About Bellair Farm
We grow seasonal vegetables and pasture-based meats on historic Bellair Farm in southern Albemarle County.
Mission & Values
Our mission is to run a sustainable business and create a dynamic community around the farm and the food it produces. We strive to create a friendly and open environment where people can learn about sustainable agriculture, reconnect to the cycle of the seasons, and develop a meaningful relationship with the land and their food.
We work toward this mission by:
Growing clean, safe, delicious food in a responsible and ethic manner. We use limited organic certified and naturally derived pesticides when needed and use biodegradable, plant-derived ‘plastic’ mulch in our fields instead of petroleum based plastic.
Preserving long-term soil fertility through crop rotation, cover crops, and livestock inputs.
Raising livestock on pasture with non-GMO feeds.
Providing a positive work environment and fair compensation for our employees.
Serving the community by welcoming groups and individuals to explore the farm.
Cultivating vibrant and meaningful relationships amongst our members through our CSA program.
Working closely with our like-minded partner farmers & producers to bring a wide range of locally sourced food to our customers.
Farming Practices
We grow about 23 acres of vegetables without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Until Fall 2022, we were certified organic. At that time, we made the decision to drop the certification for several reasons, including cost, additional admin labor, and because we wanted to fully utilize biodegradeable ‘plastic’ mulch. You can read about the details in this blog post from 2023. In short, we continue to grow to the organic standard, but are not USDA certified.
We rarely use pesticides and its on an as needed basis -- these are organic products and naturally derived (kaolin clay, soil-bacteria-derived products). Fertilizers are naturally derived, like manure-based, blood/bone meal, manure from our own layer flock, cover cropping (this is a big one for us), and minerals that balance the soil (sulfur, boron, etc.) A huge part of our farming principles is fostering long term soil fertility and health, which is partly where the animals come in.
We raise livestock using rotational grazing systems. We raise laying hens, broiler chickens, hogs, and cattle.
Cattle - we primarily raise Red Devons, an English heritage breed, as well as Black Angus mixed in. Our breeding stock is specifically selected for their ability to perform well and finish well on a 100% grass diet. Our cattle have never touched grain. They are moved to fresh pasture every 2-3 days. Our beef is dry aged for 2 weeks before cutting, which adds excellent flavor.
Hogs - We raise a mix of heritage breed hogs, including Tamworth/Ossabaw cross-breeds and Berkshires. We move them every 2-3 weeks and they help to keep the ecosystem in succession (think prescribed burns) by maintaining grasslands and roughing up land/moving dirt. They naturally “till” the soil with their snouts as they forage. They forage along the outskirts/treelines of Bellair, are fed lots of veg & egg scraps, and are supplemented with a non-GMO grain/corn/soybean feed from Sunrise Farms in Stuarts Draft, VA
Laying Hens - We keep approximately 800 laying hens, who provide us with about 50 dozen eggs per day! Our hens are Golden Comets - a cross of Rhode Island Red (a hardy heritage breed with a pleasant temperament) and White Leghorn (a prolific, early laying hen). We move the hens onto fresh pasture every week, which is great for their health, but our fields also benefit from the added nitrogen (form their poop) and the light tillage (when the chickens scratch the soil). They graze on our pasture grasses & cover crops, and are supplemented with a non-GMO grain/corn/soybean feed from Sunrise Farms in Stuarts Draft, VA.
Broiler Chickens - starting in 2024, we will raise about 2500 “Freedon Ranger” broilers/year. These chickens are moved daily since we keep them in smaller coops. They eat a non-GMO grain/corn/soybean feed from Sunrise Farms in Stuarts Draft, VA and graze on pasture species and bugs as well. Our chickens are processed and packed by a local partner farmer.
