Preserve
for land conservation, preservation, and wildlife habitat while
producing healthy food for our community. Honoring our many
years of conservation land-management strategies in the natural
areas of Coverdale, the implementation of regenerative agricultural
practices will mimic the natural processes that contribute to healthy
soil, animals, and ecosystems.
Phase One – Establishing Our Regenerative
Agriculture Systems
Regenerative Agriculture methods are a highly dynamic farm
system that is constant motion, with grazing livestock working very
small areas of pasture (approximately 1-2 acres) until they are
moved into the next area of pasture with rotations of vegetation
crops that require minimum inputs but produce maximum yields.
Each component of the system is selected for its contributions
to soil health. In 2017, we began Phase One of our master plan
implementation, which included integrating our rotational grazing of
livestock, the expansion of vegetable production, new programming
for beginning and urban farmers.
Developed through our preliminary work with the USDA Beginning
Farmer and Rancher Program, Coverdale incorporated 6 on-farm
training workshops for beginning and urban farmers on topics
including season extension, high tunnel construction and use, and
Integrated Pest Management (IMP). Over 60 farmers attended.
Over the next 3 years, we will extend these workshops to include
pasture-grazing poultry (egg-layers and turkey), animal husbandry,
and other topics related to our regenerative agriculture program.
Building on the success of our mobile chicken houses, which
we fondly call “Egg-mobiles”, a pasture-raised turkey program
was launched in 2017. Our rotational bird grazing now includes
a variety of conventional and heritage breeds of turkeys which
yielded 879 pounds of Thanksgiving turkey in 2017.
Perhaps one of the most important elements of our master plan
implementation is through the integration of the leader-follower
system and the introduction of the leaders – our Red Devon cows.
For Coverdale, the multi-species rotational grazing system is
comprised of large ruminants (cows), followed by small ruminants
(sheep), followed by poultry (a variety of heritage breeds of egg
laying hens and turkeys). Farm staff has been working with each
species separately to gain a good command of how each animal type
performs in the field before blending them all together. Eventually,
when visiting the farm, you will see large fields with cows in a small
pasture followed by sheep behind them, followed by birds (hens
and turkeys). Each class carries out their amazing services to the
ecosystem to benefit the soil and increase biodiversity and overall
health of the animal, providing nutrition density from the ground up.
Looking Ahead
Phase One of Coverdale Farm Regenerative Agriculture program
will continue well into the next 3 years, as we continuously
adapt our farming methods to work in concert with natural
ecosystems, blending the lines between the nature preserve and
our agriculture lands. Approximately 160 acres of Coverdale’s
lands are now part of our Regenerative Agriculture program.
In 2017, a board-led Coverdale Farm Preserve committee was
formed. In 2018, a Coverdale Business & Operations Plan was
developed to provide a 5-year business planning strategy to
optimize production while providing opportunities for earned
revenue in support of t he operations.
Delaware Nature Society extends our sincere gratitude to the
following foundations, organizations, and individuals who have
contributed to Coverdale Farm Preserve Master Plan Phase One
implementation initiatives: Crystal Trust Foundation, Patagonia,
Harvest Market (Bob Kleszics & Karen Ashley), Peter Kjellerup &
Mandy Cabot, Eric & Martha Lynn Brinsfield, Hank & Mary Davis,
and Margaretta Frederick & Michael Martin.
Visit us at DelNature.org/Coverdale to learn more.
Photography by Jim White, DNS Senior Fellow for Land and Biodiversity Management
7
75 tons of produce grown at
Coverdale Farm Preserve 7