At Hardy Hills Farm, AJ Hay and Alicia Arding seek out natural ways of integrating plants and animals. Together they own 152 acres and farm using regenerative livestock management, no-till planting, and silvopasture. They are not certified organic but the farm is free of pesticides, fungicides herbicides, and chemical fertilizer.
Hay takes a holistic approach to the farm, looking at what nature has done for centuries. They have ruminants that mow through their grasslands, building up soil organic matter through their activity. They keep chickens and turkeys to lightly till the soil’s surface and reduce parasite load on the land, and pigs to help build back the degraded parts of their land.