Welcome to our farm’s web site!
Heritage Belle Farms is a very new working ranch and gardens committed to the health
of our animals, people, community and the environment. Therefore, we refuse to use pesticides, herbicides, poisons,
or commercial fertilizers on the land, nor do we killed local predators such as coyotes; and we absolutely refuse to administer
growth hormones, anabolic steroids, or antibiotics to any of our animals. We are inspired to increase the production and availability
of organically grown produce and raised meat at an affordable cost. As all natural growers and raisers, we have gained
a new respect for the beauty and complexity of natural systems.
All of our animals are raised very humanly and live very happy lives
because they are raised with the utmost respect. They always have access to fresh clean water in addition to access
to ample amounts of food. We do this because we find that our animals are healthier and happier when we give them the
option to decide when they are hungry and when to eat and of course as much as they want to eat. Our livestock are
grass fed and finished. Our pastures are never treated with any chemical forms of fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides or any
other synthetic chemicals. The native Pikes Peak prairie grasses that our livestock feed upon, and our animal's outstanding
quality of life, combine to produce meat that is leaner, higher in omega-3 fatty acids and completely free of man-made additives.
Our gardens are
grown and our livestock are raised with an environmentally sustainable process called Holistic Management. The animals
harvest the energy of the sun in the form of native forages (prairie grass). We carefully manage our livestock's grazing
pattern to develop natural relationships between the land and the animals such as, hoof impact and fertilization which
are so vital to the Great Plains. We try to mimic what once was provided by the herds of migrating bison, elk, deer
and other herbivores. Our highly developed grazing plans seek to avoid damaging affects to our land by avoiding three
types of land management that are commonly practiced that include: leaving the land to fallow, continuous grazing, or overgrazing.
How
our name came to be:
The
definition of "heritage" is practices that are handed down from the past by tradition. Katie's family's
history includes ranches from Texas and farmers from the Midwest. Katie can trace her mother's side of the family
back to at least 6 generation to her great-great grandfather who actually had his hand in early Texas longhorn cattle drives.
Her father's side can be traced back at least 4 generations to her great-grandparents purchasing their first farm tractor
to farm with. Therefore, Katie's heritage is in farming and ranching for a living. The word "heritage" also
represents the breed classification of her livestock that she raises and can also describe some of the varieties of produce
that she grows, otherwise known as heirlooms. "Belle" was the middle name of Katie's great-grandmother, the
first name of her mother, as well as her own middle name. In honor of all the strong women in Katie's family, "Belle"
was added to Katie's farm's name..
