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Our family raises grass-fed cattle, pigs, laying hens, chickens, and turkeys in Washington State's Methow Valley. We care for our animals as nature intended: with an abundance of lush green grass on rotated pastures, with plenty of clean water, sunshine, and fresh air. We use no hormones, steroids, pesticides, genetically-modified feeds, or unhealthy grains. We are proud of the high quality beef, pork, eggs, chicken, and turkey we provide our customers. We practice traditional animal husbandry and pasture management. We farm this way because it's better for the animals, better for the environment, and better for you. |
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“The Family Farm Ecosystem” (Methow Conservancy First Tuesday program) Tuesday, July 7th, 7:00 – 8:30pm at Crown S Ranch Come along for a show-and-tell of traditional animal husbandry, pasture management and local food production at Crown S Ranch, which was protected with a Methow Conservancy conservation easement earlier this year. Crown S Ranch raises grass-fed, organic cattle, pigs, laying hens, chickens, and turkeys by traditional pasture rotation methods. Take a free tour of this amazing local farm and hear first-hand farming stories from Louis Sukovaty and Jennifer Argraves. This event is free and open to everyone. For more information, contact Mary at 996-2870 or
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. *** Crown S Ranch Farm Walk, Organic Animal Husbandry Thanks to all who joined us at this WSU and Tilth Producers event! Over 40 farmers throughout Washington gathered together to learn how Crown S Ranch combines traditional husbandry and new technology to create sustainable farming practices. *** Annual Farm Tour and Potluck Over 120 Crown S Ranch supporters joined us this year for our Annual Farm Tour and Potluck. Thank you, It was great fun!!! *** Preserving Farmland In February 2009, 42 acres of our Crown S Ranch farmland was put into an agricultural conservation easement. Thank you to the Methow Conservancy for helping us protect and preserve our farmland. The Crown S Ranch agricultural conservation easement was made possible by a combination of private and public funding sources including the federal Farm and Ranch land program and the Washington State Farmland Protection Program in partnership with Okanogan County. *** Stewardship Award In the fall of 2008 Crown S Ranch was awarded first runner-up for the Vim Wright Stewardship Award from Farming and the Environment. *** |
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My approach to farming combines my engineering background, and the animal husbandry I learned from my father and gleaned from books before the use of fossil fuel fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.  Louis Sukovaty
Managing an Ecosystem Spraying broad-spectrum nerve toxins isn't what I think of as organic agriculture. But when I wanted to buy a virus that attacks coddling moths, the seller suggested that what I really wanted was Entrust, an "organic" insecticide. He was wrong, I don't want to treat my land with a chemical toxic to a broad array of insects - beneficial and pest alike - regardless of whether the origin of the chemical is natural or synthetic. While a species-specific parasite exploits a niche and its use can help to check an out-of-balance proliferation of one pest, a broad-spectrum insecticide creates greater imbalance in an ecosystem. The intent of Entrust isn't to carefully manage an ecosystem, it's to make things easier for the grower. And to make a profit for the chemical company, of course. Our trouble as a society comes from trying to make a buck so we can buy something so the next guy can make a buck and buy something, and so on, especially when the things we buy are supposed to make things easier for us - to make less work. There's nothing wrong with work. Our quality of life depends on it. Think about it: are you happier sitting for hours in front of the tv, or when you have a meaningful task you can take on? Being an artisan is about knowledge and work. I believe proper animal husbandry requires the care of an artisan. |
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