Rise'n'Swine Farm

Have you ever considered a day in the life of the animals that are raised to provide for our nourishment? This might not be a question that crosses your mind as a consumer, but for Greg Putney of Rise N Swine Farms and Matt Dunning, his one-man-crew, it is the focal point in their endeavors to raise local, quality meat for their families and community. Their farm formula: “Give an animal the best life possible, with only one bad day” gives insight into a farm run with compassion and the understanding that animals raised for human consumption deserve humane, enjoyable lives during their time on this earth.

Greg began this journey by raising ten pigs in 2009 with the goal of providing his family and friends quality, humanely raised meat. As the pork cuts vanished into satisfied bellies, the number of pigs in Greg’s care increased, and he made the decision to lease a 106-acre parcel that would transform a pig-raising hobby into a life of farming. Today, over one hundred heritage breed pigs rotationally roam the hilly woods and pastures of the Holland, New York farm. In 2017, Scottish Highland cows were added to the farm family, along with one hundred laying hens.

The Farm. Photo Courtesy of Black Spruce Photography

Greg and Matt met in 2010 and after establishing a fast friendship, Greg, as many resourceful farmers do, asked Matt if he could help load a few pigs on a trailer. The rest of Matt’s integration into the story is history and Matt now lives close by and assists with sales, marketing, scheduling, and any other task where Greg needs a second set of hands. The two also work together as full-time linemen for National Grid, balancing a 40-plus hour workweek with the needs of the farm. Greg’s two young daughters pitch in as well, as their fascination with farm life increases.

Anna the beekeeper! Photo: Matt Dunning

Greg’s primary goal is to provide a safe, enjoyable asset to his family- not just in monetary value, but also in their quality of life. The farm is where his daughters run free and discover life, and he wants all aspects of the farm to be open and inviting to their endless exploration. His oldest, Anna, has become quite the beekeeper, providing the farm another source of income with honey sales. A second goal, no less important the first- is finding animals that fit the land, with little to no adaptation, so the animals would naturally feel at home on its geography. These two goals played a vital role in choosing heritage breeds that are known for their docile nature, their independence in birthing and general survival, resilience in cold temperatures, and are adapted to the natural habitat of the wooded and hilly terrain of the farm.

 Photo courtesy of Black Spruce Photography

The cows were purchased in 2017 as an investment to pay for the lease of the farmland, but how they fit into a cycle with the other animals and land use is just what you would expect from a farmer that seeks to employ an animal’s natural instincts to benefit the farm. The pigs and cows themselves are the main workers when it comes to clearing the brushy acres for pasture. Highlands are among the few breeds of cattle that will eat brush; most cattle eat only soft grasses. The pigs are also natural foragers, and three heritage breeds were selected for their shorter snouts as well as for other important traits. This insures that their rooting of the ground is relatively shallow and less disruptive to the soil structure while still thoroughly turning the soil and eating plant roots. There has been no mechanical turning of the soil on the farm; and cover crops are spread by hand and as well as by the pigs turning the soil.

Timing is everything on the farm- when to bring the next species on or off pasture is critical not only for prime forage, but also considering parasite life cycles, pest control benefits, and balancing the animals’ ability to get as much nutrition from the pasture without over grazing and creating unstable soil erosion conditions. The pigs are the first pasture tenants, spending seven to ten days on a given pasture. When temperatures permit, cover crops including winter wheat, barley, and sorghum are spread two days before the pigs are rotated out. This aids in spreading the seed as the pigs naturally nose through the pasture. Then the pasture is left to rest for 45 days, allowing the cover crop to germinate and establish, while giving time for any possible parasites they might have been carrying, time to die off. Then in come the cows.

Cover crop of barley

The last in the rotational lineup are the laying hens, who are brought on pasture three days after the cows leave. This takes into account the life cycle timing of fly eggs to larvae that have been laid on the cow pies. The chickens come through and receive a high protein diet in exchange for acting as a natural pest control by eating the larvae before they hatch.

This type of dovetail planning can be found on all aspects of the farm. Greg describes his method as management intense as opposed to machinery intense, taken primarily from Joel Salatin’s farming philosophy. In terms of machinery and structures, the farm has only one tractor and one barn. By choosing animal breeds that come from colder climates, there is less need for shelter and land adaptation. Greg notes that if hay was not placed in the barn, the cows would never even venture in, and can often be seen happily standing in the pasture with layers of snow on their backs. Each breed is carefully chosen based on two criterion: (1) does the farm closely resemble the animal’s habitat of origin and (2) does the breed possess a solid reputation for mild temperament?

The system is labor intensive at startup, with the most challenging jobs so far being fencing installation and providing the animals with access to fresh water. Many hours of planning, research, and laying out paddock configurations were necessary to develop a site specific system that would best support the animals without mechanized alterations to the land. However, once all the initial set-up was completed, the farm operates with a natural rhythm where everything has a place, time, and purpose.

Matt giving out cow treats. 

One thing that Greg is very proud of is that his market animals have never needed medicating, there has been no sickness among his animals. The farm is a very healthy, clean place where the animals thrive in a habitat that naturally fits their genetic impulses and needs. Farm tours are offered throughout the year to give the community the opportunity to see all aspects of farm life. This open communication with customers is important, Greg notes -they have nothing to hide and everything to gain from allowing the public to see and experience the farm for themselves.

Processing is done off the farm at a local USDA certified facility, and Greg sells his meat as whole-animal, half-animal, or, their latest and hottest offering, by the thirty-pound box. These boxes were an innovation that Greg began offering to customers that didn’t have the storage space for large quantities of meat, as well as new customers who wanted to try Rise ‘N Swine’s meat for the first time. One of the biggest challenges has been having meat on hand for new customers to purchase throughout the year.

Most of the meat processed is either pre-ordered or sells out quickly when meat availability is posted on their Facebook page. This presents a challenge when potential customers happen upon the farm between processing times. But this challenge is one that the farm welcomes, and Greg is confident he will find the perfect balance of manageable labor while supplying his ever growing customer base.

Looking ahead to the future, Rise N Swine is planning to open a farm store on the property, where customers can buy meat by the cut, as well as purchase farm produced honey and their pasture raised eggs. Greg and Matt are also exploring compost production, noting that this naturally produced by- product is an excellent soil amendment, and could prove to be another source of income for the farm.

Opportunities abound for a small farm, but Greg weighs each one against the long-term impacts to the land and the needs of the current farm residents, be they two- or four-legged. In farming, there are hard days, and there are easy days, but here in the hills of Holland, New York, you can rest assured that every day on the farm is the next best day in the life of everyone that calls Rise N Swine Farms home.