What makes a farm or ranch sustainable?
The value of sustainable farming can be understood by examining the alternative: factory farming. Factory-style hog farms house thousands of animals in crowded confinement buildings. Farm managers typically store liquefied waste in huge pits called waste lagoons that can be one story deep and acres wide. Even under the best circumstances, these lagoons are enormous sources of pollution–including antibiotics, bacteria, and nitrogen–that leaches to groundwater, contaminates air, and can spill and run off to surface waters. Environmental stewardship is one of the principles underlying everything we do to produce the best meat. Niman Ranch farmers and ranchers raise far fewer animals than industrial-style operations, so do not need to liquefy waste and store it in cesspools. Farmers and ranchers are encouraged to use manure from their animals as a beneficial by-product, fertilizing their fields or those of their neighbors. Our ranchers raise sheep and cattle in harmony with the grass sea
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