Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Analysis & Training Program Supervisor
Tiffany Stanley, A Totally different Chick Farm
A Totally different Chick Farm is a Licensed Natural household farm on just below 6 acres in Johnson Metropolis, Tennessee. Tiffany Stanley and her household started rising meals for themselves as homesteaders, however noticed demand from the local people. From this begin in 2018, they expanded their operation into an ample manufacturing that includes uncommon and heirloom vegetables and fruit, with a big deal with distinctive pepper varieties. Half of the farm is now a combined orchard, planted with apples, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, pears, blackberries, raspberries and extra. Rounding out the choices at this numerous farm is a flock of heritage breed chickens which are pasture raised.
With the assistance of her son and husband, Tiffany grows over 300 forms of peppers, principally to create value-added merchandise comparable to scorching sauces, pickles, and jellies. The farm sells their pepper merchandise and recent produce at two native farmers markets, and a Group Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Their homesteading spirit continues to develop, as they give the impression of being to restrict exterior inputs into the farm and construct a sustainable system with on-farm fertility administration.
Producing On-Farm Compost to Scale back Inputs
A homesteader at coronary heart, Tiffany wished to discover how the farm could possibly be extra self-sustaining, particularly in constructing their soil well being with on-farm inputs. She was curious if the farm may make compost that would match the yields of business fertilizers. Constructing an on-farm compost routine may assist offset a lot of the fertilizer value, and reduce the environmental footprint of the farm. There have been a number of elements that the farm thought of: would the composting demand much more labor, would yields stay viable? As a household enterprise, there have been dangers in transitioning from a identified and dependable yield from business fertilizers to a brand new and untested compost system.
