Producer
Heart Bar Farm, LLC
Address: 4641 NW Honey Lake RD Greenville, FL, 32331
Phone: 239-209-6153
Website: www.heartbarfarm.com
About Us
Our farm dream became reality during the Summer of 2022 and started with 15 head of beef cattle. Eric grew up working cows with a real cowboy, his late grandfather, who worked cows before there were roads and fences in SW Florida. That's also where the farm name originates: "Heart Bar" was the cattle brand used by Eric's grandfather to identify him as the cattle owner. We do not brand any of our cattle today but desired to pay tribute to the legacy that started this farming journey as Heart Bar Farm.
It was always part of the long-term plan to have cows but that original idea did not look like the working farm that now exists. After extensive research into the best farming practices, we realized that having animal diversity was vital to raising healthy animals and keeping the soil healthy. This was much more important since we were also looking to raise nutritious food while protecting the land. We want to avoid the environmental downfalls that exist within conventional practices such as factory farming and feedlots. We knew this farm would need to look different than how we found the majority of our food was being grown.
This meant that egg-laying chickens and broiler meat chickens would play a very important role in our farming practices, which we knew early on would not include pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. The meat and egg-laying chickens are a vital part of our farming team. They help manage the insect population and eat many of the forages often considered weeds. Also, they help the land further by leaving behind some fertility in the form of manure.
It was always part of the long-term plan to have cows but that original idea did not look like the working farm that now exists. After extensive research into the best farming practices, we realized that having animal diversity was vital to raising healthy animals and keeping the soil healthy. This was much more important since we were also looking to raise nutritious food while protecting the land. We want to avoid the environmental downfalls that exist within conventional practices such as factory farming and feedlots. We knew this farm would need to look different than how we found the majority of our food was being grown.
This meant that egg-laying chickens and broiler meat chickens would play a very important role in our farming practices, which we knew early on would not include pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. The meat and egg-laying chickens are a vital part of our farming team. They help manage the insect population and eat many of the forages often considered weeds. Also, they help the land further by leaving behind some fertility in the form of manure.
Practices
No pesticides. No herbicides. No synthetic fertilizers.
Superior food begins with the care and nourishment of the soil. That means we take great care in selecting our inputs so that our food outputs are equally considered. This means we must look at things very differently. We decided to treat our pastures like life depends on it. No pun intended!
We focus on improving the soil which will enrich the land to provide an environment for humanely raising animals. Then, the animals also help improve the soil when they are raised using systems which mimic nature and still allow us to keep them safe from predators.
Our egg-laying and meat chickens live directly on pasture after they spend the minimum amount of time needed in the brooder for them to develop feathers and safely begin living outside. We provide all chickens with an Organic Certified feed.
The egg-laying hens receive a certified organic, soy- and corn-free feed. They live on pasture moving directly behind the cow herd to help spread the manure left behind and further allow them access to an expansive amount of space for their natural foraging and scratching instincts.
The meat chickens receive a certified organic, soy-free feed. They are moved twice per day to fresh grass once they are living outside and learn “how-to” move along inside their mobile chicken tractor, which is an open bottomed coop designed to keep them safe from predators. They spend the day enjoying sunshine, appropriate shade, and fresh air.
Our beef cattle only eat grass and forages and never receive any grains. They are moved frequently to fresh pasture through rotational grazing practices and not allowed to stay in one spot too long. This helps reduce the amount of manure in any one area to allow natural soil life and dung beetles to benefit from the managed impact and provide the animals with an environment that is better for their overall health.
Superior food begins with the care and nourishment of the soil. That means we take great care in selecting our inputs so that our food outputs are equally considered. This means we must look at things very differently. We decided to treat our pastures like life depends on it. No pun intended!
We focus on improving the soil which will enrich the land to provide an environment for humanely raising animals. Then, the animals also help improve the soil when they are raised using systems which mimic nature and still allow us to keep them safe from predators.
Our egg-laying and meat chickens live directly on pasture after they spend the minimum amount of time needed in the brooder for them to develop feathers and safely begin living outside. We provide all chickens with an Organic Certified feed.
The egg-laying hens receive a certified organic, soy- and corn-free feed. They live on pasture moving directly behind the cow herd to help spread the manure left behind and further allow them access to an expansive amount of space for their natural foraging and scratching instincts.
The meat chickens receive a certified organic, soy-free feed. They are moved twice per day to fresh grass once they are living outside and learn “how-to” move along inside their mobile chicken tractor, which is an open bottomed coop designed to keep them safe from predators. They spend the day enjoying sunshine, appropriate shade, and fresh air.
Our beef cattle only eat grass and forages and never receive any grains. They are moved frequently to fresh pasture through rotational grazing practices and not allowed to stay in one spot too long. This helps reduce the amount of manure in any one area to allow natural soil life and dung beetles to benefit from the managed impact and provide the animals with an environment that is better for their overall health.