Vince and DawnFounding parents, growers of food, children, and spirit. St. Brigid's Meadows is the conclusion of an idea founded in 1978 when the farms first dairy animals took to the pastures. Together, over 45 years of working the land, they have become experts in organic farming, rotational grazing, and biodynamics among many other regenerative farming practices.
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Rick and DianeThe backbone of the farm: experts with the books and with the animals. They are the first faces you see and have a hand in each order that goes out the door. With backgrounds in food distribution and the culinary world, they help local foodies get the best ingredients possible. The farm runs on their steady work ethic and warm hospitality.
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Emma jeanEvery farm has a hero. Ours is Emma Jean, the southern belle on the ridge top. She came braying in on Christmas morn a few years ago and never left. Now, Emma Jean enjoys giving a ride to the occasional passerby and hopes for something sweet in return.
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St. Brigid’s Meadows is a certified organic farm on two parcels located 12 miles east of La Crosse on highway 162 and County Road PI. With have 150 beef cattle that are rotationally grazed on 96 acres of pasture in the summer and fed baled hay in the winter. No hormones, antibiotics, or non-organic feeds of any kind are used. In trying to fit the model of nature, we are a bio-diverse farm with laying hens, pastured poultry, grass-fed beef and pastured hogs. Each animal works with the others in helping maintain a balanced ecosystem. The chickens follow the cows to eat grubs in the manure and help expedite the composting of the waste into dark, rich soil. The hogs feed on pasture and organic grains from our fields. They also eat garden scraps and any other omnivorous food that complements their diet. The beeves "mow" the grass in the pastures, mimicking the great bison or antelope herds that kept our prairies lush for centuries. The laying hens keep the fly population to a minimum and keep the grass in check as well. Their nitrogen rich manure is spread over the fields as a natural fertilizer to enhance our crops. To power everything, we have 40 kW of solar panels keeping our farms sustainable and clean.
Who are We? The Hundt Family has been farming on the Poplar Coulee Ridge since 1978 and with purely organic practices since 1989 – long before “St Brigid’s Meadows” was even a glimmer in Vince’s eye. The kids are now all grown and off on adventures or in Viroqua starting farms and families of their own, but Vince and Dawn still faithfully manage the crops and animals at St. Brigid’s. Years of careful crop rotations, manure applications and strict avoidance of harsh chemical fertilizers and pesticides have resulted in healthy soil that is full of life and vitality.
Who are We? The Hundt Family has been farming on the Poplar Coulee Ridge since 1978 and with purely organic practices since 1989 – long before “St Brigid’s Meadows” was even a glimmer in Vince’s eye. The kids are now all grown and off on adventures or in Viroqua starting farms and families of their own, but Vince and Dawn still faithfully manage the crops and animals at St. Brigid’s. Years of careful crop rotations, manure applications and strict avoidance of harsh chemical fertilizers and pesticides have resulted in healthy soil that is full of life and vitality.