Soil Health

Here at Mountain View Farm we pay particular attention to the health of our soil.  We use systems including cover-cropping, crop rotation, sheet mulching, composting, and use of amendments including seaweed and kelp to enrich our soil.  We believe healthy soil leads to health food and healthy people.  We never use synthetic pesticides or herbicides.

Markets

We hope to keep our produce as local as possible.  We believe healthy food should not travel far from the source.  We hope to be able to provide food shortly after harvesting to ensure optimal nutritional benefits.  Currently, we offer a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share and attend local farmer’s markets.  Stay tuned for updates on 2007 markets.

Environment

Nestled below the Blue Ridge, our pastures are surrounded by hundreds of acres of woodlands and wetlands. Several streams wind through the valley, punctuated by ponds and springs, all of which create a broad habitat supporting many native species of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers and many species of wildlife. The climate of the western Virginia Piedmont favors the growth of a wide variety of productive, high-quality grasses and legumes. We believe this makes a wonderful home for our animals.

Pasture Health

We raise our animals on natural pasture in an integrated, rotational system. The system simulates the movement of wild herds that used to graze an area and then move on when the grasses were depleted, not returning for weeks or months. This process of grazing and regrowth encourages the development of rich soils, maintains the vigor of the grasses, and increases the diversity of grass species. In addition, interspecies grazing on the same pasture decreases the risk of parasites and other potential health problems.

What does grass-fed mean for you?

It is not just the animals who benefit from living on pasture. Grasses provide a tremendous amount of nutrition that then becomes available to humans through animal products. Studies have repeatedly shown that meat and eggs from animals that range on pasture have higher amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty acids, and Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLAs) as compared to products from grain-fed animals. For more information on the health benefits of grass-fed products, see the following websites:

Eatwild.com

Future Harvest-Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

The New Farm, "Farmer-to-Farmer Know-How From the Rodale Institute"

Soil Foodweb Inc.

The Weston A. Price Foundation

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