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We are proud to introduce our newest partnership with Blackview Farm! Located in Listowel, Ontario, Blackview Farm is the pride of Bill and Michelle Parke. The farm is a beautiful 100 acres of grazing land which is carefully managed using rotational grazing techniques and holistic management practices.
Calves are born in May and are grazed alongside their moms for another 34-38 months. All the animals ever eat is grass, and high quality hay. They also rotate a variety of poultry to graze behind them. In nature, birds have always flocked around a herd of herbivores – they “disinfect” the fields by eating the bugs and adding manure to the ground. For this reason, rotational grazing and animal impact on the fields play an important role in properly finishing beef. In addition to the benefits it provides for the animals, rotational grazing is a fruitful experience for Bill and Michelle as well. Bill writes,
“I really like being out on the land, I love seeing the land heal. I like the progress that you can see when you’ve accomplished something.”
For Bill and Michelle, learning from their farming experience has been one of the interesting parts of running Blackview Farm. Being one of the few farms practicing this unique farming method, and only feeding their animals grass, they have had to learn a lot about the practice through trial and error. Bill says,
“There are a few other people with similar farming operations near where I live, but not many. Most people who are farming just do what everyone else does, you know, the big tractors, GMO’s, crop insurance, all that. So it would be great to have more of a community where we could share our woes and learn from each other’s experiences. There’s a lot of things I’m having to learn from scratch, especially with the heritage breeds that I raise.”
Bill focuses on the connection between how the animals are raised, its nutritional profile and the food’s flavour. Back in 2014, Mark Schatzker introduced Bill to Richard Bazinet, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Brain Lipid Metabolism in the department of nutritional sciences at University of Toronto to conduct tests measure Omega 6 vs Omega 3 Ratios. The outcomes demonstrated outstanding Omega ratios! Stay tuned for a blog post where got the chance to sit down with Richard Bazinet to chat about pasture raised meats and our nutrition.
You can try Blackview Farm’s delicious product with our Blackview Beef Sampler, featuring delicious Miami-cut short ribs. Find it here, and subscribe to a NIKU Membership for the most convenient way to incorporate grass fed beef into your diet.
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