Wayward Farm

About Us:

Wayward Farm produces pastured eggs, grass-fed heritage beef, and free-range chicken in West Northfield Nova Scotia. Our products are available at the West Dublin Farmer's Market and off the farm. Feel free to get in touch and come by!

EGGS

We raise about 200 egg layers in a mobile coop which is moved by ATV around the pasture every other day following the cattle. The hens spread the cow manure and add their own to the land. Our neighbours wonder what the wild little building is that gets dragged all around the property.

The hens lay in stacking, tilted nest boxes that allow the egg to roll away from the box as soon as it is laid. This way the eggs stay very clean and we do not need to wash them, which protects their "bloom" and allows the eggs to store at room temperature for weeks and weeks. Here we store them in a cool room until they get to you. Ever see eggs on the grocery shelf in Europe? It's because they understand this principle and incorporate it into their agricultural policies, unlike most of North America where eggs are washed and then must be refrigerated.

BEEF

We keep anywhere from 8-12 cows here at the farm. With the exception of our jersey milk cow, the cattle are a breed called Belted Galloway which hail from Scotland. They are well-suited for grazing and grow and finish well on grass alone. Dominantly Red or Black in colour, "Belties" wear a white "belt" around their middles which was a bred trait that allowed farmers to see the herd from afar in the highlands! Our cows are well socialized, greeting us to check for treats, looking for a scratch on the bum or chin, and standing calming while our son sits on their backs! They too get a fresh paddock of grass every day, a practice called cell-grazing which allows the pasture a full recovery period before it is grazed again.

CHICKEN

We get our certified free-range chicken as day-old chicks. They stay protected in the barn and are put out on to grass as soon as they feather out. They move daily to new block of grass inside a movable electrified mesh fence, which gives them fresh forage, bugs, and stimulation. The chicken are processed at a government certified abattoir and range from 3-8lbs.