REGENERATIVE FARMING
PRESERVING OUR LAND FOR THE FUTURE
You may have heard the term ‘regenerative farming,’ but what does it mean? At South Mountain Creamery, it means we use practices that protect our land, improve biodiversity, and help our farm stay healthy and productive!
To care for our animals and crops across 3,300 acres of pastures, we invest a lot of time, energy, and resources into regenerative farming practices that contribute to a sustainable food system. Our family has taken care of this land for over 40 years, and our goal is to be good stewards so that future generations can enjoy the legacy we’ve built.
Grass-Fed For Greatness
To make our delicious grass-fed dairy, our cows need a lot of grass, which means we need healthy soil full of minerals, microorganisms, moisture, and nutrients.
We use regenerative farming practices like no-till and cover crops to keep the soil protected and full of beneficial nutrients for our cows. By planting different crops like corn, soy, and sorghum, we are able to grow a year-round living root system: a strong foundation of organic matter that retains carbon, reduces dirt compaction, and leads to rich, productive soil.
We also test our fields and manure several times a year and use the results to make adjustments to our fields, such as rotating cover crops, moving cows to different pastures, or applying nutrients to make sure our soil and cows are getting everything they need.
Energy Conservation Efforts
Did you know that 10 cows can produce 1 ton of methane, a greenhouse gas, every year? We care about our cows and climate, so we’re always looking for new ways to reduce our climate impact through carbon, water and electricity innovations.
It takes a lot of water, electricity, and resources to run a farm, and that’s why we look for smart, innovative ways to conserve energy.
Our robotic milking barn is one way we cut down on the electricity required to run our farm. Compared to a traditional milking parlor, the robotic milking system is more energy efficient, and the LED lights and magnetic drive fans also cut down on electricity usage.
We use a lot of water on the farm, so we recycle as much as we can. First, water is used to cool down milk in our production facility. Then, it’s given to the cows to drink, and is later used to rinse the manure out of the barn. Finally, that nutrient-rich water is spread on the fields to grow more healthy grass to feed the cows!
With support from the State of Maryland and local conservation funds, we’re building systems to capture and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and efficiently separate waste for other uses. These new tools will help improve our environmental footprint and maintain healthy nutrient levels on our croplands.
We use a lot of water on the farm, so we recycle as much as we can. First, water is used to cool down milk in our production facility. Then, it’s given to the cows to drink, and is later used to rinse the manure out of the barn. Finally, that nutrient-rich water is spread on the fields to grow more healthy grass to feed the cows!
With support from the State of Maryland and local conservation funds, we’re building systems to capture and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and efficiently separate waste for other uses. These new tools will help improve our environmental footprint, and maintain healthy nutrients levels on our croplands.
Our Promise To You
Everything we do is for the health and wellness of our animals, land, and community. Want to learn more? Our working farm is open to visitors!
Pay us a visit and learn first-hand about what happens on a farm every day.