Principles
As stewards of God’s creation, we believe we have a responsibility to make sure the needs of plants and animals are met, as much as it is in our control. We believe this can largely be accomplished through appropriate, thoughtful design. When their needs are met, plants and animals grow better and are healthier. Healthy food comes from healthy systems. But it’s not just physical needs that we need to be concerned with, animals must be able to express their unique behaviors. Pigs need to be free to snuffle around and do pig things. Chickens need to be able to chase bugs and scratch the ground. Lambs should be able to frolic in pastures and be weaned naturally by their mothers. When animals are allowed to do what comes naturally to them, stress is decreased, which in turn increases quality.
Some of our farming philosophies include:
pastured everything (no confinement indoors, only shelter for inclement weather); regular pasture rotations
Encourage biological diversity
Beyond Organic standards
no -cides of any kind, ever: pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, vermicide (chemical wormers), etc.
We feed locally milled, certified organic feeds.
Why do we design systems that mimic patterns observed in nature? Because natural systems are more resilient. The fact that the forest still exists despite floods, fires, droughts, tornadoes, and insect invasions is proof of this. Generally speaking, the more diverse the ecosystem, the better it fares through the hard times.
Eco-systems. It’s right there in the name, yet all too often we forget that it is a system and only focus on one part- whether it be something we hate (poison ivy and ticks) or something we love (strawberries, bacon, and apple trees). It is because of the cooperation (“let’s work together!”) and interdependence (“I’m going to eat you!”), that these are systems. Whether we want to admit it or not, everything is part of a system. The challenge therefore is to recognize the system and analyze the way it works. What if we can intentionally design the system so that it provides for its own needs and our needs at the same time? Well my friend, welcome to permaculture. Permaculture is a design language and system where we analyze, investigate, and replicate patterns observed in nature to provide for our needs as people in perpetuity – Permanent Culture. How we design our agricultural systems is just one part of permaculture.
Ethics is the heart of permaculture and there are 3 pillars or core ethics. They are:
Earth Care
Air, water, and living soil. These are some of the things we are dependent on for our survival. Our health and the health of future generations will be affected by how we treat these things. Our legacy should be one of cleanliness.
People Care
We are our brother’s keeper. Treat others the way that you want to be treated. In order to have resilient communities, we must not only actively care for each other, but also consider how our actions will affect those around us.
Return of Surplus
We must keep in mind that there are needs beyond those of direct, human consumption. If we only take and never return things to our systems, they will inevitably collapse. Composting is an example of this principle.
These 3 ethics are at the core of everything we do here at Piney Creek Farm.
In short, we grow food with integrity.
We invite those looking for an alternative to the destructive and extraction based industrial food system to join us.
