Public Domain Picture: 20130712-AMS-LSC-0479

Black Angus cows and calves graze organic pastures, and for added nutrition and variety, they enjoy a daily feeding of sweet silage at Nick’s Organic Farm, owned by Nick Maravell, in Adamstown, MD on Friday, July 12, 2013. The white plastic wrapped bales of pasture grass and alfalfa have been fermenting for months to create sweet silage that stores well and can be used to feed cattle at varying amount all year long. The fermentation process sweetens the taste and increases the vitamin levels. The farm produces Black Angus beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, hay, soybeans, corn, alfalfa, orchard grass, rye; and other crops. The cattle are 100% grass-fed receiving certified organic pasture, certified organic hay (in winter), water and mineral salts mixed with sea kelp. The cattle are not fed hormones, antibiotics or animal products. Poultry feed from grain is ground from organic grain. The poultry also graze on organic pastures. The farm has conducted on-farm research with federal, state and non-profit agencies to refine organic practices. An organization such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) center in Beltsville has been able to conduct research to improve organic crops and to breed and manage the cattle so that they have. USDA Photos by Lance Cheung.

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May 15, 2014