Farm dogs Potato and Jenny greet visitors arriving at Pigasus Meats, Potato barking to alert the farmers that company is here. Two other dogs, Hank and Malia, are hard at work in the fields, guarding chickens. It’s been three growing seasons since farmers Phelan and Kelsey O’Connor moved to the conserved Landon Farm, as part of South Hero Land Trust and Vermont Land Trust’s efforts to match young and innovative farmers with affordable farm land. We thought it was time to check in and hear their latest news. Guy visited the farm in September, where Phelan was hard at work washing 1,800 fresh eggs, despite a newly broken foot. With 2,000 laying hens, 58 pigs, 4 dogs, and a herd of visiting cattle to care for, nothing is slowing down these young farmers!

Putting Animal Welfare First

As Kelsey and Phelan put it, “the health of the livestock is our first, second, and third priority on the farm. We want to give them a wonderful life, make sure they are happy, comfortable, and free throughout their life.” As former vegans and vegetarians, Phelan and Kelsey didn’t expect to be raising pigs and laying hens one day. But when they learned about sustainable meat production and howagriculture can be regenerative for the earth, they were excited to explore new models of farming that included raising animals.

They make sure their animals enjoy happy lives and have a net positive impact on the health of the land, water, and climate. Slaughtering time is always difficult, but they see this as a good thing. In fact, they’ve said from the beginning that if they ever stop feeling uncomfortable with the end of their animals’ lives, they’d stop raising them.

Their commitment to animal welfare also influences their decision not be certified organic. As they say, “we care about the health of our animals, the soil, the plants, but it comes to a head when it comes at the cost of animal welfare. We want to be able to give antibiotics to an animal if it’s sick.” Phelan and Kelsey think that giving a sick animal antibiotics is a far cry from treating them continuously and preventively, as some factory-style farms do. But it can be difficult to explain this. They say, “the important thing is that you know your farmer and talk to them about their methods.”

Phelan added that they name the largest pig each year Henry, so this year they have Henry the 5th roaming the fields.

Looking Out for the Environment Too

Phelan and Kelsey see their farm as part of a larger ecological system. As they put it, “one of our main goals for the farm is to manage animal manure so that it gets incorporated into the soil, which keeps runoff from going into the lake, and sequestes the carbon in the manure into the soil, rather than letting it escape into the air and contribute to climate change. These actions help the environment and our bottom line, because they contribute to soil fertility. When the soil is more fertile, it grows back faster, and we are able to have more animals on the same land base. The animals get more value per bite of forage, and the consumer also get a more nutritious and tasty meal from it. The more life we generate on the farm, in terms of grasses and then animals, and then sequester back into the soil, the better the health of the farm and the planet.”

One of their big upcoming projects is building a compost barn. This barn will store solid manure rather than liquid, and any runoff will be captured in a big tank. The liquids can be incorporated into the soil. The dry manure can be used as bedding to keep the animals warm in winter and then become fertilizer in the spring.

The focus on soil and water has already begun to pay off. As the chickens and pigs have been grazing the land, Kelsey and Phelan have seen an uptick in soil fertility and forage species.

Essential Support for Young Farmers

As young farmers, one of their biggest challenges has been access to capital. They need infrastructure and specialized equipment to grow a sustainable business. As first generation farmers, they’ve started from scratch when it comes to land, equipment, experience, and knowledge. They’ve also had to learn a lot of business skills. Help from local service providers, like Sam Smith from the Intervale Center, has been a huge help, as was the Farm & Forest Viability Program at the VT Housing and Conservation Board, and Vermont Land Trust’s Farmland Access Program. South Hero Land Trust regularly partners with each of these organizations to provide land access and business planning tools to farmers.

Not only are Kelsey and Phelan caring for this beautiful land and growing a strong business, they are providing food for our community and have just hired their first year round staff. Looking for great local pork or eggs? Visit Pigasus Meats at the Burlington Farmers’ Market or check them out online!