Upstate Farm Tour

The CFSA (Carolina Farm Stewardship Association) had its 6th annual upstate farm tour this past weekend.  As we were researching different aspects about farming in south carolina we found cfsa online.  It was exciting to see other people doing the same thing we desire to do...raising food in a natural way.  We visited several different farms, and they all had their chickens free ranging alongside thier turkeys and goats.  We made some great contacts as well for our own up and coming farm business.  On Saturday we forgot the camera so there aren't any pictures to show...Our first stop was a compost farm where we learned about vermiculture (using worms in your compost).  Our next stop was to Bethel Trails farm...a farm 10 minutes away from home!  They are a  great homeschooling family following the same farming methods that we are using!! And they sit on the board of cfsa.  Our last stop for the first day was to a vegetable and herb farm., Red Fern Farm.  We gained valuable information on how to garden with no pesticides, how to transplant without sending your plants into shock and how to properly dry herbs.  Very exciting for me since I have a love for herbs!

Sunday after church we hit 3 more farms in the area.  The first, Patient Wait Farm, specialized in heritage breed turkeys.  All heritage breeds are endangered.  One breed they had was the Jersey Buff.  The husband and wife team raise them from birth and sell many for Thanksgiving dinners but preserve most to further the breed.  We spoke with the owner about getting us some of those to raise to help preserve the heritage breed (and a few for some yummy Thanksgiving turkey!)

Next stop was to Split Creek Farm, a dairy goat farm.  There were over 700 goats!!  It was a beautiful sight...they were all scattered in different groups, mostly divided by age, spread out all over the pastures.  They specialize in raw goat milk and goat milk products....cheese, soap, and delicious fudge!  They also sell their purebred goats....we loved the nubians and will be adding some of them to our own farm soon!

Our last stop was special!  One of the first things we were sure to find when we moved here was a source of raw milk until we get our family cow.  We found Milky Way Farm, and his farm was part of the tour!  So we went to meet L.D. Peeler and his Jersey cows that we get our milk from!  He has over 90 hiefers!  We toured the barn where all the milking is done, got to meet some of the ladies who give us milk and then even got a few gallons to take home.  It was a great field trip and so fun to meet L.D.

Our goal is to have Kornerstone Farms be part of the Upstate Farm Tour in a few years.