LIVESTOCK
At Millstone Farm we are committed to the conservation of heritage breeds. Heritage breeds are those that thrived before the introduction of intensive industrialized agriculture. They are naturally adapted to their environment and thus support a sustainable agricultural system without the use of antibiotics and artificial hormones. Many of these breeds are endangered, and by supporting a marketplace for them farmers and customers are supporting their conservation for future generations.
Farm-raised heritage breed chickens, turkeys, sheep goats and llamas all graze on our pasture land. We provide our heritage meat to fine local restaurant partners as well as the public. We offer for sale through our CSA program and periodically in our online farm store select shares of eggs, chicken, beef, lamb and Thanksgiving/holiday turkeys.
OUR POULTRY
EGGS
We currently house seven different breeds of pasture-raised laying hens: Ameraucana, Black Cochin, Delaware, Pearl White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, Blue Andalusian, Whiting True Green, Speckled Sussex, Welsummer, Whiting True Blue Black Australorp, and Buff Cochin. These breeds are selected for the variety of egg color and their ability to forage and cope with New England winters. Our eggs are offered as part of our CSA share and are also sold to local markets and restaurants.
MEAT BIRDS
We raise Freedom Ranger broilers from one-day old chicks and we put them out on grass from one month of age. This breed was selected because of it’s ability to forage on pasture and produce good quality meat. Our meat birds are made available mid-May through mid-September through our CSA, in our online farm store, and are also featured in many fine local restaurants.
THANKSGIVING & HOLIDAY TURKEYS
Our popular heritage breed Bronze-breasted turkeys are raised on our pastures. This breed originated from a cross between domestic turkeys, brought to the American colonies by European settlers, and the eastern wild turkeys that were native to our continent. We make a limited number of turkeys available around Thanksgiving on a reservation basis. Turkey reservations are offered in early November, first to our CSA members and then via our email list and online farm store to the wider community. These birds are quite popular and tend to sell out quickly each year. When stock numbers are sufficient we may also offer additional turkeys for sale around the winter holidays.
OUR CATTLE
Our Black Aberdeen Angus cattle graze on the grasses of our pasture land. We periodically offer beef shares through our CSA.
OUR SHEEP
At Millstone we breed Shetland sheep, a hardy breed well-suited to Connecticut winters which produces good quality wool and nicely flavored meat. We typically have a limited supply of lamb available to restaurants and our CSA members each year around November and occasionally also in the spring.
OUR GOATS
We raise Alpine goats on pasture. They are well adapted to eat a wide variety of pasture plants as well as invasive species that take hold on the edges of pastures, rock walls, and forest land around the farm.