We feel led to provide nutrient dense foods, high in phytocompounds, which promote health with the benefit of rich, complex & pleasant flavors. Absolutely WITHOUT chemicals, gmos or pharmacuticals. All the while supplying information, resources, knowledge & wisdom to those that seek to find a better way.
The life enhancing practices we continuously choose to use on our family farm affect the type of environment we live in now, our community & the quality of life we pass on to our children. This holistic view is carried out thru observation, careful planning, adaptive rotational grazing, regenerative farming, prayer & patience.
As we understand, every species that is added to our farm will attract an average of 8 other species. These include large wildlife on down to the smallest microscopic life. Those 8 will each continue to attract 8 additional species. Rotating our animals around the land simulates how wild animals graze then move on. Hence much planning & thought are put into the utilization of growing plants as the seasons change, light fluctuates + the needs of each species. The most nourishing soils would likely contain the largest diversity of plants and life above & below the soil level, if the environment is healthy + life promoting.
The implementation of a holistic outlook has allowed us to pause, view the path ahead and plan. Strong healthy plants will have a high level of photosynthesis using sunshine and carbon to feed soil biology. In return, thriving soil microbes unlock and make nutrients bioavailable to plants. Excess energy created by plants is converted to organic matter & ultimately humus. We are in the process of accomplishing this thru adaptive rotational grazing of multiple species & improving our warm season forages. Cattle, sheep. goats & pigs all stomp excess forage down for a cover layer, add their excrement for fertilizer then we move them & let the microbes do their work. Next we keep the animals off that piece of soil and add nutritive foliar sprays, as needed, while the forages fully recover and grow. This mineral cycle results in dark soil, indicating adequate stored carbon. Another indicator of good soil is smell. When loaded with good biology soil has a strong, pleasantly earthy smell.
As a lifelong farmer, raised on a dairy farm & ranch, I have learned to not look across a field but to get down on my knees to observe the soil and plants up close. We believe that in order to create this level of nourishing food we must have healthy soil, healthy plants, a diversity of creatures above and below ground & efficient photosynthesis. Our methods are intentional about creating a healthful environment that promotes thriving soil biology.
As such, we steer clear of the use of chemical wormers, fungicides, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides and sludge. Our belief is that grain only labled Non-gmo is a step in the right direction, however, because the use of the above chemicals are allowed in its production it is NOT the choice for our farm.
Organic grain also Non-gmo, without any soy
The correct choice for Brooklyn Hills Ranch is certified Organic grain (also not genetically modified, Non-gmo, NO-soy) as it is the cleanest for our omnivore livestock (pigs & birds) and thus our land, microbes, insects, forages, water (creeks and underground). Ultimately cleanest and wisest for all of our human gut microbiomes.
To be clear, the ruminant livestock, sheep, cattle & goats, that call our farm home are ALL 100% grassfed, grassfinished and forage fattened, their entire lives. This is the design we believe our Creator made them to follow & it is their healthy rumen that allows them to flourish.
Thank you for viewing our ranch website. As the Fred Lyssy family of 7, our values, experiences, beliefs & history have all guided how we spend our time. This brief intro should give you a glimpse into almost 2 decades of grassfed farming + nutrition/ health studying, plus the focus for our future!
It would be our pleasure to speak with you in person.
Thriving health
The approach we are taking is to use a diversity of livestock thru planned adaptive, rotational grazing. Our objective here is to to create an efficient root, mineral & water cycle while building plant diversity. We, as well, use organic topical & foliar nutrient applications on the forages to benefit the plants and microbes. This approach positively affects an increase in photosynthesis & ultimately the carbon stored in our soil. This feeds soil biology increasing nutrient uptake of plants.
Sustainability? We are past the point of merely sustaining what we have, our goal is constant improvement hence REGENERATIVE FARMING! We strive to raise the standard of living by creating food so nutritious that human health is vibrant and pharmacutical crutches (dependency would) become obsolete.
William Albrecht (Albrecht Papers)
Andre Voisin
Carey Reams (High Brix Farming)
Gearld Fry
Neal Kinsey
Charles Walters
Malcolm Beck ( A friend and mentor)
John Kempf - Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA)
Dan Kittredge - Bionutrient Food Association (BFA)
some of my favorites but the list goes on and on.
We have been studying since leaving a big ag university that was not teaching this information @ the year 2000. The information has long been there and well documented, it's just up to you to dig for it all.
An important quote, "Study nature and study books, if the two disagree, throw out the book." William Albrecht
Choices- know better, DO better
Excess carbon in the atmosphere can be sequestered back into the soil from whence it once was stored. Carbon greatly benefits the soil by feeding and increasing soil biology so the microbes & fungi can make more nutrients available for plants and ultimately humans. Carbon rich soil filters water more efficiently & stores more water for dry spells. We can move away from the low carbon levels of soils and ensure a more healthful future for the generations to come! Think of this as buying + eating for the health of this whole planet.
Once you know, you can't not know!
Health care costs in America are the highest in the world. However, the average per capita spent for food has steadily decreased, out of pocket. Double the food needed to feed the entire world is being produced yearly. However, we do not believe this "cheap" food is feeding anyone properly. Small farmers/ranchers suffer to make ends meet and pharmaceautical (chemical) businesses get big. Hidden costs of this "cheap" food can be tracked down to subsidies taken from taxpayer pockets, extreme sick care costs & a lowered standard of living. Let's reverse this trend. Why survive when we can thrive! Healthy bodies & bright minds lead to an increased standard of living.
Advancing Eco Agriculture, John Kempf
Bio-nutrient Food Association, John Kittridge
Eco-Farm an Acres USA primer, by Charles Walters
The Food Renegade
The Weston A. Price Foundation
Dr. Joseph Mercola
Dr. Russell Blaylock
Nourishment by Fred Provenza
Soil, Grass and Cancer by Andre Voisin
Acres USA, magazine
The Stockman Grassfarmer, monthly periodical
The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs by Joel Salatin
Socialize with us, on the web + face to face.