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Mathew with Cottage Pastures

@Mathew_Winters1 • 23,032 subscribers

Building Cottage Pastures as a champion of American Produced - Farm to Table, Agritourism and Family-Focused outcomes. Soy & Corn Free, Regenerative Farming.

Shorts

One of the happiest moments of my life occurred last night. The whole family was outside helping to pull garlic - softneck variety - first year we’ve ever planted one and it’s quite a bit more difficult to harvest than hardnecks. Everyone needs to head inside to bed, I’ve already accepted that I’ll be out and might see sunrise - I didn’t, but it could’ve been close. My son - despite being offered to go inside just persisted that he wanted to stay and work with me. He crushed it - helped me pull garlic, loaded the bucket of the tractor, directed me to stop, move forward, etc. My son really brought value via work effort and productivity. But more than that, he chose to stay with me and wanted to work. It was a quiet happiness and one I hope exists for the rest of our lives wherever he may go and however we may work together.

One of the happiest moments of my life occurred last night. The whole family was outside helping to pull garlic - softneck variety - first year we’ve ever planted one and it’s quite a bit more difficult to harvest than hardnecks. Everyone needs to head inside to bed, I’ve already accepted that I’ll be out and might see sunrise - I didn’t, but it could’ve been close. My son - despite being offered to go inside just persisted that he wanted to stay and work with me. He crushed it - helped me pull garlic, loaded the bucket of the tractor, directed me to stop, move forward, etc. My son really brought value via work effort and productivity. But more than that, he chose to stay with me and wanted to work. It was a quiet happiness and one I hope exists for the rest of our lives wherever he may go and however we may work together.

698,206 Aufrufe

This is Bertha - and this is exactly the situation I have been struggling with. She was my first cow purchase. Bought her as a milk cow and then soon learned she was mostly past time for being a good milk cow. She’s about 14 or 15 years old. Still gives a calf each year but her time for a natural end is coming quickly. Many would take her to the sale barn, receive some money for her. It’s difficult to explain but that feels wrong - it’s not, but it feels terrible. So at this point she will likely live her life out here, she’ll serve as a lead cow (she’s really not great for that either), but she will do okay. She means a lot to me and I just don’t want to think of her at auction or otherwise being transported somewhere away from this farm. So for now, and likely until her very end, she remains here.

This is Bertha - and this is exactly the situation I have been struggling with. She was my first cow purchase. Bought her as a milk cow and then soon learned she was mostly past time for being a good milk cow. She’s about 14 or 15 years old. Still gives a calf each year but her time for a natural end is coming quickly. Many would take her to the sale barn, receive some money for her. It’s difficult to explain but that feels wrong - it’s not, but it feels terrible. So at this point she will likely live her life out here, she’ll serve as a lead cow (she’s really not great for that either), but she will do okay. She means a lot to me and I just don’t want to think of her at auction or otherwise being transported somewhere away from this farm. So for now, and likely until her very end, she remains here.

2,103,174 Aufrufe

The amount of times I post picture of our pigs, contained by electric wires, moved within the forest and on pasture - that my pigs will somehow become feral problems for society is incredible. Complete misunderstanding of proper management of pigs within appropriate boundaries. If my pigs get “out” they are searching for me - specifically me who they know keeps their food and when I’m around they only know means food and water. All I have to do is call “pigs” - they know my voice or fire up the tractor and the come running to me. This is an overgrown, part of the farm harboring invasive weeds and vegetation that in about 3-5 weeks these breeders cleared. By the end of the week they will be moved to the region beyond this which is totally overgrown and do the same thing - preparing the area for seeding of native plants and general regrowth. This is regenerative agriculture - maybe not always picture pretty, but actually useful.

The amount of times I post picture of our pigs, contained by electric wires, moved within the forest and on pasture - that my pigs will somehow become feral problems for society is incredible. Complete misunderstanding of proper management of pigs within appropriate boundaries. If my pigs get “out” they are searching for me - specifically me who they know keeps their food and when I’m around they only know means food and water. All I have to do is call “pigs” - they know my voice or fire up the tractor and the come running to me. This is an overgrown, part of the farm harboring invasive weeds and vegetation that in about 3-5 weeks these breeders cleared. By the end of the week they will be moved to the region beyond this which is totally overgrown and do the same thing - preparing the area for seeding of native plants and general regrowth. This is regenerative agriculture - maybe not always picture pretty, but actually useful.

12,084 Aufrufe

I had a visitor today who seemingly was disappointed in my egg pricing. You can find $3-$5 eggs per dozen at grocery stores. Styrofoam cartons, caged chickens or the one company that really bothers me but it is what it is. I won’t name them. Our chickens are fed a diet of grains from a mill that I now have in my possession a certificate of their good standing with organic standards. This means we do pay them more for that grain that would be found in a farm that sources gmo grains. I charge $6/dozen and have since we started here because my costs have not changed for the grain inputs. Despite growing the flock to 100+, buying infrastructure via fences, running gear, automatic coop doors and much more. $6 per dozen. I am not undercutting my family anymore. To raise this quality of meat, eggs and produce, it has to be justified to the time spent in the fields, buying feed by the tonnage and generally building a business that can support these types of investments. I don’t like losing a customer - but I have to be able to look my wife and children in the eye and justify what we’re doing.

I had a visitor today who seemingly was disappointed in my egg pricing. You can find $3-$5 eggs per dozen at grocery stores. Styrofoam cartons, caged chickens or the one company that really bothers me but it is what it is. I won’t name them. Our chickens are fed a diet of grains from a mill that I now have in my possession a certificate of their good standing with organic standards. This means we do pay them more for that grain that would be found in a farm that sources gmo grains. I charge $6/dozen and have since we started here because my costs have not changed for the grain inputs. Despite growing the flock to 100+, buying infrastructure via fences, running gear, automatic coop doors and much more. $6 per dozen. I am not undercutting my family anymore. To raise this quality of meat, eggs and produce, it has to be justified to the time spent in the fields, buying feed by the tonnage and generally building a business that can support these types of investments. I don’t like losing a customer - but I have to be able to look my wife and children in the eye and justify what we’re doing.

176,760 Aufrufe

This past round of broilers from the farm has been monumental. I began working with a new chick supplier after searching for a new processor - ended up picking up chickens off a semi truck with 20,000 chickens at about 4AM. Label on top - “non vaccinated” or some derivative. We had the most successful brooder setup we’ve ever run - using Ohio Brooders we had the lowest mortality rate and best performance we’ve seen for three years. Building on past experiences we improved everything - soaked / fermented feed, water availability, movements across the pastures - we pushed these chickens into parts of our pastures we’ve never intentionally had chicken. They moved frequently, grew quickly, and ended up dressing out at higher weights than we’ve ever seen - especially considering we don’t feed soybeans! I worked with two USDA Processors, both who air-chill, coordinated with logistics including reefer truck transportation, established a relationship with a cold-chain facility and now have our freezers stocked to re-open new sales tomorrow. All pre-orders shipped and delivered. All new orders can begin tomorrow (as long as I get the website updated). We anticipate the scale of which we’re operating to grow to full time business in 2026. We’re excited - we’re scared and we’re thankful to everyone who has followed along. The Cottage Pastures brand is currently one farm and a product of our family’s commitment to selling the same food we eat at our dinner table. I’m excited to share this with you all. Chicken is one enterprise here but it’s a major one, just like garlic and pork. Order tomorrow!

39,758 Aufrufe

Mother sows showing piglets how to make the pasture work for themselves! About one more week and the piglets separate from the mothers, the sows head back to the boar and the cycle continues. Soy / corn free finished pork, pasture / forest raised - website tomorrow. Nationwide shipping!

Mother sows showing piglets how to make the pasture work for themselves! About one more week and the piglets separate from the mothers, the sows head back to the boar and the cycle continues. Soy / corn free finished pork, pasture / forest raised - website tomorrow. Nationwide shipping!

21,827 Aufrufe

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Pigs are one of the best animals to be integrated into a regenerative farm system. Especially given that many people will be encountering land they had been largely neglected or released back to nature. This is our situation - decades ago this farmland was tobacco. Then it was cattle. When I took it over it had too few cattle for the amount of forage and the problem there is then the cattle eat what they want, weeds go to seed and then the land becomes less palatable to them each season. We are at the rebuilding stage. These pigs are a critical component that allows us to open the forested regions and slowly bring back what has been lost here.

Pigs are one of the best animals to be integrated into a regenerative farm system. Especially given that many people will be encountering land they had been largely neglected or released back to nature. This is our situation - decades ago this farmland was tobacco. Then it was cattle. When I took it over it had too few cattle for the amount of forage and the problem there is then the cattle eat what they want, weeds go to seed and then the land becomes less palatable to them each season. We are at the rebuilding stage. These pigs are a critical component that allows us to open the forested regions and slowly bring back what has been lost here.

Mathew with Cottage Pastures

44,430 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat

Pasture Raised rose veal is arguably one of the most humane livestock management methods for quality beef. Cow gives birth to the calf. Calf stays with the mother cow, nursing, for 6-10 months. Bull is introduced to herd about three to five months after calf birth. Calf is with mother until day of processing. Mother cow is without calf nursing for a few months to prepare for next calf. Result is tender, delicious, rose colored beef.

Pasture Raised rose veal is arguably one of the most humane livestock management methods for quality beef. Cow gives birth to the calf. Calf stays with the mother cow, nursing, for 6-10 months. Bull is introduced to herd about three to five months after calf birth. Calf is with mother until day of processing. Mother cow is without calf nursing for a few months to prepare for next calf. Result is tender, delicious, rose colored beef.

Mathew with Cottage Pastures

113,870 Aufrufe • vor 7 Monaten

Another reminder as temperatures across the country plummet - if you ave cold hardy livestock then providing supplemental heat is largely unnecessary and can be a significant danger to their health and safety.

Another reminder as temperatures across the country plummet - if you ave cold hardy livestock then providing supplemental heat is largely unnecessary and can be a significant danger to their health and safety.

Mathew with Cottage Pastures

92,904 Aufrufe • vor 7 Monaten

This is a real view of regenerative agriculture in the works. The pigs turn over the soil, consume the roots and eat the invasive thistles and other vegetation. In doing so, new seeds, native seeds, have an opportunity to finally take over the area. This region was so poor you’d struggle to walk through parts of it. I’m only a matter of weeks these pigs have nearly completely stabilized the area allowing for new growth. And when they’re done here, they move to another spot. And when they’re about 250 pounds, they feed humans. Repeat.

This is a real view of regenerative agriculture in the works. The pigs turn over the soil, consume the roots and eat the invasive thistles and other vegetation. In doing so, new seeds, native seeds, have an opportunity to finally take over the area. This region was so poor you’d struggle to walk through parts of it. I’m only a matter of weeks these pigs have nearly completely stabilized the area allowing for new growth. And when they’re done here, they move to another spot. And when they’re about 250 pounds, they feed humans. Repeat.

Mathew with Cottage Pastures

17,175 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten

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