Sustainability
Initiatives
Regenerative Farming
+ Soil Management
We believe healthy soil is alive, and, as stewards of the land, it is our responsibility to preserve healthy microbiomes and fortify soil fertility. The following practices ensure our animals always have a healthy variety of necessary vegetation in their diet and bolster local ecosystems.
No Synthetic Fertilizers or Pesticides
Unlike traditional farming practices that rely on chemical soil amendments, we rely on the natural fertilization that is afforded by raising animals on pasture. As animals rotate through paddocks, they consume potential pests and mow down vegetation, promoting healthy regrowth and reintroducing nutrient-rich organic matter into the soil.
Rotational Grazing
We strategically rotate animals through pastures, moving the livestock as vegetation is 3 inches high and reintroducing them as the pasture grows to 6 inches in height. This process ensures a rapid vegetative regrowth period, requiring plants to sequester carbon from the atmosphere as the pasture rests and rebuilds.
Enhanced Biodiversity
Azuluna Farm pastures are composed of native plant varieties that benefit the local insect and animal population, providing shelter and sustenance for fauna that coexist on our land. By working within resilient ecosystems we build a reciprocal relationship with the land and the critters that inhabit it.
Creating Efficient Energy
Renewable Resources
Wood Gasification Boiler
When organic waste is added to landfills, it decomposes, creating a very potent greenhouse gas, methane. At our flagship hub farm in Woodstock, CT, we extract energy from organic matter; materials like sawmill waste, lawn clippings, excess lumber, cardboard, and newspaper can provide fuel through our wood gasification boiler. This system derives energy from the controlled burn of organic biomass and efficiently disperses heat through the main buildings on the farm. The gasification process produces significantly lower quantities of air pollutants compared to that of nonrenewable resources like oil and coal, discharging less than 10 percent of the particulate emissions of the average residential wood stove. The gasification boiler reduces waste disposal, repurposing organic matter into fuel.
DC Micro Grid
Our premiere hub farm recently completed the construction of an onsite DC microgrid. A microgrid is a small-scale power grid that can operate independently or in conjunction with the area’s main electrical grid. We generate our own electricity through the use of wind turbines and solar panels. These renewable resources produce 380 volts of DC power which are then converted to 220 volts of AC power, supplying all the electricity for the main house, carriage house, barns, and garages. This decentralized system increases our autonomy from traditional energy sources and ensures our farm has the energy it needs to care for our livestock when conventional systems fail.
