Welcome to Coach Stop Farm!
We're pleased to provide some information about our free-range, naturally-raised meat and poultry products and our philosophy and methods of raising healthy, additive- and antibiotic-free animals.
Using draft-horse power (Percherons), we farm a little over 50 acres outside of Zeeland,
Michigan. Pastures, grain crops, and hay are managed without chemicals for weed or insect control. We find that Mother Nature, properly balanced, takes care of "bad bugs" by providing "good bugs" to dine on them. Likewise, weeds are discouraged by periodic plantings of cover crops which feed soil and enhance future crop growth.
Our animals are raised "free-range", not confinement-style. We are able to pasture them on grass, augmented by appropriate corn-based protein rations for flavor and growth. By avoiding high-population, confinement-style raising of animals, antibiotics are unnecessary to maintain health.
The meat is defined as "naturally raised" instead of "organically raised" because we do have to buy
some grain products and can't always be guaranteed that those are organic. Over the years, we've given great value for the money our customers have invested in our meat products. Size, flavor, and price-per-pound are generally a far better value than any supermarket can offer.
If you're interested in knowing more about naturally-raised food products, have questions about prices and availability of different meats, or would like to visit our farm, just give us a call!
We've provided some general facts about lamb, pork, and chicken products (availability, etc.), some fun recipes, and also info on our Percheron horses (photos!), and our stallion, Elliot's Jock.
In case you're curious about our farm name . . . our property was once a coach stop on the "corduroy road" (logs laid side by each) across the muck lands between Grand Rapids and Holland Michigan. Another stop was east of us on the other side of the "muck", and teams of horses were kept on both sides to do nothing but haul heavy coaches across the boggy land. (The muck lands in our area are alleuvial soil which is between 6 and 12 feet deep; farmers on this land grow garden vegetables like celery, onions, lettuces, leeks, bok choy and parsnips.)
When we first moved to the farm, a friend sent us a postcard to "welcome" us to our new place. She addressed it to "Conni and Darrell at the Coach Stop", and the name stuck. Another unimportant bit of trivia you didn't want to know.
If you're looking for Coach Stop Farms in Morrisville NY, raising Haflingers and Exmoors, and offering riding lessons and boarding, click here!
If you'd like to visit other sites having to do with organic or naturally-raised meat, or horse stuff, click here!
Visit the web site of our pet volunteer non-profit - Therapeutic Horsemanship of West Michigan.