At Saxon Homestead Farm we are “passionate about pasture”

Photo courtesy of Mary Francis
Photo courtesy of Mary Francis.

 

This Herald Times Reporter article paints a vivid picture of Saxon Homestead Farm for readers interested in learning more about our operation. It describes our rotational grazing system and why we have implemented it, discusses seasonal calving and what this means for our farm, and explains why we feel our pasture-based milk is so special. Read the article to discover just how  “passionate about pasture” we are at Saxon Homestead Farm!

State-of-the-Art Agricultural Education Center in Eastern WI

The Wisconsin Agricultural Education Center (WAEC) has been a vision for more than five years for a group of individuals involved in the agricultural industry. Through their countless hours of research and exploration they have been able to bring this project to a reality.

A world-class, interactive showcase for the industry, this original learning and discovery center will focus on sustainable and responsible farming practices. It will provide visitors with the opportunity to connect with agriculture through a better understanding of where their food comes from and the tremendous impact it has on their lives and on those of everyone committed to a healthy world.

WAEC Rendering

The exciting plans for the center include:

  • 21,000 square foot discovery center
  • Interactive globe
  • 200 person conference center
  • Café and country store
  • Displays made with cutting edge technology to include simulation and hands-on activity
  • Birthing barn: visitors can watch calves being born right in front of their eyes
  • Tour the Grotegut Dairy Farm, a third generation family dairy farm focused on sustainability and best farming practices. The farm also has 2400 milking cows, 2300 young stock, 80 cow parlor and a methane digester

The Wisconsin Agricultural Education Center has made big strides in making their vision a reality. WAEC has partnered with Lakeshore Technical College and purchased 18 acres of land on the west side of Interstate 43 at exit 144. The location of the new center will be between I-43 and Gass Lake Road at the County Road C intersection. Currently the center is in the capital campaign of the project and has raised 59 percent of the $11.6 million needed to build through receiving a $5 million non-state agency grant and gifts from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the recent gift of $1 million from Land O’ Lakes.

To learn more about the Wisconsin Agricultural Education Center and their quest to build a state-of-the-art agricultural education center, you can visit BuildWAEC.org or contact Melissa Bender, executive director at 920.693.1372 or melissa.bender@gotoltc.edu

Report Evaluates Top Restaurants on Antibiotic Use in Meat Supply

The report Chain Reaction evaluates top U.S. restaurants in terms of their policies and approaches on antibiotic use in their meat supply. It was sponsored by six organizations including Friends of the Earth and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report favorably recognizes both grass fed and organic production systems. What is particularly interesting is that consumers are drawn to better meat options that rely less on conventional use of grain, hormones, and antibiotics and more on organic and grass fed. At Saxon Homestead Farm, we are in line with these consumers. We “finish” our steers in summer and fall on a salad bar mixture of pasture grasses and legumes. No grain is fed to our steers once they reach their first birthday. We do not use growth hormones and do not feed any weight-gain antibiotics.

Consumer Reports Article on Safety of Ground Beef

This article from the October 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine offers a cautionary note about the conventional beef production and processing system in the United States. At Saxon Homestead Farm we are proud of our beef production system. We believe in environmental sustainability and humane treatment of livestock and take great pride in raising high-quality Grass-fed Finished beef. Visit our About Our Beef page to learn more.