Comfrey is a versatile farm plant.

Treasures of Joy is a 75 acre family farm located near Syracuse, New York. We produce pastured meats which we sell on the farm and nutrient dense vegetables which we sell on-farm and at the Green Hills Farmer’s Market. Our farming practices are based upon organic principles.

We are raising our vegetables in fixed beds which have been mineralized with rock phosphate, high calcium lime and trace minerals. We are in the process of learning how to use foliar feeding and compost tea techniques so that our vegetbles will have brix readings in the above-average range.

Our cattle and goats thrive on our rotational grazing program from May to November. We are in the process of evaluating the brix levels of their forage so that we can take steps to improve their nutrional intake. We make kelp available as a free choice option for salt and trace minerals. During the winter they get locally produced grass hay (along with kelp) almost exclusively.

Our hogs are raised out-of-doors so that they have access to dirt and grass. If their pasture begins to get overgrazed we will supplement with fresh comfrey, hay or grass clippings. Our hogs also get a non-medicated conventional feed which is milled in central New York, garden waste, table scraps, and any unused milk the farm produces.

Our hens produce hard-shelled, robust yolk brown eggs through their free-range access to forage. They also get a non-medicated locally milled commercial feed. During the winter our hens prefer to stay in their shelter but they have the option to step outside for some fresh air and sunshine.

We raise meat chickens by brooding them for three weeks then moving them to  a pasture area. There they are guarded by a dog for free roaming during the daytime. At night we lock them into some secure housing to deter predators. They also receive a non-medicated locally milled commercial feed.

© TOJFarm 2010