A Bushel and A Peck Farm LLC
Vendor
About
Hello! A Bushel and Peck Farm LLC is a small family operated farm located in Westerlo, NY. We established our farm in 2021. As first generation farmers, Ryan and Apryl are passionate about sustainability and environmental consciousness. Our practices reflect that mindset. That is why our animals are bred on our farm and raised in either open pasture or on a pasture rotation system that keeps them safe while also providing them with a constant supply of fresh forage. Animal waste is composted for an appropriate amount of time before being returned to our soil as fertilizer and any produce that isn’t sold is consumed by our animals; creating a largely sustainable cycle. We also harvest as many of our own fruit and vegetable seeds as possible for the next years crop to reduce our consumption and take advantage of all of our resources.
Of course we wouldn’t expect others to support us if we weren’t also supporting our local businesses. Our feed is purchased from a local whole grain farm and when it comes time to process our livestock we utilize SUNY Cobleskill’s USDA certified meat lab, supporting the next generation of farmers in growing their butchering skills.
We mindfully offer free range chicken and duck eggs, as well as pasture raised and rotated chicken, duck and turkey. For customers who visit our farm we offer farm raised rabbit meat. Our pork is superior to what you would find at a grocery store, not only because it is pasture raised and fed fermented whole grains, but because we raise heritage breed pork. Heritage breeds produce a smaller amount of meat but are notorious for outstanding flavor.
Our true pride though is our garden. In the summer season we grow a large variety of rare and heirloom fruits, vegetables and herbs. Don’t worry though, we germinate three times what we need to grow so that our customers can purchase seedlings and plants for their own gardens. While not a significant branch of our farming operation, Apryl (and especially the kids) love growing cut flowers and building colorful bouquets for our customers to enjoy.
Thank you for considering allowing us to bring our products to your market; we hope to see you soon!
Production Practices
Integrated Pest Management Antibiotic And Hormone Free Pastured Free Range Perennial Crops Holistic Management Crop Rotation Cover Crops No Till Thermal Composting
Our pigs are raised on pasture. Our poultry is raised on pasture in a pasture rotation system that provides them fresh space when the previous space has been exhausted. Our egg layers are allowed to completely free range our property and are only confined to a coop at night for their safety. The feed we provide our animals is antibiotic and growth hormone free. It is whole grain and when temperatures are above freezing is fermented to allow for optimal nutrient absorption. Structures that we’ve personally built to house our animals are all built with untreated lumber to minimize chemical inhalation and absorption. We practice responsible breeding in two ways: 1) we do not breed animals that display any signs of illness 2) we require adequate time between breeding to allow our animals to recover from birth and lactation.
While we cannot claim organic products, our produce is started in organic seed starter and grown in organic raised bed soil. Raised beds are all built with untreated lumber and sealed with pure tung oil to reduce the amount of chemical byproducts reaching our plants. We utilize straw bale gardens for appropriate crops and we do not have a need to till in the areas where we are required to plant directly into our soil. Pest management is achieved through crop rotation and sacrificial and companion planting. We do not spray our plants aside from home made pepper spray. Crop rotation and cover crops are utilized, along with compost and rabbit manure produced on our farm, to fix nutrients into our soil and avoid the need for commercial fertilizers.
Location
Westerlo, NY
Manager
We are Ryan and Apryl Duro: a husband and wife team. When we met we found instant compatibility in our shared desires to live with less and provide as much as possible for ourselves. In 2021 with a six, two and one year old in tow and a baby on the way we moved from Altamont to Westerlo to start our dream homestead. Very quickly though own passions for stewarding animals and growing food grew to a level that surpassed homesteading. After all, how many five gallon buckets of eggs can you waterglass before it’s time to start sharing?! Ryan most enjoys raising the pigs and ducks and helping Apryl realize all of her infrastructure dreams! Apryl, with the help of the children, is responsible for the egg layers, poultry, garden and orchard. As much as we like to think the addition rabbits and goats were a “profit yielding farm investment”, if we’re being honest we really just enjoy having them as farm companions. When Apryl isn’t busy chasing chickens or nursing a baby she’s working at Albany Medical Center in the cardiac operating room. Ryan is the glue that holds the family together, maintaining the household and providing a majority of the child rearing. In his down time he’s escaping to the barn to muck stalls and enjoy a little peace and quiet!
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