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.
Read our blog about sustainable, natural foods, growing, preparing, canning and preserving good food from your own garden or from your local providers.
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Coach Stop Farms of Morrisville NY R Not Us!
July, 2011 update - Received a note from John Bosworth, former owner of Coach Stop Farms in Morrisville, NY - he says, "I just noticed your post about our farm on your website! Thanks so much for the kind words, it's been a tough 2-3 years. The farm finally sold, closed in January. The new owners have renamed it, so Coach Stop Farms is no more. Thank GOD! All the bills are paid off & we're moving forward again. " This is good news, and we wish him well!August, 2010 - Please note: we are NOT Coach Stop Farms of Morrisville NY. Their site was/is temporarily at http://www.coachstopfarms.net, although I see on WhoIs that their holding of that name expires this month, August 2010. That farm was for sale this year, 2010, and apparently had been leased for about a year by people reputed to be less than honest in their horse-related business dealings. Our hearts go out to the actual owner of Coach Stop Farms in Morrisville, John Bosworth, as this apparently has put him into dire financial straits. You can read more about this at this link. We sincerely hope the property sells and John gets clear of the problems. The photos of his trashed property are heartbreaking.
