Integrating Organic Poultry and Sheep

Elmwood Stock Farm, Georgetown, KY -- June 1, 2026, 9 am - 12 pm ET

Organic farming is all about optimizing the nutrient needs of every plant or animal. Raising poultry and sheep in unison creates a regenerative farming system that produces a lot of protein on a few acres, and according to Mac Stone at Elmwood Stock Farm, is enjoyable to sustain (mostly). Sheep keep the pastures eaten down, which the poultry like. Poultry fertilize the pasture that the sheep like. Temporary fencing and watering technology that was unthinkable ten years ago now allows small farmers to manage stock more efficiently and humanely than ever thought possible. 

In this OAK Farmer Field Day, Mac shares what he has learned over many years managing hair sheep, broad-breasted turkeys, Narragansett heritage turkeys, broiler chickens, and laying hens on 25 acres. (Mac encourages farmer attendees to bring maps or diagrams of their farm fields for consideration/discussion.) The Field Day will cover:

• Grazing strategies: nutrition, pasture management, parasite considerations

• Farm management strategies: fencing, watering, feeding, mowing and labor

• Marketing considerations: seasonality, food safety, processing, messaging and pricing

• Species-specific considerations for broiler production, egg layers, turkeys and sheep

• General aspects of species integration: financial considerations, resources and time
  

    

  Register for June 1 Field Day