McDonald Farm

About McDonald Farm

McDonald Farm is a 220 acre pasture based, multi species, multi-generational small family farming venture located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate NY. Owned and operated by the Peter McDonald family, McDonald Farm is developing into a successful model for fulfilling relationships between soil, animals and people through a farming enterprise dedicated to restorative agricultural practices for clean food production. Restorative Agriculture is the name of the operational model McDonald Farm created to produce the "Big Six", chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, pork and eggs. The symbiotic relationship between soil organic matter and mineral content, along with ample moisture, sunshine and natural seed base provide all that is needed to nourish and grow out the most healthy, stress free and nourishing table meats possible. Unfortunately, most of the farmland available for purchase today has been depleted by decades of conventional row crop farming practices. If sustainable practices seek to put back what is taken out, then we believe Restorative Agricultural practices are beyond sustainable, as they require putting back twice what you take out. This way, the land is replenished and restored while the farmer makes a living. There is nothing like a multi-species grazing enterprise to help in both fertilizing the soil and stimulating the natural seed bank for a lush pasture. The Clean Food Movement is the name we use to both identify and then rally to the call those who recognize the importance of producing and consuming clean food. It is a protocol of growing practices whose end result is the most healthful food one can possibly eat. Clean Food means the absence of chemicals, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and genetically modified grains as well as animal stress events like ear notching, teeth removal, horn removal, chemical worming and confinement housing. Clean food also acknowledges that ruminant livestock, whose 4 stomachs are uniquely and perfectly suited to receive all the nutrition needed for breeding, birthing, raising and growing out, require only forage based feed. There is no need to feed citrus pulp, animal byproducts, moldy bread, chicken manure, or any kind of grain, organic or conventional, to beef, lambs, fallow deer, buffalo or goats. The species that do require grain are broiler chickens, turkeys, ducks, laying hens and pork and this grain is always fed along with as much forage as they can consume as either pasture during the growing season, or baleage, haylage and hay in winter. Clean Food is the only food we should be eating. Encouraging stores and restaurants to carry it, and encouraging farmers to grow it is one of the most significant actions we can take in preserving the agricultural integrity and antiquity of our communities.