Livestock Operation
The Harvest Table Livestock Operation, run by Patrick Depp, sits on the other side of the mountain from the Harvest Table Farm. Patrick practices intense rotational grazing with a diversity of livestock to naturally and efficiently restore the health of the land.
Patrick and his partner, Kiki MacDonald, were hired as “cattle managers'' in summer of 2020 to rotationally graze the herd of Dexter cattle. Patrick has since implemented the strategy of intense rotational grazing; he grazes the animals in substantially smaller pastures, which requires moving them every 1-2 days. The goal is to eradicate the weeds naturally while simultaneously building soil.
He saw a huge opportunity to employ a diversity of animals on the 40 acres of pasture, each playing a different role, as is seen in nature. First the cattle, who eat down the grasses and the weeds, followed by the goats who fearlessly tackle thorny bushes, pigs to dig out the roots of unwanted weeds, and chickens and ducks dispersed through all phases to scratch the top layer of soil.
In addition to his goal of improving the health of the land as quickly as possible, Patrick created a compost pickup system from local restaurants to build soil for his gardens. Contact him at pdepp962@outlook.com for more details of the restaurant compost pickup program.
Patrick intends for the Harvest Table Farm Livestock Operation to be a demonstration site and workshop space for those interested in learning. He has a degree in land use planning and a minor in soil science from the University of Wisconsin, 8 years of experience working with cattle, and a Permaculture Design Certificate from Kenya, Africa. He and Kiki are committed to learning and sharing ideas with other local farmers and see this as a way to increase community resilience.
Find Patrick this summer in his community garden, in the pastures moving animals and fixing fences, caring for his ducks, designing new infrastructure, building soil, visiting farms, and giving tours of his land. Tours by appointment only, $25/ person. ($40 to tour the produce and livestock branches of the Harvest Table Farm as a package.)
Please contact: pdepp962@outlook.com
