the Farm
Hemlock Hill Farm is tucked away in the Twin Lakes neighborhood of Cortlandt Manor.
120 acres of pastures and woodland owned by the DeMaria family since 1939. At
Hemlock Hill Farm we understand how important it is to have access to local, healthy,
all-natural food. It starts with healthy soil. By using regenerative techniques like no till,
rotational grazing and encouraging biodiversity, our land flourishes. Our pastures are
filled with nutrient grass that we harvest each year for the livestock. We do not use
synthetic inputs. When the land thrives, the animals thrive.
what our cows eat
70/30 diet of grass and barley
Our Black Angus beef are pasture raised. Their diet consists of all-natural grass grown
on the farm and fermented barley (Brewers grain) (30%) from Captain Lawerence
Brewery. By collecting the fermented barley and feeding it to the cattle we are shrinking
the carbon footprint. This would normally go to a landfill. The barley is sweet tasting,
and it helps marbleize the meat. We do not give our cattle antibiotics, hormones or vaccines.
how do we bale hay?
Baling hay is one of the hardest jobs on the farm, and it has to be taken seriously. Having once lost a barn to fire from one of these hay bales, we’ve seen what spontaneous combustion looks like. And it can be devastating.
But feeding our cattle through the winter requires a lot of hay. We cut and mow the grass to make hay bales 2 to 3 times a year if we’re lucky. The process is no doubt an arduous one. It has to happen within a three day period and on the hottest days of the year, to avoid the rain. If there is any kind of moisture left in the hay, when the bale‘s are spun, the hay gets compressed so tightly that it can begin to heat up and actually spark a fire from within the hay bale.
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Pasture-raised chicken
Red Ranger and Barred Rock are the heritage breeds we grow. They arrive at the farm one day old from the hatchery. They are raised in our state-of-the-art chicken coops. When the weather permits, they are outside scratching and pecking for bugs and minerals.
They have an all-natural diet supplied by Cochecton Mills. We provide a safe and
healthy environment. We do not give our chickens antibiotics or hormones.
