Joyce Farms products were prominently featured at the most recent Soil Health Academy, hosted by BDA Farm in Uniontown, Alabama.
Attendees included farmers and ranchers from 17 different U.S. states, Canada, and even Columbia, South America.
While learning the ins and outs of soil health, adaptive grazing, and regenerative agriculture from nationally and internationally recognized experts Gabe Brown, Ray Archuleta, Kent Solberg, and Allen Williams (Joyce Farms Chief Ranching Officer), the attendees also enjoyed three hearty meals a day.
Meals were prepared using fresh garden vegetables from BDA Farm and Joyce Farms proteins, including Aberdeen Angus grass-fed beef, Poulet Rouge Fermier® pastured chicken, and Gloucestershire Old Spot pastured pork.
Attendees were highly complimentary of the meals!
Comments ranged from, “best food ever” to “This is the best chicken I have ever had. I did not realize that chicken could be so wonderfully flavorful.”
Some claimed, “I’ll never eat store-bought pork chops again,” and that the beef was “absolutely the most incredible steak I have ever experienced.”
And remember - these were all farmers and ranchers!
The Soil Health Academy (SHA) course covers a significant amount of material over 3 days - in the classroom and through in-field lessons. Much of the event's success depends on keeping the crowd well fed and fueled for learning.
SHA organizers also make sure that all proteins served are raised according to the regenerative practices they teach (which is a great demonstration of the quality that can be achieved!).
We take great pride in having our products included on the Soil Health Academy menu for this session and others, including one hosted last year by farmer Adam Grady. He raises our Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs and some of our Aberdeen Angus cattle in Kenansville, North Carolina. A few photos from that session:
The Soil Health Academy is a training program that teaches farmers and ranchers how to farm regeneratively in order to "increase profitability, build resiliency into the land, decrease input costs and improve the nutrient density of food and agricultural products."
Some achievements of SHA graduates include:
Learn more about the Soil Health Academy on their website: https://soilhealthacademy.org/
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