Sequatchie Cove Farm

For over 20 years we have dedicated our lives and livelihoods to conservation of our land and the environment, we plan to spend the rest of our lives continuing to do so in the most responsible manner we possibly can.

Plants: Plant life is so crucial to our health as humans and most all other life on the planet…plants are the filters that produce oxygen for our lungs, their root systems hold the soil intact preventing erosion absorbing rainfall and micronutrients and provide countless interconnected relationships with bacteria, fungi, worms and insects. Leaves harvest life giving energy from the sun which eventually becomes the energy of all living beings on earth whether we eat the leaf of spinach or the grasshopper eats the leaf and flies away to become the feast of a bird or a ruminate harvests the grass eventually becoming nutrient dense meat, or a crop grown into a dried grain to be eaten by a pig our chicken. We also cannot forget the value of the natural beauty of flowers, forests, and savannas. If it wasn’t for our incredibly diverse plant life we would be living in a very dismal place indeed.

Sub Categories:

—Produce—

All of our produce is grown using Organic and Biodynamic practices, ensuring the highest quality and most nutritious possible. You can find our seasonal produce at the Farm Trading Post and the Main St Farmers Market

—Fruits—

We grow on the farm: raspberries, blackberries, muscadines, and blueberries. All of these items are extremely seasonal and only available in small quantities. Please contact the farm for details on availability and seasonality.

For more information on what fruit's are available contact Miriam Keener @(423)942-9201

—Native Plants—

Miriam also has a very limited supply of her native plants propagated from seed

Animals: Animals and our calculated management of them is our tool that we have to create a positive impact on our environment as well as provide a healthy nutrient dense super food to fuel our family and community. Large herds of herbivorous animals have shaped the face of the planet for millennia, their behavior patterns until very recently have been to move frequently and stay in very tight packs to keep themselves safe from large carnivorous predators, this intense movement of animals across the landscape in turn created an extremely healthy and diverse plant life. Although the plant would be defoliated it would also be very well fertilized with manure and have plenty of time to tap into the roots energy reserves and regrow before another herd passed through the area. This natural system perpetuated interconnected relationships between plant, animal, soil and water until humans began to interfere and become the most dominant predator of all. It did not take long for us to wipe out the remaining large competitor carnivores and with our huge brains humans began to learn to manipulate our environment to control our food sources even further so we didn’t have to work so hard. Ever since the main focus of agriculture has been to feed our ever growing population and of course to gain power and conquer the world (hence the rise and fall of civilizations as we know it). Recently though people have begun to take notice of our deteriorating health, climate and soils around the planet and we have begun to link this to our management of land and the way that we manipulate it to feed ourselves. What we have discovered is that our tunnel vision focused on power and wealth has completely distracted us from the fact that all humans rely on the same natural systems that have always provided life on this planet… we are beginning to realize the absolute importance of clean water and air, and the interdependence of our infinitely complex web of life that makes this planet such an incredible place!

Although this might all seem like common sense, do not be fooled…this way of thinking is in stark contrast to the way 99% of all food is being produced today! Luckily for us there is a growing number of farmers and consumers that are waking up to the dire situation that we are in and instead of complaining and blaming things on the current president, we are actually doing something about it! We have the power to reassess the way we live our lives across the board and make drastic changes to make our planet and our lives more sustainable and enjoyable and hopefully leave our children with a life worth living.

SCF pledges that none of our animals has ever been in a confinement feedlot or been subjected to any inhumane treatment or given growth hormones, antibiotics, our cattle and sheep have never eaten anything but fresh grass and our pigs and poultry have always roamed free outdoors and been supplemented with 100% natural Organic grains.

—BEEF —

Growing grass fed and grass fattened beef is one of our our specialties. Beef cows are able to roam freely, eating healthy grass and enjoying fresh East Tennessee air and sunshine. We work to mimic nature, and using this natural model of grazing we heal the land, clean up the waterways, produce healthier grass, feed the earthworms - which all increases the meat quality. And of course no Steroids, no Antibiotics, no Growth hormones, no feedlots or grain finishing - ever. The beef is dry aged and hand-butchered the old fashioned way, by the Westmorland family in New Hope, TN and by men and women whose name we know, using a knife, one beef at a time. It is a long slow process, 2 to 3 years it takes us to produce one beef - but we know you would not want things any other way. —- Transparency Found —: come visit anytime and shop at the farm Trading Post - sign up for our email and facebook and we will let you know when we have a farm tour and other events .

—PORK —

Sequatchie Cove Farm is back to raising Heritage Breed pigs! Right now we have Gloucestershire Old Spots http://www.gospbc.co.uk/ We stopped raising pigs for a couple of years because to work with and raise any animal the right way - takes - work and time and now we have a little extra time so we have pigs once again. Like all our animals the pigs are raised outdoors on pasture and since they are pigs, in the woods next to the pastures. We are using the pigs to create special savanna like pastures that we will rotate the pigs and layers through. Fresh air, sunshine, rain, foraging outdoors in the woods under open skies is the life we want our pigs to lead. Because we milk cows and cheese is made here on the farm we always have a little extra milk, lots of whey and occasionally cheese that didn't make the grade for their feed, and during the fall they have acorns, hickory and walnuts, and their favorite treat - persimmons, this along with some corn and bad pears is their diet this fall. Like our chickens, cows, and sheep and even our fruit and vegetables the pigs are tended by hand and raised with respect its the only way we will have it at Sequatchie Cove Farm and we know you want it that way also. Check out our pork packages with bacon!

—Lamb—

THE MILD LAMB YOU'LL LOVE

We raise breed of sheep called Katahdin hair sheep here at Sequatchie Cove. This particular breed is the only sheep bred in North America specifically for producing the highest quality meat in our lush and humid environment. Katahdins are particularly hardy and healthy animals that do not require much more than good healthy pastures and the watchful eye of the Shepards and guard dogs that keep the predators at bay. We raise our animals with lots of loving attention. We strive to mimic nature in all of our farming practices so our animals only eat the native grasses and shrubs that grow in our area. We move them to fresh grass daily alongside our cattle in order to produce a superior forage, and ultimately end product, for your table. We believe that healthy soil and pastures are essential for providing you with healthy food. These animals just like our beef are never given any kind of growth hormones, antibiotics and are never confined to a feedlot for grain finishing…green pastures and open air is all you will find here! Our lamb is processed at around 8 to 12 months of age at a family owned USDA slaughter house in South Pittsburg, TN.

—Poultry—

Brooding chicks, raising pullets, feed, grains, grass, Urban chickens and uber chickens. Chickens eat grass, weeds, seeds, bugs. They scratch the ground, they add valuable fertilizer to your garden and they lay eggs - amazing.

We have a whole set of devotees who will eat only the eggs that our chickens lay. So what do we attribute this predilection of great taste to? We will now let you in on the well kept secret passed on from antiquity to raising chickens so they lay the most amazing eggs - it is quite simple “Think like a chicken”

Chickens love to get up at first light and run out and scratch, eat, drink and start laying. We let the laying flock out in the dark of dawn and the flock is already tuned up to a melodious hum as the crepuscular rays begin. Most of the hens flutter out and start scratching and pecking however there are 4 or 6 that are ready to lay, they can’t wait, and with due celerity they pop around the corner, c**k their head, study the nesting boxes for a minute, swoop in and start laying. The flock stays busy all morning, all day scratch, pecking, investigating. By about 11am or so 90% of all the eggs they are going to lay are laid. Jim (with his great grand children as well as Ashley, Bill and an assortment of other helpers) gathers the eggs and Emily sorts them. In the evening Jim goes out at dusk and tucks the flock in to bed and locks the door so the varmints can’t have chicken pot pie. We have learned many times over that there are many creatures that love chicken sandwiches. We move their ‘house’ every couple of days so they always have fresh grass and bugs to nibble on. We also supplement them with certified organic grain - the flock has settled on a mix of, organic corn, organic field peas, organic flaxseed meal, organic sunflower meal and minerals, - Organic means all the grains were raised with no pesticides, no herbicides, no fungicides, no cides of any sort, no gmo, no antibiotics nothing synthetic, just soil full of life.

So when you do your next egg degustation you will know the flavor is all about the whole karma of the hens and their life (and ours) - the pecking, the laying, the gathering of eggs, the sorting of the eggs, the movement; the energy of all this the hen bundles up in the shell and we deliver it to you in cartons weekly at the Main Street Farmer’s market or here at the farm. They always sell out so be sure to get there early.

So think twice before you compliment someone for having a the ‘brain’ of a chicken - we ‘think like a chicken’ every day here.

Also check out our pastured meat chickens and Turkeys!!

For all meat questions call or email Kelsey at [email protected] 423-802-0516

—Cheese—

Nestled in a cove on the floor of the picturesque Sequatchie Valley, Sequatchie Cove Creamery produces farmstead cheese using time-honored European traditions with a distinctly Southern flair. Our cheeses are made using the raw milk from cows who spend every waking moment on grass, letting the expression of the land shine through in its flavors. Fresh forage, sunlight, Tennessee mountain air, a good bit of science, and a dash of artistry are the tools we rely on daily. We strive to nourish and honor ourselves, the nature around us, and the awesome community that supports us.

Visit www.sequatchiecovecheese.com to learn more!

Community: Humans are a social sort of creature, not unlike the herds of bison roaming the open plains we need one another to shield and protect ourselves from the outside world as well as to bring one another companionship and amusement. In modern times with everyone so busy with day to day life, jobs, kids, sports, vacations, not to mention our complete addiction to technology and virtual reality, many folks have been quietly but quickly separating and floating apart into the sea of our own aloneness. Once one has drifted away like this it can be hard to grab ahold of the oars and know which direction to go to find our shipmates and once again set sail on a common voyage. We at Sequatchie Cove Farm by no means have a perfect ship to sail on but we do strive to offer a solid deck to stand on and our crew is as honest and trustworthy as they come. We strive to offer a safe and welcoming place where we can build a good life together with hopes and dreams of a greener and brighter future for generations to come!

—EVENTS—

We host a variety of educational events as well as farm tours and Open houses please check out our upcoming schedule :

FARMERS MARKETS— Main St Farmers Market every Wednesday

—TRADING POST— On farm Trading Post is Open Every Saturday from 9-11 and other days by appointment

—FARM VISITS— Visitors are always welcome but please book an appointment so we know you are coming!

—OUR FAMILY— 4 generations are currently living and working on the farm ranging from 2 years old to 92 years old! Every family member from the youngest to the oldest plays a vital role in the farms day to day activities.