About the Farm

PLEASE NOTE:  This part of the site is still under construction.

Six Roosters Farm was started in 2009.

Philosophy

The goal of our farm is personal self-sufficiency and local economic participation.  This means that our focus is on growing and maintaining the largest possible diversity of species and varieties for home use and local trade, as opposed to focusing on larger-scale production of a few for wider commercial purposes.  In doing so, we aim to create not only a healthy and vibrant home for ourselves, but also a thriving habitat for a variety of plants and animals. 

We are inspired, informed and guided by the ideals of biodynamic agriculture and permaculture.  We maintain a strong and stubborn DIY-ethos, and try to build and implement appropriate technology wherever possible.  We are also committed to helping to build and maintain a strong, supportive and resilient local community and economy.

Biology

We're situated on a mostly flat section of land that backs up to a large natural swale.  Our soil is rich, but is very clay-heavy.  We have a very high water table, and the property is prone to standing water, and seasonal flooding in some places.  We have a small stand of natural forest along the swale, comprised mostly of Silver Maple, Black Walnut and Honeylocust trees, with a lesser population of other species (Sycamore, Black Hawthorne) as well.  One of our goals on the farm is to enlarge the forested area and increase its diversity of species.

We are cultivating a wide variety of native and non-native species for a variety of purposes, including edibles, medicinals, honey-plants, and species that feed or host beneficial animals and insects.  We currently have around XX varieties of edible plants alone, and are always looking to add something new.

History

Our property, located near Richwood, OH, has been a farm since at least the mid-19th century.  It was the hub of what was then a much larger agricultural operation, and at one time featured the original house (now gone) and barn (which we named Lena, pictured below) which had fallen into such disrepair that we sadly had to fell her in 2011).

The family we purchased it from had been in ownership of the property since the 1930's, having bought it out after being contracted to rehabilitate the farm during the Great Depression.  By the time we moved here, it had not been a working farm for some time, and all areas of the property were either casually maintained lawn or were invested in a Conservation Resource Program.

While we are grateful for the richer soil and lack of residual chemicals that the CRP program has afforded our land, we took the property out of the CRP when we purchased it, as we wanted the freedom to utilize it for other purposes.  Our hope is that we can increase it's practical use while still continuing to increase it's potential as a diverse habitat.