Interview with Hershberger Heritage Farm

In advance of our Farm Tour at Hershberger Heritage Farm on August 7, I chatted with Farmer Nate Layton, a corporate office worker turned pasture-raised livestock farmer about the farm and ways they raise animals on the 50 acre farm.

Foodshed: Why did you start farming in the first place?

Farmer Nate: A little over 10 years ago, I was working a corporate desk job and I was frankly unhealthy, overweight and not happy. I was realizing how poisonous our food system really is. I wanted better food for myself, my family and my friends. I went to business school and I noticed there weren’t pasture-raised chickens in the area and saw the opening. I had an opportunity so I quit my job, cashed out my 401(k) and started farming. I dumped every dollar I had to my name into the farm.

Foodshed: How have you seen farming change over your tenure?

Nate: The main change I have seen is the wider adoption of organic, pasture-raised and regenerative farming. When I first started, there were not many local farms pasture-raising their animals but there are more now. 

The demand has also increased since I started. We started with just meat chickens (broilers), then we added eggs, then we added beef and now pork. We continue to sell out on a yearly basis. Although some years we almost close and barely make it, sometimes we make one mistake and almost go under. That also makes it exciting too.

Foodshed: Farming is hard. Why do you stick with it?

Nate: Farming is really a lifestyle to me and I love it. As a farmer, you can create your own schedule. The hours are long and you abuse your body but it allows me freedom to pursue my passions, including woodworking. 

Foodshed: Can you tell me how your animals are fed and how that impacts their health and nutrition?

Nate: Imagine the time before people established agriculture, cows would have been roaming in grassy-areas and they were certainly not eating corn. Cows are ruminants, their stomachs are set up to eat grass. When we feed them a natural diet of grass, outside in the elements, this creates a happier and healthier animal. I raise the cows the way they should be raised – 100% grass-fed, no corn, all seasons. You can read more about the nutritional value of grass-fed beef here.

Foodshed: How is your way of farming different from conventional? 

Nate: We raise animals in nature rather than being confined without the elements (rain, snow, weather, sun) and fed corn. That impacts them. The way we do it is harder but it raises a much healthier animal. It is free of everything unnatural (like pesticides, hormones, antibiotics) and makes you a healthier person.

Foodshed: Can you tell me more about your regenerative farming practices?

Nate: The animals help control pests, weeds and they lay fertilizer. They make the farm work. Without them, farmers need to input chemicals (like herbicides and petroleum based fertilizers) and manage the land with heavy machinery. The animals are part of the farm. We rotate them so this year we have our broiler chickens in this field but next year, we will have another animal in that same field and the land will be fertilized and ready.

Foodshed: How can people get your products?

Nate: There are a few ways:

• Our farm store is open year round – Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday – 9am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm.
• We have a shipping service called Berger Box (it’s not just burgers!), you can order a customized box of meat, eggs and add ons (like coffee and cheese). We deliver it to you locally in Bucks, Montgomery and Chester Counties and even ship further using UPS in insulated boxes up and down the east coast.
• We are at the Doylestown, Yardley and Berwyn Farmers Markets April through November.
• We also wholesale to a few local restaurants including Butcher and Barkeep and Northbound.

Use promo code FARMERNATE at checkout for $30 off your Berger box!

Foodshed: What is something you wish the public knew about farming?

Nate: I wish people realized how important farmers markets are to the farmers. We basically live market to market – when it rains, we make no money. Last year it rained 6 weekends in a row and we lost a lot of money, it was bad. None of the vendors are there to get rich. Every single person who visits and makes a purchase is so important. 

Foodshed: What is your favorite thing about farming?

Nate: We raise meat and I eat a lot of meat. I love knowing exactly where my food comes from. I know without question it is the best for my family and me. I love that our customers have a great interest in our farming practices. They want to meet their farmers and shake my hand and talk about cuts. I love that connection to the community and knowing where my food comes from. 

Learn more about Hershberger Heritage Farm, see the animals and shake Nate’s hand – Wednesday August 7, potluck at 6pm followed by farmer-led tour at 7pm, optional registration form here.