Our Story
Six Oaks Farm was originally established in 2012 and moved to it's last location near Norway, S.C. in January of 2014. Were currently located in Jonesville, S.C. The farm owner, David Crafton, Started farming in Md part time nearly 20 years ago and raised a garden, chickens, rabbits and Black Angus Feeder Steers. He moved to S.C. to farm full time after working in the commercial electrical field for just over 20 years. After moving to S.C., we purchased our first three pigs including 2 young female piglets and a boar piglet. We also purchased our first beef cows and rabbits as well as free range turkeys and chickens. Our herds have since grown to fit our customer's needs and now includes over 22 breeder pigs and an ever increasing herd of beef. Six Oaks Farm sits on 40 acres of pasture and wooded areas. Our livestock is rotated through the pastures throughout the year. This form of managing livestock is better for the soil, better for the enviroment and better for the health and well-being of the livestock. We engage in clean farming practices without the use of chemical ferlilizers, pesticides, antibiotics or hormones.
What does "Pastured" mean?
Pastured, in the context we at Six Oaks Farm use the word, is a verb. To us it means that our animals have year-round access to open pasture and wooded areas around the farm. We do not raise any of our livestock in small enclosures, pens, lots or cages. Our pigs make use of the pastures in the same way that our cows use them. They are able to do what comes naturally to... them in the fields and woods.
Our pigs diets consist of 90% pasture and forage from the wooded areas. From these areas they are able to obtain grasses, vegetables and weeds as well as fallen nuts in the fall months.
We also over seed our pasture areas with winter forage grasses, oats, clover, peas, beets, turnips and brassicas such as Essex Rape and Kale. Otherwise, the pigs get a small daily ration of locally ground grain as well as garden leftovers to complete their dietary needs. Our beef cattle enjoy the same conditions but are only fed some grain in the weeks before going to butcher. Our free-range chickens and turkeys are grown in the same manner. They garner what they need while free ranging during the day and are fed a small ration of whole and ground grains each evening.
Hormone and Antibiotic use:
We use no hormones or hormone fortified feed products at our farm, ever. Our animals grow just fine without them.
Antibiotics are also not commonly used here. All feed products purchased for use a the farm are checked for inclusion of antibiotics, none are accepted if found. We do, on occasion, find that an animal might require the use of antibiotics to maintain it's health only during a period of illness. Although this rarely happens we will mercifully give an animal what it needs to recover from any illness. This practice is used to maintain the health of the sick animal as well as the other animals around it.
If an animal here is healthy, it receives no antibiotics, period!
Chemical Free:
As well as being hormone and antibiotic free our products here are chemical free as well. The livestock is never treated with anything not naturally found. No synthesized chemicals are used in any feed products.
Our garden vegetables are raised in the same manner. No chemical fertilizers, no chemical pesticides and no chemical fungicides. We use composted materials and manure from our pastured stock in our garden. We rely on natural practices to control insects and fungi if they become a problem in the garden.
We feel that these natural practices of raising livestock contributes to a more happy, healthy and hardy animal. These practices also show in the quality of products that we produce here. Pastured meat has long been proven to be higher in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and good cholesterol. They are also much leaner but still maintain a full flavor and acceptable fat content such as marbling in the meat.
