OUR STORY

Before the purchase of The Farm at Cochranville, the farm was part of an exceptional horse breeding operation called Derry Meeting Farm. As the operation's owner grew older, the 130+ acre property went up for sale. The farm was then purchased by regenerative agricultural enthusiast, Bruce Balick and his partner, Claudia who both had one goal in mind: restoring the farm's soil, grass, and land to a biodiverse abundant ecosystem of thriving species, fertile soil, and healthy organic matter. ​

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In 2013 after the farm was purchased by Farmer Bruce and Farmer Claudia, what better could improve the soil and the land than natural fertilizer? An answer to that question is to get some cattle on the over-grazed pastures. A small herd of Black Angus cattle were bought and raised on the land. There came success, the pasture started to improve and rebound as rotational and intense grazing came into effect. However, Bruce noticed that the Black Angus breed was large and impacted the health of the soil due to their weight. They were not ideal for a grass-fed operation. That is where the finding of the South Poll breed was revolutionary for our farm.

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Inspired by the famous regenerative cattle rancher and South Poll breeder, Greg Judy; Bruce, Claudia, and the Farm embarked on a mission to introduce South Polls to Cochranville, PA. Due to the smaller size animal, calm disposition, slick hair, fertility, and longevity, the South Poll breed is ideal for grass-fed operations. The South Poll is made up of four different beef cow breeds (Barzona, Hereford, Angus, and Senepol). By 2018, Bruce had a considerable amount of South Polls using one of Greg Judy's bulls to improve genetics.

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In 2022, the Farm began to expand its operation into not just South Poll genetics and beef, but chicken, pork, and lamb. Farmer always emphasizes that all the livestock raised on the farm that you eat is 100% natural. No hormones, no GMOs, no chemicals, and the least amount of stress we can give them. Furthermore, the Farm is not just producing quality natural healthy products for the consumer, but the agricultural practices are improving the biodiversity of the farm. Our cattle herd size is now about 55. The herd consists of 50/50 and purebred South Polls. Our St. Croix-Katahdin mixed sheep graze among the cattle and the chickens also are moved along the same pastures. This multi-species grazing benefits the land greatly. Since the farm was purchased, the soil has been rejuvenated, wildlife has been reintroduced to the land, and diverse forages have sprouted up across the pasture. 

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We will continue following the same path of improving our South Poll genetics, providing natural quality products to our customers, and most importantly, being the best land stewards we can be to improve biodiversity.