an environment where our animals can grow, thrive, be healthy, and be strong - without the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, or animal byproducts." - Twiddle Dee Farm
Our Farming Philosophy
We believe in upholding the highest standards of animal care and looked world-wide for examples of good shepherds and their practices. We adopted these practices and expanded the concepts. We build our farm and operate it such that our animals are free from unnecessary stress, hunger, thirst, and predation. We work hard to create an environment where all of our animals can grow, thrive, be strong, and be healthy without the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, or animal byproducts. We strive for sustainability.
We practice rotational grazing, make use of cover crops to retain and improve the soil, build appropriate fencing to keep the animals out of waterways, and manage our wooded land.
The farm today is characterized by a pasture-based system of farming, as opposed to the traditional row-crop operations. Our animals are allowed to engage in their natural behaviors -- i.e., to graze, to scratch the earth, and get into shade or sun as wanted or needed. The farm has an extensive permanent, woven wire infrastructure and free-choice sheds. This infrastructure provides a safe environment for our animals and allows us the ability to easily rotate animals among paddocks. It also provides good erosion control and quality control for our streams.
We believe we have a responsibility to be a good neighbor and to add value to our community by maintaining our farm such that it does not interfere with the quiet enjoyment of our neighbors' homes. We want our neighbors to be proud that we are a part of their community and would choose us if they had a choice. Our "neighbors" also include the wildlife here.
