Learning about Liberty Farms and Regenerative Agriculture

Here is what Liberty Farms has to say: 

Liberty Farms is a 600+ acre Certified Organic Farm with a focus on regenerative agriculture and healthy communities in the Hudson Valley. Our wide range of organic vegetables feed our CSA and farmers' market clients throughout New York State, while our fantastic flowers bring color and joy into their lives.

Fertilized by compost we make on the farm, our fields are certified organic by NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York) and incorporate biodynamic and intensive growing methods. We use 0 pesticides, herbicides, or GMOs, and purchase open-pollinated seed (flowers are pollinated by bees, moths, bats, wind, or rain) whenever possible. Our reward is our vibrant produce that we're excited to share.

We also raise NOFA-NY certified-organic chicken and eggs, as well as certified-animal welfare and pasture-raised lamb, pork, and beef, all with practices that better our land and environment. All our animals are grazed on a rotational schedule that helps regenerate our corner of the earth. Our poultry aerates the topsoil; our ruminants fertilize.

We're proud of our low-waste practices, from feeding "ugly" veggies and eggs to our pigs, to producing our own organic mulch and compost that fertilizes our hayfields and gardens. By using the natural cycles of nature, plant life, and animals, we not only feed communities with healthy, organic food, we also help reverse climate change and rebuild healthy soil. Each life on the farm contributes to reclaiming acres of farmland—from our veggies, flowers, and hay to our sheep, cattle, horses, chickens, pigs, and even people.

Our diverse operation also has a full-service equestrian center, hosts weddings in our beautiful events barn, and offers overnight stays at our boutique glamping site. You can visit us at 114 Ostrander Rd. In Ghent NY, 12075 and check out our farm store, open every day from 7a.m.-7pm. Or visit our website at www.libertyfarmsny.com. 

What makes Liberty Farm special?  

Liberty Farm uses regenerative, organic and biodynamic farming practices, raising grass fed beef and pasture raised poultry. Read on to learn what each of these terms means. 

Did you know that New York state ranks third in the nation for the number of organic farms we have?

According to the USDA, certified organic produce is grown on soil was treated with little to no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides 3 years prior to harvest. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides can have negative human health and environmental consequences, which is why many producers choose to avoid them. Organic meat requires that animals are raised according to their natural living conditions (ability to graze on pasture), feed organic feed and forage, and not given antibiotics of hormones (McEvoy, 2019).

Regenerative Agriculture is a term used to describe a systems based, holistic look at land stewardship that seeks to make the land more productive and biodiverse (increase the number of species of living organisms) over time. This practice emphasizes soil regeneration and building organic matter. While many conventional agricultural practices destroy topsoil, create runoff that pollutes nearby waterways, and disturb the land’s ability to store carbon, regenerative agriculture reduces the negative impact of farming on the environment.  

Biodynamic farming incorporates organic and regenerative practices, approaching the farm as an ecosystem where all aspects of the farm, from the soil, compost, plants, animals all play a role in helping the farm thrive.  

What does Grass-Fed mean? 

While you might assume your meat comes from cows raised on pasture eating grass in the sun all day, most beef cattle are raised in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, which keep cows inside in cages all day, where they eat corn, soy and other cheap feeds that make can make them sick. Grass fed operations raise cattle outdoors during the warm months, letting cows graze on grass and then hay during the winter. Liberty Farms has been certified Grassfed by A Greener World. A Greener World’s certification is “the only certification and logo in the U.S. and Canada that guarantees food products come from animals fed a 100 percent grass and forage diet, raised outdoors on pasture or range and managed according to the highest welfare and environmental standards on an independent farm.”  

Higher standards and better farming practices produce better quality food! When you have the choice, choose grass-fed and organic when possible to support the farmers working to improve the health of our ecosystem, animals and people.