The Stead Farm – Barkhamstead, CT

Shannon and Brent Chatfield and their family began farming at The Stead Farm in Barkhamstead, Connecticut in 2020, and today they raise Certified Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Non-GMO by AGW laying hens and pigs and Certified Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Non-GMO by AGW and Certified Grassfed by AGW sheep, marketing directly to customers.

“We bought the farm during the Covid-19 pandemic, and our vision is to turn our 64 acres into a silvopasture grazing system,” says Shannon. “When the system is fully in place, the pigs will go through the acreage first to till, and then we will let the land rest. After that, we’ll add seed, let the plants grow, move the sheep and beef through to graze and follow with the chickens. Every species does their part, and the rest periods are critical for regeneration.”

The Chatfield family raises a flock of Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW and Certified Non-GMO by AGW Katahdin sheep at The Stead Farm, along with a flock of Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Non-GMO by AGW mixed breed laying hens and Berkshire pigs. The livestock are raised outdoors on the farm’s pastures, grazing the forests and fields.

Certified Non-GMO is the only certification and logo in the U.S. and Canada that guarantees a food product is produced without the use of genetically modified feed, supplements or ingredients, and comes from animals managed according to the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW leading welfare and environmental standards on an independent farm. Certified Grassfed by AGW is the first—and only—food label in the U.S. and Canada that guarantees food products come from animals fed a 100% grass and forage diet, and raised entirely outdoors on pasture or range.

Shannon and Brent pursued AGW certification for their livestock because of their own education around factory farming and interest in animal welfare advocacy. “I believe we need to change our farming system,” says Shannon. “AGW provides a great foundation for people to learn from and navigate raising animals outdoors on pasture and range.”

For Shannon and Brent, the most important part of their animal husbandry practices involves a focus on prevention, making sure that they provide daily care and attention in making sure the animals have what they need to be healthy and thrive. “The bottom line for us, though, is transparency with customers,” says Brent. “Anybody can say humanely-raised, but I’m going above and beyond to not-only take great care in our animal management practices but also in our willingness to bring a third-party to inspect the farm on a regular basis. We mean what we say, and we want people to know how much care goes into the way we farm.”

AGW-certified chicken eggs, lamb and pork from The Stead Farm is available directly from the farm through their farmstand and the Town of Barkhamstead Farmers’ Market for local customers and with email order with nationwide shipping for those across the U.S. For more information, visit www.thesteadfarm.com, follow the farm on Facebook and get in touch with Shannon and Brent Chatfield at [email protected] and (860)-459-8018.