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All natural Shady Falls Farm

All natural Shady Falls Farm
WCN/ROBERT C. McDONALD • Reprints at wilsoncountynews.com David and Carolyn Morris of Elmendorf now spend their days working on the family farm. They even receive a little help from their grandchildren, Eleanor and Nicholas Dickson.
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Wilson County News
June 16, 2009
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ELMENDORF -- David and Carolyn Morris have lived on family land for more than 30 years, in a house built by David and his father-in-law. The land has been in Carolyn’s family since 1921, and her grandparents and parents farmed it many years ago. After sitting idle for years, the family farm is slowly making a comeback.

David had a successful career as an accountant, while Carolyn worked in the field of education, primarily with preschool-aged children. When the couple retired, they knew they wanted to do something with the land, something that would be beneficial to their family, yet would maintain their agricultural exemption and help keep the property from being overgrown. The answer was to enter into a unique farming model.

Utilizing practices that fall in line with the concepts of “sustainable farming,” the couple are raising poultry and cattle in an all-natural manner, and in ways that make the most efficient use of the land and animals.

The overall idea of what David and Carolyn are doing ties in with a concept known as Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA. Through CSA, members of the community help support a farmer’s operation financially, and in return, they receive a portion of the various harvests throughout the year.

There are currently more than 100 chickens at Shady Falls Farm, and David and Carolyn are working to increase that number. They are trying to find the breeds that are best suited for their land and the hot climate here in South Texas. The Heritage chickens have been doing well, while the Cornish Cross has turned out not to be the best option.

“We’re still experimenting,” Carolyn said.

The chickens cannot be described as “free range” because they are in pens to protect them from predators, but the pens are moved to a new section of the pasture every day, allowing them to take full advantage of the land. The family’s bloodhound, Baxter, also helps out, as he guards the pens from predators at night.

In addition to the poultry being raised, there are some cattle at Shady Falls Farm. Although this portion of the operation is limited, the cattle processed so far were very lean and healthy. David spoke of one animal recently processed that had a live weight of 650 pounds and yielded 500 pounds of meat.

“That is a pretty good ratio,” David said.

David attributed the high ratio to the all-natural diet that the cattle are being fed. They are not given any antibiotics or hormones. The cattle eat only grass and hay, avoiding the grains that lead to many problems for cattle raisers.

Still, the animals do need supplements to their diet at times. When this is necessary, David provides all-natural treatments. Using special types of kelp and other plants has allowed David to keep his herd healthy without using medications.

“There are almost always natural solutions to problems,” David said.

Although they have been asked about it, David and Carolyn do not raise dairy cattle. While they recognize there is a demand for raw milk, they said there is “too much government regulation” involved for them to even consider it. After all, this whole concept was about getting “back to the basics” of farming.

“We started out doing it for ourselves,” David said, “but now we are ready to grow.”

The couple said they are in a position to expand the operation and business, but don’t want to get too big. David wants to maximize the land he has available, but is not looking to expand beyond the 30 or so acres he currently has with which to work.

“You don’t need a lot of land if it’s managed properly,” David said. “We can do a lot with what we have right here.”

For those interested in buying poultry or beef from Shady Falls Farm, the Morris family extends an invitation to visit the farm and see the process for themselves.

“I am proud of what I am doing,” David said. “I am going to eat it, I am going to feed it to my family, my kids, and to my grandkids.”

Shady Falls Farm is currently taking orders for holiday turkeys. Because it takes five to six months for a turkey to reach market weight, orders must be made soon. As with the chickens, turkeys will be raised without medications or hormones.

“They are as close to what nature intended as I can do,” David said. “If people would like to have them, I’m more than happy to raise them.”

For more information, call Shady Falls Farm at 210-288-8176, or see the Web site at http://www.shadyfallsfarm.com.
 


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