Initiatives
Outreach & Education
Our story would not be complete without explaining our commitment to helping fellow farmers and even future farmers become more skilled, more profitable, and more sustainable agricultural producers. Just like you, we want to see farms remain farms and help farmers continue to grow and market high-quality food for local consmers.
To that end, we share every bit of information we gather on topics related to animal care, nutrition, breeding, management, pasture production, grazing management, meat quality, marketing and economics. We host field days and tours for fellow farmers throughout the region and we provide expertise through speaking opportunities and the publishing of "white papers" in support of our education initiatives.
Our education efforts do not end with other farmers. Hedgeapple Farm has been a popular choice for hosting a variety of tours, workshops and other educational events for area dieticians, human nutritionists, chefs, culinary students, and other educators and thought-leaders interested in understanding how beef gets from pasture to plate. We have hosted workshops in partnership with the National Cattemen's Beef Council, Howard and Frederick Community Colleges, USDA, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
Keeping Our Environment in Mind
Through the support of the Jorgensen Family Foundation, Hedgeapple Farm is actively involved in the following areas of research and education:
- The genetic selection and breeding of Angus cattle that consistently produce high-quality beef on an all-forage diet (grass-fed and grass-finished)
- Extending the animal grazing season using new and emerging forage varieties such as warm season grasses and legumes
- Reducing our farm's impact on the surrounding ecosystem including the critical watersheds leading to the Chesapeake Bay
- Ensuring optimal health management and the best animal care possible
- Sharing our experience and expertise with fellow farmers, thought leaders, governmental agencies, and others interested in sustainable farming
The overall management of our resources at Hedgeapple Farm recently included the strategic harvest of some veneer-quality Black Walnut trees. The trees were carefully harvested by skilled Amish craftsmen from Pennsylvania who used a beautiful team of draft horses. The horses moved the trees from the harvest area to the stone driveway for truck-transport to the sawmill.
The use of the horses eliminated
damage to our pasture fields and
significantly reduced the soil
compaction that would have
occurred across those pastures had
heavy machinery been used instead.
It was quite a sight to see, so we
hope you enjoy this small album
of the harvest process.
