Heritage breed livestock are traditional breeds of livestock that were raised by our forefathers before industrial agriculture became a mainstream practice. These breeds were carefully selected and bred over time to develop traits that made them well-adapted to the local environment and they thrived under farming practices and cultural conditions that are very different from those found in modern agriculture. They have kept essential attributes for survival and self-sufficiency – fertility, foraging, longevity, maternal instincts, ability to mate naturally, and resistance to diseases and parasites. Heritage animals once roamed the pastures of America’s pastoral landscape, but today these breeds are in danger of extinction. At WCF we raise several heritage breeds including Katahdin Hair Sheep (recently graduated from the Livestock Conservation List) & Gloucestershire Old Spot Pigs (Threatened to Extinction). We always choose heritage breeds and do our best to help with the conservation of these lovely animals threatened by the new wave of agriculture.

We at WCF believe that every animal deserves to live its life to as close as nature intends for it to. Our chickens free-range, the sheep live on pasture with full 24/7 access to a barn, the pigs live in grassy paddocks that are over 875x what is “required” for conventionally raised pigs. Our entire farms mission is giving each and every animal the best life possible.

A livestock guardian dog (LGD) is a dog type bred for the purpose of protecting livestock from predators. Livestock guardian dogs stay with the group of animals they protect as a full-time member of the flock or herd. Their ability to guard their herd is mainly instinctive, as the dog is bonded to the herd from an early age. Unlike herding dogs which control the movement of livestock, LGDs blend in with them, watching for intruders within the flock. The mere presence of a guardian dog is usually enough to ward off some predators, and LGDs confront predators by vocal intimidation, barking, and displaying very aggressive behavior. WCF has two different LGD’s on the farm named Duke and Sage. Duke is a Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Sheperd and Sage is a Sarplaninac Yugoslavian Dog.

Farrowing is the process of a female pig (sow) giving birth. In most conventional operations sows give birth in crates designed to restrain them & reduce the risk of piglet crushing by the sow. While it does reduce that risk it comes with some serious welfare concerns. At WCF we do something called Free Farrowing. Our sows give birth in their house on pasture or in the barn in a huge dedicated stall that allows them the freedom to build nest, increase positive maternal behavior, and just be a pig following her instincts.

Glad you asked, but this topic is too long to include in just a short section. Please visit our bulk meat tab at the top to learn all about the process of buying bulk meat from the farm.

We love that you want to come see our animals but due to biosecurity and safety hazards we currently do not offer farm visits to the public. The health and safety of our animals is of upmost importance.