The farm is full of new life at this time of the year. Lots of baby creatures from birds to snakes to deer, we have seen a lot lately. We have baby turkeys that hatched three weeks ago, a flock of baby ducks just about to hatch, a big flock of meat chickens out in the pasture and another flock of four-week old baby chickens to replace our old layers this fall. This new flock of about 60 birds will lay brown eggs starting in the early fall. This is the first time we've raised this bred of chickens, Rhode Island Reds, but they are a very popular bred both in both large-scale and backyard settings. We are taking a break from breeding our own birds (Black Australorps) and decided to move with a comparable breed in terms of size and egg production. So this little fella watching from that door will soon be out scratching new soil where we will be growing food. She will be leaving her drops in a bed of straw and wood chips which after a while will turn into a dark and rich compost that will feed the soil. And she will be laying delicious eggs to keeps all nurtured and grateful for the gift of life.
Back to Farm Happenings at Saint Isidore Homestead and Permaculture
Chicken thoughts
About the farm
We are a small family farm located in Grottoes, Virginia, serving the city of Harrisonburg and the counties of Rockingham, Augusta, and Greene. We produce high-quality food using sustainable practices and ethical principles of care for the common good. Having witnessed the healing power of good food in dealing with family health issues, we started farming in 2015 in an effort to sharing with others the benefits of fresh, nutritionally-dense food, grown in a clean environment, using integrative agricultural methods. We believe that in order for food to be healthful, the environment in which it grows has to be healthy. To that end, we integrate animal and plant systems in ways that, in their natural interactions, they create an ecological balance leading to abundance and quality.
We grow over 50 different vegetable crops, perennial vegetables and fruits, and raise pastured pork, as well as ducks and chickens, for meat and eggs.
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We grow over 50 different vegetable crops, perennial vegetables and fruits, and raise pastured pork, as well as ducks and chickens, for meat and eggs.