Root Down Farm

Photo by Danielle Tsi
Photo by Danielle Tsi
By raising pigs and poultry together on pasture, Dede leverages the symbiosis of animal husbandry to steward the land, leaving a year of rest between grazing rotations.
Photo by Danielle Tsi
There’s a tenderness in Dede’s attitude towards her animals, especially with the pigs that spend 10 months on the farm before being harvested. “It’s hard to send them off to the processing facility when it’s time,” she admits. “But I’ve come to terms with the fact that it is supposed to be hard, because the more detached you are from the animals, the less you care for them. Knowing that this pain of separation is inevitable is what motivates me to provide for them as best as I can while they’re here.”
Photo by Danielle Tsi
Sustainable farming for Dede goes beyond ensuring a respectable quality of life for her animals: It’s also about the choices she makes. Raising heritage breed poultry gives her the option of breeding successive generations on the farm if she wishes to, thereby reducing the farm’s dependence on other businesses.
Photo by Danielle Tsi
Photo by Danielle Tsi
Two years on, Dede remains the only full-time employee and manages the business with the help of three part-time staff members through the year.
Photo by Danielle Tsi
Photo by Danielle Tsi
Lucinda Kerr Wade Vance Every Day Dede Boies Louie (on Dede’s lap) Oaty (asleep)