Welcome to our family farmstead. Hope you have a nice stay!
In recent years, many farmers and consumers have turned their attention to sustainable and eco-friendly farming methods. Among these methods, no spray farming practices have gained significant traction. These techniques emphasize the use of natural processes to maintain soil health, control pests, and enhance biodiversity without relying on chemical sprays. Let's dive into the benefits of no spray farming practices and how they are reshaping our farms and our health for the better.
Preparing for your first horseback trail ride can feel daunting.
But don't worry, we're here to guide you every step of the way.
From what to wear to understanding horse behavior, we've got you covered.
In this article, we'll share practical tips on horseback trail ride preparation.
We aim to ensure your first time horseback riding at Foxfire Farm is a safe, enjoyable, and memorable experience.
So saddle up, and let's embark on this exciting journey together!
We are so excited to be featured by Experience Prince George's and Great Day Washington in this fantastic piece about all the cool experiences that Prince George's County has to offer along the Legacy Wine Trail!
Discover the hidden treasures of Prince George's County!
Brandywine, MD, is where Maryland's finest wines meet the charm of horse country.
Leslie W. Graves, President & CEO, Experience Prince George's, showcased this gem on Great Day Washington with Kristen Berset at the stunning Janemark Winery & Vineyard with Foxfire Farm.
Watch now and explore why Prince George's is a must-visit destination!
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it's easy to lose touch with the source of our food.
Farm to table experiences offer a refreshing and meaningful way to reconnect!
These experiences are not just about eating - they're about understanding where our food comes from, supporting local farmers, and embracing sustainable practices.
In this article, we'll explore the top five reasons why farm to table experiences are worth your time.
Let's embark on this journey of taste, learning, and community together!
Are you looking for a way to support your health, the environment, and your local community?
Consider an investment in a share of pastured pork from a local farmer!
Pastured pork is pork that is raised on pasture, with plenty of room to roam and forage for food.
This is in contrast to factory-raised pork, which is often raised in confinement and fed a diet that may not be optimal for the animal's health.
This comment from an outsider who presumably enjoys driving through the undeveloped farmland, as well as the behavior from the entrenched neighbors - who still surely don’t want the land being turned into a townhouse complex - got me thinking:
In this article, we'll explore the many reasons why backyard laying hens are worth the effort.
From the nutritional superiority of fresh eggs to the environmental and ethical benefits, we'll guide you through the rewards of raising your own backyard flock.
Let's embark on this journey together, one egg at a time!
Horses brought me out of the darkness from the loss of my dad and set me on a lifelong path in pursuit of the passion of being in their presence.
I am now incredibly fortunate to do what I love every day and introduce others to the joys of horseback riding through our trail riding program at Foxfire Farm!
Exploring the great outdoors through trail riding adventures offers a unique way to connect with nature and your inner self.
Whether you're an experienced rider or a beginner, trail rides provide numerous benefits for both your physical and mental well-being.
Let’s explore them!
One of the things you ask me most often is how we are able to keep our pastured chickens safe from predators.
When folks think of getting a flock of their own, they have visions of happy hens frolicking and free-ranging around their garden.
But so frequently, people come to us to purchase our started pullets because their entire flock has just been wiped out.
Around here, we are blessed with flourishing wildlife, but that doesn't always translate to safe pastured chickens.
We have foxes, racoons, possums, skunks, weasels, hawks, owls, and coyotes, among other predators - everything likes chicken!
Yet we all know how exceptionally important it is to have our chickens on grass and receiving the benefit of the varied diet provided by the greenery and bugs, as well as the exercise and fresh air.
At Foxfire Farm, our horses’ health and happiness come first. From many years of experience with these incredible animals, we do believe that horses – much like humans - prefer to have a purpose in life and a job that they enjoy and are good at. We carefully select the horses for our trail program based on their personalities and experience, and we work with them in training regularly.
Kids + horses = self-confidence
Your kids will love re-creating the fun, joy, and learning of a working farm.
I love sharing my farm with kids each year, and they love it, too.
Their confidence grows throughout the week - it’s truly thrilling to see.
The kids learn how to feed horses, ducks, Oreo and Pinkie the pigs, and chickens.
They get to ride one of our horses each day.
The kids wait in anticipation to see if they get Cooper, Gandalf, or Belle who are the favorites.
Over our Spring Break Camp, I watched one of our 7-year old boys gently brush Gandalf rather than run on the playground with his buddies or hang out on his phone.
The horse was his new buddy.
What a joy to see a little boy loving a horse so much.
Horses do that to you. They steal your heart.
I watched one of our 10-year old little girls work with our horse, Belle. This shy girl's face lit up as she told the horse to "Walk on."
What a joy to see new-found confidence in her words and her actions.
She was a different girl.
She was no longer shy - the horses did exactly what she told them to.
Talk about leadership qualities!
I stood by amazed - she’d learned these life skills that she can take out to the non-horse world for the rest of her life.
Horses do that to you. They make you a better person.
Do you want your daughter or son to have a life transformation this summer too?
Come to my summer camp.
Once I finally overcame my mental roadblock around cooking a whole, ENTIRE chicken, a new world opened up to me - literally! I discovered the convenience of always having roasted chicken meat on-hand and available for any recipe I wanted to cook (it also lends itself to quick snacking with two boys in the house!)
After making my initial recipe (usually a simple, but DELICIOUS, 4-ingredient roast chicken), I pick the rest of the meat from the bones and have fresh, roasted chicken available for salads, sandwiches, or a casserole. I then put the carcass into my Insta-Pot and make bone broth or soup and feed our family for most of the week using ONE, single chicken. How amazing is that?!
Here is how I do it:
At this stage in my life, I sit at the intersection of self-transformation and environmental activism, and it occurs to me that the bridge is FOOD.
So many folks I know are on some spectrum of illness: on-going auto-immune issues, skin issues, mental health issues, cancer, IBS, reproductive issues, struggles with weight, resistance to antibiotics, super bugs, etc. When we look at these issues, the first response seems to always be pharmaceuticals. Take this drug to address this issue, and then take this one to combat the side effects of the first.
As we are getting sicker, this country is also losing small, family farms right and left. Between 2017 and 2022, the United States lost 140,000 farms. 140,000 farms lost in five years. Meanwhile, as your neighborhood farmer goes out of business and is forced to sell to yet another developer, just 4 companies in the U.S. produce over 60% of its chicken each year.
If you’re anything like me, you have felt the impact of inflation in recent years.
The cost of EVERYTHING has risen, but perhaps none more dramatically than the price of groceries.
While I knew this to be true, I was incredibly shocked to learn just how much grocery prices have risen upon seeing the following post on Facebook (note: this is not a political post, nor an endorsement of this creator or her platform, but simply a reference to the grocery experiment she discusses):
SUPER DELISH! I find myself using this recipe over and over again. It’s so easy to grab a whole chicken for this and then use the carcass to make bone broth. Grab a pastured chicken from the farm store and make this awesome dish! Let us know how it turns out!
Have you thought about investing in a backyard flock of your own but ended up overwhelmed with all the conflicting advice on the internet?
It can get super confusing, huh?!
Some folks can make it seem intimidating or unattainable.
So, you just put off the flock you have been dreaming of until you feel more prepared.
And then you never end up feeling prepared.
But what if there is something you can do?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
If you have trouble drinking your bone broth straight, this is your solution.
Healthy eating made simple and delicious.
Try out this sweet, healthy recipe and maximize your health benefits of bone broth.
To make 1 cup of Bone Broth Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of your homemade bone broth (see recipe here)
- 1/2 cup of whole milk (any kind works, we use grass-fed organic milk)
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp of honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp of vanilla
Directions:
1. Warm up your bone broth in a small sauce pan until it just starts to boil.
2. Add milk, cocoa powder, honey and vanilla.
3. Stir and heat until your hot chocolate starts to froth a little.
4. Cool a little before drinking.
5. Enjoy with family and friends ♥️
