CERTIFIED ORGANIC
David and Judy Whitney
Avon, NY
Products
Grass-fed beef; organic pork and all-natural sausages
Growing Practices
Whitney Farms is NOFA-NY Certified Organic in hay, wheat, corn, pork and beef. Crop rotation, manure, and cover crops are used to build soil and control pests and weeds. Beef cows are on rotational grazing on pasture; pigs are outside after they are 8-10 weeks old.
Dave describes the farm: “Judy and I work a 365-acre farm located on Fowlerville Road just south of Rochester in Avon, New York where we had a 50-cow dairy for 37 years. We have three children and three grandchildren. Judy and I started raising hogs with 2 sows in 2001. Currently our hog business has grown to 10 sows, which we farrow to finish and direct market all natural meat. In 2006 we applied for certification with the NOFA New York Organic Program. We were accepted into the program on August 2, 2006 where it has been determined our agricultural practices meet with the USDA National Organic standards for crop and/or livestock production. Our crops organically grown are corn, oats, wheat, hay and pasture. Hogs are farrowed in pens in our cow barn. They stay with mom for 6-8 weeks and then go to a pen where they can go outside and are fed organic pig grower for 4-6 weeks. At three months of age they are put out on pasture and fed certified organic pig feed until weighing approximately 250 lbs. Our hogs are always treated like one of the family. Pens are clean and comfortable and our pigs are well taken care of. Our market hogs go to Leona Meats in Pennsylvania, a “certified organic butcher” for processing. It is cut, wrapped and frozen and then brought back to our freezer for storage. We are currently also growing organic beef. Judy and I are firm believers in raising organic meats and forages with no growth hormones, antibiotics, preservatives and pesticides.”