Meet the Farmers
For farmers Brittany and Bryan, a love of nature and a small backyard flock has led to full-time land stewardship and rotational livestock management. Back in 2016, their half acre homestead had an abundance of squash, radishes, beets and tomatoes. Bringing their extra produce to sell at a local farmers market, they eventually sold enough to start their own CSA. The couple were both vegetarians for 13 years, but came to the realization that they were consuming too much fake meat and decided to introduce pasture-raised poultry onto the farm. With unexpected success, this soon became their primary enterprise. What started as a humble community garden quickly escalated into a prolific, regenerative poultry and livestock farm.
At Horse Shoe Ranch, the hens are outside on pasture all day. Their mobile coops are rotated around the property to allow for continual foraging on all the fresh, nutrient-rich grass and bugs they can eat. Coops are used for laying eggs, protection from predators and the sun, and to roost at night. The ranch currently sells around 50 meat shares and 200 dozen eggs in their CSA each week, and has acquired many wholesale accounts with restaurants and grocery stores throughout the greater Philadelphia area. Brittany and Bryan were recently given the opportunity to purchase a mobile chicken coop company called Stoltzfoos Layers. They received a generous offer from a restaurant they sell to secure the money for the down payment, and through this purchase they’ve acquired 4 coops fitted with automatic feed and water lines, 2500 chickens, winter housing, and additional equipment that will allow for increased efficiency on the new farm. The new equipment and expansion puts them 5 years ahead of their previous capacity.
In December 2021, Horse Shoe will be moving to Lundale Farm, a 700-acre regenerative farm and non-profit in Chester County, PA, with several growers leasing land for sustainable food production. Horse Shoe will be farming 50 acres the first year, replanting the pastures, converting an old barn into an egg packing facility, and installing fencing for rotational grazing.
Regenerative & Sustainable Practices
Horse Shoe Ranch raises chickens entirely on pasture with mobile, rotational management to maintain high soil fertility. They operate their farm with the future of the planet in mind, sequestering carbon into the soil and allowing the wildlife to flourish. Additional practices include:
- All chickens are fed a non-GMO, chemical-free feed and get to scratch and peck in the grass and forage for seeds and bugs all day long. Chickens love the high-quality forage they’re given, which includes a mix of brassicas, kale, and wildflowers.
- Emphasis on animal welfare and providing their animals with the best conditions to live as close to nature as possible. Mobile coops move across the pasture to give the hens access to fresh grass, bugs, and seeds.
- All animals are entirely pasture-raised, moving to a new spot throughout the property every day to maximize soil fertility. The chickens follow the cows, allowing them to forage on bugs and consistently spread nutrients across the soil.
- Connecting people with their food and providing as much transparency about their practices as possible. In their new location, their farm will be even more accessible for on-farm visits and educational experiences for the public.
