February is the month were things start to get into gear for the upcoming farming season. Our
focus this year will be to continue to transition our pig grazing area in our woodlot from thorny
underbrush to a vibrant silvopasture system. Silvopasture is essentially pastureland that incorporates
tree species for a variety of beneficial effects. First the trees provide shade and water retention that the
grasses and animals can make use of. Additionally, many of the tree species we use will be edible so
when we prune the leaves and lower branches the pigs will have additional nutrient-dense forage in
addition to all the goodies they already find in the woods. The pigs have already had a tremendous
positive effect on our woodlot by opening it up, eating or uprooting many undesirable species like wild
rose bushes, and spreading fertility throughout, and we are excited to see how far the beneficial effect
can be taken. We are also taking out many trees (most of which are standing dead Ash killed off by the
Emerald Ash Borer) to open the canopy and dramatically increase the sunlight hitting the forest floor.
This increased sun exposure will allow many grasses and legumes to bloom for the pigs to come through
and eat.
Our silvopasture system will also attract a much more diverse array of insects, birds, and other
animals into our pastures which will all have their own beneficial impacts. As the system improves it will
inevitably augment the already spectacular quality of our pork and eventually, as the grasses become
truly established and perennial, we can run cows in the woods ahead of the pigs to increase the diversity
and quality of our farm even further!
2023 will also be our first year running workshops designed to educate farmers (or would-be
farmers) on additional options for running small-scale profitable operations within their communities.
Not everyone working a traditional job thinks they can raise, process, and sell meat but that is not
necessarily true. While we do have 12 acres here on the farm, we use less than half to run our current
operation and we believe that many others could replicate what we do. If you are interested in coming
out to see how we do what we do, or if you know someone else that may be interested, please have
them email us at skylinepastures@gmail.com or give us a call and we can set up a tour.
As always, thank you for your patronage and of course thank you for reading these updates!
-CJ and Tanya