Our Practices
Regenerative Agriculture
Part of our mission is to improve the land through our farming practices. We have seen this become a reality as weedy and low-producing land has become a high-producing, green, and luscious pasture. This is due to the rotation of chickens and cows over the land. During the first part of the year when the grass is still short, the chickens are moved across the pastures to fertilize and scratch up the ground. Then later in the spring when the grass is taking off, we graze the cows ahead of the chickens because the cows make the best use of the taller grass. The chickens, following the cows, benefit from the shorter grass and put down more natural fertilizer. Following the chickens, we use two to three small sprinklers to irrigate and help drive the fertilizer into the soil. We are diligent about moving the chickens daily, and frequently moving the cows to ensure the pasture is not over-used. It is rewarding to see just how much the pastures benefit from these practices. Our pastures are always the first to become green in the spring!
Pasture Raised Chicken
Look for our chicken throughout Montana in grocery stores and restaurants. If it is not available near you, let us know and we can work with stores in your area to start carrying it.
Local: Living River Farms is located just east of Stevensville where all of our operations take place. We formulate and grind our own feed with grains sourced from a local family farm in Corvallis.
Pasture Raised: Living River Farm's chicken is so much more than free range. According to the USDA, the requirement for a chicken to be classified as free range or free roaming is that “Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.” Our pasture-raised chickens are actually raised outside on pasture. The chicks are brooded indoors until they are old enough to go outside. They are moved out to pasture inside large movable structures for their safety from predators and the environment. The structures are moved at least daily so the chickens always have a clean environment, new grass to scratch, and bugs to eat. The cattle graze the grass before the chickens are moved onto an area of pasture. This allows for the best utilization of the forage. The combination of the chickens and cows has dramatically improved the soil and grasses.
We want to be transparent, so if you have questions, or feedback, or want to see our farm, please call or email us.
Natural: Our chickens never receive antibiotics, or added hormones.
Grass Fed Cattle
We have a small herd of Black Angus cows on our farm in Stevensville. From day one to when they are processed, our cows only eat grass (grass hay through the winter). We do not use hormones, steroids, or antibiotics.
We graze our cows in rotation with the chickens. The cows graze ahead of the chickens since they make the best use of the long grass. The cows absolutely love the pastures where the chickens have been, as these areas produce the most lush and green grass on the farm.