sustainability

Piggy Piggy Piggy

Posted on by Cathy

Red Wattle Piggies!

Winona (Winnie) Wattle our Red Wattle sow farrowed this past week. She gave birth to 7 little red velvet bundles of cuteness.

One of our biggest concerns this year with Winnie was if she was going to be able to raise her piglets. Last year she had a very difficult farrowing, she developed mastitis and was not producing enough milk to feed them. We ended up having to raise them on goat milk. This for me was heart breaking. We had to make a decision on whether or not to keep Winnie. We knew we could not afford to keep a sow as a pet. This is just one example of the constant balance between loving and caring for your livestock while not letting your emotional attachment to them cause you to risk the financial  health of your farm. When making this decision I think our deciding factor was this was our first year on this farm and it was quite an adjustment period for both the farmers and the livestock. We decided everyone deserves second chances and Winnie was going to get one.

Winnie's piglets

Winnie has proven to be a great mom. She is feeding and raising her piglet and they are all thriving.

Who we are?

Posted on by Cathy

Silk Tree Farm is a small farm, located in Little Compton R.I.  All of our animals are raised on pastures that we lease along with a farmhouse, on property that is under a conservation easement with the Nature Conservancy. Our focus is to raise healthy happy animals.

Here at Silk Tree Farm we are committed to raising Heritage Breed Livestock. We believe it is vital to preserve these animals in order to protect our food system. ~Cathy B, Owner & Founder

If you visit the farm you will find that we have a variety of animals. It all began with Nigerian Dwarf goats, that we raised and bred. These wonderful animals are known for their gentle nature and high butterfat content in their milk. The milk they produce is what we use to make our handcrafted Natural Goat Milk Soaps.

You may also find Spanish Goats. In the spring of 2014 we purchased our starter herd of Spanish Goats from The Swiss Village Foundation located in Newport RI. This Spanish breed of goat is known for their meat and for their brush clearing ability.

We also raise Red Wattle Pigs. They are known for being making the Livestock Conservancy threatened list and their unique wattles. Also, they  are listed on the Slow Food Arc of Taste as being prime pork. We are hoping to have pork available late summer to the fall of 2015.

Lastly,our farm is home to Narragansett Turkeys, Black Jersey Giant Chickens, and Dorking Chickens. Both of these heritage chicken breeds are known for quality meat and egg production.

If you would to purchase our handcrafted products, they are available in stores, online http://www.silktreefarm.com/ , and at local farmers markets.

  • All Natural Goat Milk Soap Bars
  • Liquid Goat Milk Hand Soap
  • Body Wash
  • Goat Milk Shampoo
  • Hand Poured Soy Wax Candles

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