An Update from Stonecrest Farm
By Meike Meissner

Photo by Meike

Summer seems to have disappeared in the blink of an eye this year, with the hot, dusty days quickly replaced by the cold winds and soaking rains of September. After enduring another record-breaking dry year, we are grateful for the return of green grasses, blooming clover, and sprouting wild arugula in the garden paths.

The biggest success for us so far has been in seeing the results of holistic grazing just four summers into our tenure here. By aggressively moving animals from grazing paddock to grazing paddock, we have been able to give the lands we manage ample time to rest and recover. This summer in particular, the action of quickly moving our animals through fields helped to lay down a layer of mulch to keep ground temperatures lower during the hottest of days. This mulch layer also helped capture any moisture from the dew or from what little rain we did receive. Building up organic material in the soil helps to build drought resiliency as well, and allows for the grasses and forbs to have enough stored energy to respond when the rains do return. These fields have now “jumped” and our cows and sheep are still out on pasture, cycling through several properties on island, including the new LCLT property, Lopez Sound Road Farm. Depending on the weather, the herds and flock will make their way back to the Stonecrest hill in late November or December, where they will spend the wetter months of winter.

Photo by Meike

We planted an acre of wheat this year in the former pig pasture on the eastern edge of the farm as an experiment in rapid pasture rehabilitation. Some people have told us that old Otto Kjargaard used to run 100+ hogs in that same zone, but our 23 pigs did a pretty good job of tilling up the rocky soil there last winter all by themselves. The wheat grew well (pigs make a lot of fertilizer), even during the dry summer, and a small herd of yearling steers grazed the field as a means of non-mechanical harvesting this fall. The rains have now sprouted the western pasture grass mix that was seeded with the wheat, and the bare soil is covered with clover seedlings and is naturally mulched by organic wheat straw. We are really excited to see how the grass grows back next spring.

The freezers in the Barn Stand have been filled since mid-summer with grass-fed lamb and beef, and recently with some pastured pork. We were delighted to see so many familiar friendly faces at the Lopez Farmers Market this year, and are equally thrilled to start selling on our local San Juan Islands Food Hub. We continue to move our herds and build soil every day, and we remain grateful for our choice of work, work that regenerates the land and that results in the most nutritious meat for our community. Thanks to each and every person who has supported us during this rough year!