Lively Livestock and Growing Season: March at the Ranch
From getting our first batch of broiler chickens to preparing for the lambing season, we’ve been deep into livestock ranching mode this month. As always, we can’t wait to let you in on all the highlights. Join us as we revisit, reflect, and relive the month of March at the Deeply Rooted Ranch.
From Pasture to Processing
Our USDA-approved DRR Poultry Processing is finally off the ground, and this month we welcomed the first batch of broiler chickens! They’ll now be arriving every six weeks to ensure we never run out of nutritious chicken to offer our community or for our planned events.
Perhaps most exciting was a visit from the educators at our sister nonprofit, Fearless Farmers. On a learning journey of how best to teach soil-focused regenerative agriculture, the FF Educators spent time observing how we care for our broiler chickens at the ranch. Like our laying hens, our broilers are raised on pasture humanely - free to roam, forage, and peck. This not only gives them a balanced, nutritious diet and protects them from diseases but also helps improve our soil quality from all the pecking and scratching.
The visit proved to be a hands-on learning experience for the FF educators, with many of them getting a chance to weigh the chickens and take them to the processing facility.
Lambing Season is Here
We’re excited to step into spring with a bigger flock of sheep than before, thanks to some very pregnant ewes who are starting to give birth! These soon-to-be mamas require immense care to avoid distress and difficult births. That’s why at the Deeply Rooted Ranch, they are free to roam, labor, and deliver on the pasture.
According to studies, pasture lambing, when compared with shed lambing, results in lower labor difficulties and mothering issues. We hope to make the birthing process as easy and comfortable for the new moms as possible.
Once the delivery is over, we will start documenting the new arrivals. We capture details like which sheep had which lambs, along with the number of babies and sex. These lambs will grow out for the next six to ten months. However, when they reach the 3-month mark, we begin evaluating which animals will make it to our breeding program and which ones will get processed.
Kicking Off Our Favorite Growing Season
If you’ve been here for a while, you know about our market garden! This is where we grow our fresh, regenerative bounty for the local community. We carefully plan our seasonal produce, including veggies, fruits, and herbs, all grown with holistic farming practices and zero synthetic chemicals.
This month, we’ve set up trellises all over the hoop house for a ‘fruitful’ tomato planting season. Did we mention this is our favorite growing season? For the simple reason that it’s when we see the most varieties and familiar produce.
Gabe and Jesse’s hard work stole the show at the last farmer’s market. We loved how pleased people were with our greens, and all of our produce sold out! We hope to repeat this success at our upcoming First Friday Artisan market in Brenham.
Experience Regenerative Living at its Best at Our Ranch
Sprawled across 120 acres, the Deeply Rooted Ranch is the perfect place to witness how healthy soil and gentle farming methods yield more nutrient-dense foods. We organize various events like ranch tours, movie nights, and supper clubs, as well as a slew of farm-to-school programs to help more families and kids embrace regenerative living.
Check out our calendar of regenerative fun, or get in touch to plan your own event. We hope to welcome you soon!
