Hidden Creek Farm is excited to partner with American Farmland Trust, John Marshall Soil and Conservation District, Virginia Working Landscapes, and Virginia Tech on several Stewardship, Conservation and Remediation projects.

Pastures provide incredible habitat for a number of key species in our ecosystem. Yet pastures also represent a high priority asset for farmers, whether for grazing livestock or haying. Farmers often feel squeezed between a rock and a hard place --- provide for your livestock to the detriment of wildlife, or provide spaces for wildlife to the detriment of your farm. Considering that the average sales for half of U.S. farmers hovers around $10,000.00 annually, according to a U.S.D.A analysis for 2019, and off-farm income counts for 82% of the total family income for the farmer (www.thecounter.org), it is not surprising that there is little incentive to take risks or try something different unless good data exists that this will increase revenues.

At Hidden Creek Farm, that is exactly what we are trying to do: Gather data in field trials to document that farming can indeed be more profitable even if, and perhaps because, wildlife habitats are nurtured and preserved. REGENERATIVE FARMING FOSTERS LIFE! At Hidden Creek Farm we are all about RE-CONNECTING agriculture with the natural environment and REGENERATING life! And we are also all about helping support our fellow farmers and their communities.

Luckily, we have found some amazing and inspiring partners to guide us in our quest. We'd like to introduce you to their projects now:

American Farmland Trust - No Farms, No Food, No Future - www.farmland.org

• Sustainable Grazing Pilot Project
• Bird-Friendly Beef (in collaboration with Virginia Working Landscapes)
• Bee-Friendly Beef (in collaboration with American Farmland Trust Sustainable Grazing Project) - View Here

John Marshall Soil and Conservation, a department of the Fauquier County VA Government, www.fauquiercounty.gov/john-marshall-soil-water-conservation-district

• Identification of permanent and intermittent streams, mentorship on livestock water systems design and installation, restoration and fencing-out of critical areas, wildlife corridor support, water quality and pasture management support.

Virginia Tech Fauquier County Cooperative Extension Services, www.fauquier.ext.vt.edu

• Bale-Grazing as part of the Regenerative Rotational Grazing Cycle (Hidden Creek Farm collaboration with Virginia Tech Fauquier County Extension)

Virginia Working Landscapes, a program of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute - www.vaworkinglandscapes.org

• Bird-Friendly Beef (in collaboration with American Farmland Trust Sustainable Grazing Project)
• Bee-Friendly Beef (in collaboration with American Farmland Trust Sustainable Grazing Project) - View Here