Permaculture
Permaculture: (noun) The Development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.
Permanent + Agriculture = “Permaculture”
Gibson Family Farms is fully committed to agriculture. In fact, we have contracted with the Agricultural Stewardship Association to pledge our land under a Permanent Perpetual Easement. This means that our farm will never be developed. We know the true value of farmland . . . it is priceless.
With the wind in our sails, we continue to implement every practice we can to perfect our circle of restoration and regeneration.
From a fundamental standpoint, by fostering the principles of permaculture we do NOT: kill vegetation, till up the soil, plant whatever crop we think will provide the best return and count the days until we strip the land for harvest. Instead, we prioritize the regeneration of our native vegetation, mindfully nurturing and preserving the soil content present beneath the grass and continually adding valuable organic matter through gentle grazing, tempered compaction and nutrient absorption from the ground surface.
Our overall adaptation of permaculture includes many of the practices you will find outlined below.
Polyculture
structuring the co-habitation of multiple species in a means which allows them to thrive - together
In our experience, animals grow better together. Though each animal carries their own set of traits, when placed in harmony, we find BALANCE and thus a representation of God’s grand design. For example, cows and sheep have different palatal preferences in forage - thankfully, because we have no desire to grow just one type of plant. When a multitude of plants grow together they are more than just a bed of mixed greens - they are individualized root systems, identity specific nutrient powerhouses, catalysts for their own particular metabolic reactions within the animal digesting them. Not only is there balance in the feed available to the animals; they are giving back to the soil, simultaneously replenishing the ecosystem by pruning the plants, creating the sought after trample effect that promotes soil health, and fertilizing the ground as they pass over it. Each species even impacts the land in their own unique way - while chickens aerate the soil and feed off of insects and larvae that may otherwise grow or reproduce in excess, pigs reclaim land by means of rooting and cutting back overgrowth. Symbiotic relationships exist everywhere in nature. If we are intentional about fostering the equilibrium that was present before man tried to prove he knew better than nature, we reap rewards of symbiotic proportions. Variety truly is the spice of life!
Silvopasture
agroforestry in the most regenerative form
It’s easy to picture a farm field - open acres of land bordered by stone walls and/or tree lines. More often than not non-grazers even picture that field with billowing crops instead of speckled with a herd, flock or “flerd”. But, what if there is a better farm field? What if it’s not necessarily a “field” at all? In pasture raising animals there come days of excess sun and heat, days of rain, days of wind or snow - those wide open fields of pasture provide no protection from the elements; nary even a tree for the animals to fix an itch with a good scratching. Silvopasture is a game-changer. Grazing fields that are littered with trees provides a shady solace or an umbrella of cover. As an incredible bonus, studies have shown Silvopasture is a valuable means of carbon sequestration.
Rotational Grazing
In order to best provide for our animals and simultaneously build soil health, we practice rotational grazing - specifically mob grazing. This means that the animals are allotted a plot of land to graze then moved to fresh grass, up to 3 times each day. The benefits of this practice are many. The controlled exposure keeps the grass from being over-grazed, leaving a portion for photosynthesis. The livestock trample the grass in a way that lays it perfectly for building organic matter. Manure is spread evenly, fertilizing the ground. Perhaps the most exciting advantage to our animals is that they have the luxury of dining at a different place daily (often for each meal)!